Q: I am the eldest child of my family (a male), and have 4 younger sisters Alhamdulilah. I am also Alhamdulilah married and have 2 children (1 boy and 1 girl). However, when I was younger I always wanted to have brothers but never did.

Is it permissible to pray to Allah Ta'ala for Him to bless me with more son’s or only sons if I have future children inshaAllah? Before my daughter was born, I made a lot of dua to Allah Ta'ala to bless me with another son but I was still very happy Alhamdulilah to be blessed with a daughter. But I would really want my other children to be sons InshaAllah. Please advise what I should do?

Q: There is a bank here which is offering me personal loan. I was not interested in taking that because it is haram as they will get more money in return of the money they gave me. However the bank showed me a stamp of their personal loan option from the sharia council. So can I rely on that stamp fully and avail this option. I do not know about the minor details like will they charge more if my instalment is delayed or etc but it has been approved by the sharia council so is it allowed in islam?

Q: I want to buy a Prado on instalments but I do not have sufficient downpayment so there is this dealer who is offering me a Prado without any downpayment. The price of the car is 73000 AED right now but if I calculate the instalments that I have to pay then it sums up to 85000 AED. So is this haraam or allowed in Islam?

Q: A female becomes baligh and is already in possesion of wealth which makes her liable for Zakaat - does she have to wait one year - that is, must she be in possesion of the wealth as a 'major' (as opposed to being a minor) for one year before paying zakaat?

Q: I want to know that if a husband is totally unaware of the terms and conditions of Talaaq. In this situation, if a wife forces him to give talaaq but he knows what she is asking for is not a legal thing, if she beats him up and forces him to say talaaq and the husband just says "go, talaaq" only once, is talaaq valid?

Q: I've been married since 5 months. My parents made me get married against my will even when istikhara was not right but I accepted it and started this life honestly and happily with my husband.

After marriage, on the very first day I got to know that my husband is completely impotent. During these 5 months we never had intercourse. Apart from that, he doesn't even care for me either I'm sick or anything happens to me. He works in a mill, comes home in the evening, has his dinner and sleeps. That's his daily routine.

He told me that he has consulted a doctor and taking medicines for his impotency. I believed him and remained calm but there's no difference. I haven't even seen him taking any medicines.

My parents too are not supporting me. This relation is now nothing more than a useless weight on my shoulders. I'm so depressed and sick since a month.

I've heard somewhere that if spouses never have intercourse when they're living together then they're automatically divorced. Is it true?

And, can I ask for khulaa (divorce) myself now? Feelings of hatred are buillding up in me against him. I feel like I'll kill him or myself someday. May Allah Paak forgive me for such thoughts but this hatred is not is my control. What shall I do?

Q: I want to know complete knowledge about hijama (cupping).

Q: In the time of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), gold and silver coins were used as currency. So in the time of Hazrat Isa (Alaihis Salaam) and Hazrat Moosa (Alaihis Salaam), were gold and silver coins also used as currency or was something else used?

Q: I would like to know about halal and haram incomes. Alhumdulillah I have a full time job. I have undertaken a second job working in hospitals on a casual basis for the basis of saving for hajj, investing in a business and paying off my mortgage (riba based unfortunately). I have chosen to work on Male wards to avoid mixing. But there are some points I would like to clarify. I will be working on mental health wards as a nursing assistant which from time to time require restraint of patients.

1. If I am called to another ward in an emergency situation can I restrain the patient if the patient in this ward is a female?(Alhumdulillah this has not happened to date)

2. The training required to restrain patients is carried out in a mixed environment where physical contact with females for the purpose of practising restraining techniques is highly possible. Would I be able to do this training?

3. I make an effort to avoid serving haraam foods served in the hospital by explicitly stating religious reasons (Alhumdulillah, to this day I haven’t had to serve haraam food). But if no one else is around to carry out the duty I may have to serve the haraam food. Can I do this?

4. So far none of the instances have occurred in this job and the chances of the above points happening are very low (except for training which takes place once every year).

5. The income earned from this job, would it be halaal? To use for hajj or daily living or investing etc.. if any of the above points occurred.

6. Finally is this job suitable (halaal) based on the above information, if not what should I do with money earned so far.

Q: I am a new Muslim. I am currently married to a Christian and seeking a divorce. After divorce and iddah time is final, I desire to marry a Muslim man. It is the same person that helped lead me to Islam and helped me with my Shahaadah.

The problem is that I am a Caucasian American and he is an Arab Egyptian. His parents do not accept me because I am from a different culture. I have been married before and I am not Muslim by birth. His parents want him to marry a virgin from his culture. Me and him tried not to, but we have fallen in love and want to marry. He is 25 and I am 26. In order to keep his parents desires for him, I am willing to accept a polygamous marriage. But they still don't approve. He is now asking me to marry him without his parents knowing, and tell them after the marriage. I want to marry him and he wants to marry me, but I do not want to start off a marriage with haraam ways. I want my marriage to be halal. Can you give me sound advice to this situation?