Q: There's a kind of tradition in our family. Before any of our important work or board exams, all our relatives sit together and pray to Allah for our wishes to be fulfilled. Someone said that it's bidah or haram. Is it actually haram?

Q: My wife's father demands from her to massage him and bath him while he is just wearing bermuda type shorts. He ignores her condition or tiredness. I want to know if it is allowed for him to demand this service from her? Am I justified forbidding her to do so? He lives in another city and keeps on insisting for her to come there, totally ignorant of the fact that she has a job and kids to look after. Now he is demanding to move in with her just for the reason that she may serve him like that. He has a wife who is my wife's step mother. I do not like her massaging or bathing him in his semi nude condition, but my wife said that its a culture of their country.

Q:

1. I have persistent acne on my scalp and pimples often pop and pus/blood comes out. If a pimple pops then scabs, are these scabs impure?

2. If I wash my head when it has many scabs on it does the water become impure? If one of these scabs falls off, do I have to purify the area?

3. I also have a persistent toe infection that also drains pus/blood on and off at random times. For nearly all my fardh prayers, the infection spot is bleeding/draining pus. My question is, if my toe is bleeding/draining pus and it's time for prayer, how to I wash the area? I mean if I wash it normally, then the water that runs over it (which will no doubt run over the rest of my toe as well) will be impure, making my entire toe impure. How should I deal with this? In fact, how should one deal with washing bleeding limbs for wudu in general? If one runs water over it, the water becomes impure and everywhere else the water touches becomes impure. Is this impurity disregarded during prayer?

Q: In several answers you use the word "makrooh", for example in the answer to the question "Omitting a Surah in-between two Surahs". Can you please clarify what you mean with "makrooh". Is it sinful to do a "makrooh" act as a one off? If so, what is the difference between "makrooh" and "haram"?

Q: I have a scary problem. This is how my story begins. Since I was young, I prayed as how my mum asked me to and obeyed her. If I asked Allah for anything then He granted it to me, Alhamdullilah. Since I reached the age of 15 my life changed. I started missing some salat and now I am 18 and in this stupid situation. I want to change and I don't know what's stopping me from becoming a better Muslim. I cry almost every day. I dream some times and see the grave and the hereafter. Sometimes I see in my dream that I entered Jannah. I want to change. Will Allah accept my repentance? I really need help from you ustaadh. I want to memorize the Quran but I can't do anything since I am in school and am not successful. My problem is if I die, will I enter hell? 

Q: One of my friends who is a girl married a boy 2 years ago. The boy's family misbehaved with her and her husband used to beat her sometimes for no reason and demanded materialistic things and even money. Then he fled to another country for almost a year and returned married to another girl without giving written or oral talaq to his first wife. He denied to accept her first wife.  Now the case is in court pending for final decision. 

1. Is it permissible for the man to marry another girl without the consent of his first wife?

2. Is it prohibited for the girl to marry again without the oral or written talaq given by her husband?

Q: My husband has 2 wives. I am his 1st wife with no kids. From the 2nd wife he has 2 kids. One passed away. After getting married to the 2nd wife, his behaviour changed toward me. He is very bad towards me and very good towards her. He scolds me for every small mistake and sometimes beats me if I oppose him or if I'm rude to him. One day I asked him why his behaviour to his 2nd wife is very good. He said that she is not understanding and patient like me. So if he hurts her then she will not let him meet his child. When I asked him that why is his behaviour bad with me. He said that many times he feels angry with his mother, sister, friends, relatives and 2nd wife. But he cant hurt them and he doesnt want to lose them by behaving bad. So he takes out all his anger and frustration on me because losing me is not a big deal since I cant give him children in future.

I cant tell to my parents and every body else is telling me to have patience. I am in depression. How can I explain to my husband that Allah is watching his actions? 

Q: I stepped on some stool of an animal but was unaware until later in the day. The place I work is in a room that is carpeted. The day I was working, it was also raining making the soul of the shoe wet making me believe that the najasat has spread on the carpeted floor at my place of work. Now, as I work there on a regular basis I wanted to know:

1. If I would have to clean the carpet in the room?

2. How would I clean the carpet in the whole room as the carpet is stuck to the floor.

3. Would it suffice using a mop or wipes to just wipe over the carpet?

4. If I walked on the carpet again with wet shoes would the napaaki transfer from the carpet to my shoe to other areas e.g. car, home etc...

Q: I'm 29 years old. I'm only one sister and I have two brothers. I was in a relationship with a boy in college. I took some photos with him also. Now I learnt that this type of relationship is haram. I'm making istighfaar to Almighty Allah and I'm keeping a distance fromo that boy. Now I want to get married to a boy that my famliy chose but this boy that I was with in college is making my life miserable. I'm praying to Allah to protect me but day by day this boy is making my life bad. Some people say that he did black magic so I can't get married. My brother is angry with me and he is in so much distress. I'm so helpless. I understand this was a big mistake in my life. Can I go to some people who know how to treat black magic? 

Q: Is leeching allowed in Islam?