Q: What are the forbidden days to fast in the Islamic calender/ year? Also which are the favourable days to fast in the months and year.

Q: I am keeping my shawwaal fasts. I had misread the ending time for sehri and thought it was 5:11. However in reality the time ended at 5:06 and fajr entry was 5:11. I stopped drinking water 1 minute before 5:11 because I had read sehri ends a minute before fajr entry. Is my fast valid. Do I have to repeat the fast?

Q: I have come into contact with a guy at work, who had already researched a lot about Islam via the internet. So I've explained to him that to be a Muslim he requires belief in Tawhid (Monotheism) and Risaalat (the prophethood of Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). I took him to the Musjid to see how we offer Salaah etc. He says he believes in Monotheism, but now he's got one question. Why could Islam unconditionally stop/forbid Alcohol, while it only regulated Slavery, and did not forbid it? I couldn't answer him, I replied by saying that it was eventually forbidden, and it was over a period of time, so that the people will willingly accept and obey, he was however not satisfied with my answer. Is there anything wrong in what I said? and please provide an answer.

Q: I have caught my father researching escort agency's twice and I am not sure how to handle it. The first time I did tell my mother and he denied going to any, yesterday my mother and I were gone visiting and on our return the front door was locked. When questioned he said he was sleeping. Later the Internet history revealed he was on those sights. Moulana please advise how do I deal with the situation without embarrassing my father or hurting my mother? I was in denial before and though he was only viewing pictures however I don't think that is the situation. Also my father is pious and I am so shocked.

Q: My question is regarding ghusl. My bath tub is placed in such a way that if you have a bath, your back will face the qibla. Can you please advise if this is acceptable, and if not then what can be done about it?

Q: A woman has not got her monthly haidh for more than a year. Two months ago, she had bleeding for 7 days only. She was then clean for 18 days. After 18 days she has been experiencing brown discharge continuously. It will soon be a month that she is in this state. How many days should she regard as haidh and how many days should she regard as istihaadhah? Please explain the ruling if she remains in this state for a few months?

Q: I have read somewhere that it is a right that (Muslim) scholars must be respected. Therefore, is it haram for a layman to argue or talk back to a scholar? Not in a rude way, but in a kind of casual manner, like he would talk to friends etc.

Q: Sometimes I am in situations where I am falsely accused or even penalised but in reality, I have not done anything wrong or committed any mistake or error? Is there any advice to help in these situations?

Q: My mamu is a US resident and he had applied to adopt us. Everything is done from his side and the court has given it's order too. The problem is with my brother. He wants to stay here due to his friends and doesn't want to go. He argues daily with us and walks away. Can you please tell me any wazifa that can change his mind?

Q: There is a mother wanting to transfer her home under one of her son's name, but there is an issue. Here in the UK this is possible through a UK inheritance tax law, known as the 7 year rule. The idea is that when the transfer of ownership is made, the person who gifts the property has to live for 7 years for there to be no inheritance tax enforced on the one who was gifted it. Apart from this condition, there is one more. The one who made the gift is unable to benefit from it for 7 years. This means they are not allowed to live under that roof, nor are they allowed to receive profit from it if rented, because the idea is that it is not theirs to benefit from until the 7 years come to pass. After which, they are able to benefit from it i.e. they can live under the roof if the one who now owns it permits this. The problem here is that the mother doesn't want to relinquish power over her property, and says she'll only transfer the house under her son's name if she is able to stay in the house and benefit from it. In other words, she would only be doing this to avoid inheritance tax while she has no interest in allowing her son to benefit from the property while she is alive. The only legal way the mother is able to stay in the house and use it as a permanent place of residence, will be as a tenant by which she is subject to paying a rent to the new owner (the son) at a market value. At the moment, the mother receives income from the state, and is letting two rooms in the house and plans to let a third. She has no other residence in the UK, and if she decides to transfer her home under the 7 year rule, she will be obliged to pay rent to her son, which she doesn't like the idea of, unless her son gives her back the money. The question is, would it be permissible for the mother to stay in the house while they pay a rental market value to the son and then the son give back this money to his mother?