Rights of servants

Q: I am studying at a university which has maintained some green areas with fertile soil in the campus for students. Other unmaintained places in the campus have unfertile, dry soil. I have a potted plant in my room and it needed more fertile soil, but I did not know any gardening shop to buy fertile soil from. So I got fertile soil from the maintained green areas and added that to my potted plant.

Is taking this soil from the campus' maintained green areas permissible or is it stealing?

Also, will it be permissible to take the dry soil from unmaintained areas of the campus?

Q: I have a question which relates to taking care of my old and aged mother.

My father passed away long ago. I am the only son with three sisters. All of us are married and living separately with our families in different places. Mother is living alone in our homeland in a separate house. I am living with my family and earning my livelihood in a different country. I am the only earner for my family and for my mother. One of my sisters is also living with her family in a different country. My two sisters with their husbands and children live in the same city where my mother lives.

My mother is alone and she is managing her mandatory works like going to toilet alone, taking bath, changing clothes etc. She expresses the desire that her children should come and help her in her hour of need. Also she does not want to shift in any daughter’s house who are living in the same city nearby. I have following question to ask,

1. Who is responsible to take care of mother, myself only or my sisters or all of us.

2. If in case I am responsible, then can I make a satisfactory arrangement for my mother by keeping a maid to help her in her household works like cooking food and taking care for her other works.

3. If in the case where I am responsible, is it obligatory for me as per sharia to leave my livelihood and return back and stay with my mother and take care for her. 

Q: My question is pertaining to relationship of my children with their grand father (husbands father).

My in laws are divorced now for a very lone time. With the result that there is no communication between my husband and father in law at all. Since being married and having kids now I would like my children to have a relationship with their grand father (Dada) as my father (Nana) is late. I have posed the question to my husband regarding this and he said that his father is aware of his grandchildren but has not made contact. But my feeling is that his father has not made any contact because father and son are not on talking terms and as result he has kept his distance.

Should I leave it and not pursue this any further or shall I try and make contact with my father in law even though he does not know me. What is the correct action to be done here. Please advise.

Q: I was married recently. My wife wants us to live in a different place than my parents and I know it's in Islam that she has the right for a separate place. I'm more than happy to live with her in a different place. But, Islam also says that the son has the responsibility to care for his parents. I want to know how am I supposed to live with my wife in a different place and simultaneously take care of my parents.

Q: An old woman who is not in her correct state of mind, meaning she is unable to make proper decisions herself, now needs to move out of her home, to live with one of her children. Her own home needs to be packed up and sorted out. Is it permissible to distribute her things among the children or what is the correct way of handling her possessions?

Q: I just got married last month and I also don't want to live with my parents because my father creates a miserable situation at home which is going to make an impact on my spouse, my future children and me.

My mother is suffering from this since her marriage and she feels lonely. I asked her to live with me but she said that I can't leave your father but my father does not understand things.

I live in a different city but I want to take care of them because they are alone. I have one elder brother but he is also not interested in living with them.

Before marriage I asked them to move to a city where we can live as neighbours and my mother said Yes it is okay. Now she emotionally blackmailed me and said that we will live with you in the same house so I had to say Yes. I want to take care of them but don't want to live with them in the same house. I said Yes to my mother.

Nowadays, I am with my parents and I am feeling that my parents do not respect my privacy with my wife. I am very very confused about what to do. What I am thinking is that I will ask my mother that if a miserable situation arises in my presence then I will move out and live somewhere else.

Q: I want to ask what should a person do if he uses an abusive word for his mother due to anger issues?

Q: My family, especially my parents want me to get rid of my kitten that I bought but I am refusing. Can you please tell me if this is right or not. Am I committing a sin by not listening to my parents even though keeping a cat is not haraam. 

Q: I always have behaved badly with my mother. It is from my childhood. Now I know it is a grave sin but after doing tawba so many times I cannot change myself. I always have negative thoughts about her instead of her favours to me. I always think about the bad side about her and disrespect comes in my mind for her. I have tried but cannot get rid of it. I know she has many faults in her for which I disrespect her in my mind but this is a grave sin. How do I get rid of these thoughts and treat her with utmost respect?

Q: How do I balance between ibadah and everyday life? When my sisters come they complain that I don't give much time to them.. I also feel it difficult to go to someone else's home and fulfill my regular amal as it takes so much time..I also fear after marriage I will not be able to continue these aamaal as there will be so much responsibilities.. so what should I do?