Purdah

Purdah with non-mahram family men

Q: I would like advice regarding the following matter:

In our family, it is a norm that the women who are in parda don’t make parda from our family men but they make parda from everyone else. I did the same when I first went into parda but Alhumdulilah with the encouragement from my apas, Allah granted me the taufeeq to wear parda correctly (i.e for all ghair mahram men). 

My family is not in favor of this decision.

1. An elder has reprimanded me for making parda for my mothers sisters husbands due to the fact that I cannot marry them. What should my reply be to such statements since it is an elder? They adamantly tell me to take it out and sit on the eating table.

2. If my uncles (non mahram) enter the kitchen or the area where the females are and they greet me I reply. I avoid any type of conversation with them. But someone had brought it to my attention that this is hurting their feelings as I use to treat them as if they were my fathers from a young age. Am I correct in what I am doing?

3. Some people say that it is sufficient to just avoid talking to all of these non mahram family men and not wear parda in front of them if ones family is like how my family is. Is this correct?

Man counseling his female friend

Q: I am friends with a girl who is going through a lot of struggle mentally, this is happening since 2 years. I have been trying to help her and I have been listening to her cry most of the time. This has started affecting my mental health. As our Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said to be there for a friend when the friend is sad and going through mental suffering. I wanted to know if it is right if I start distancing myself from her problems and start focusing on my mental health. She cries out to me and dumps her problems on my head and this is effecting me mentally. I just want to know if it will be right if I stop talking to her.