Q:

Question 1:

My brother in law and I would like to venture in a business of exporting rice from India to South Africa. He will invest 15% and I will invest 85% of cash in this venture. He will also be fully in charge for procuring the rice from the mills and for the admin work in India. I will be responsible for the work in South Africa, dealing with the customers and any other work that's needed.

I would like to find out how should our profit be distributed? Based on the percentage invested or 50/50?

Question 2:

I have invested in my brother in laws aluminium business where he uses my cash and buys for COD and his supplier gives him a cash discount of 1 rupees per kg. This cash discount he gives it to me as my dividends of my investment.

1. Is this dividends permissible for me (cash discount received by him/his business)?

2. Should it not be that the cash discount be for the business and the profit that he makes by selling the aluminium (of my cash that he used to buy) be split according to a fixed percentage mutually agreed?

Q: How should I treat my patrilateral cousins? We have a joint family system, so my cousins live in the same house as mine. Is it okay to not wear a veil in front of them, mixing with them and talking politely with them?

Q: Which tree does the Sidratul Muntahaa refer to? The lote tree or the lotus tree.

Q: I came across a fiqh ruling that employing one's parents is not permissible. Is this ruling absolute, or is it OK if one gives one's parents a respectable position in the firm and a high salary?

Q: How many grams of gold is half a dinar? Can you please tell me the amount in Pakistani rupees?

Q: Given that taking a photo of a person is prohibited, and so is looking at the opposite gender, which of the two options below would be a lighter sin:

1. A mahram taking the photo and thus avoiding the sin of going to a non-mahram to take a photo, but the mahram is now doing a prohibited thing (i.e. taking the photo).

2. Going to a professional photo studio where the photo will be taken by a non-mahram. In this situation the mahram avoids the sin of taking the picture, but this causes an interaction between non-mahram individuals.

Which of the two is the better option?

Q: If you accidentally or deliberately disrespect Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) because of personal circumstances, is all the good you did wiped off and worthless or is it still accepted?

Q: What's the ruling on shortening of prayer (qasr) for a student who went to study in another town/country for more than a year?

Q: Sometime back I took an oath never to step into my in laws home again. My husband keeps asking me to go with him. When I remind him, he doesn't go either. What should I do?

Q: Can I live in a hostel with my sister for higher education?