Q: I know someone who has never prayed in his life!  From a Muslim background. When I say has never prayed, I mean that he has tried, but without wudhu and not really uttering the words of prayer properly, or even not saying them at all!  He is not really one who has abandoned prayer or has left the prayer, because he hasn’t really prayed or prayed properly in the first place.  So I said to him that he is like one who has never prayed at all. He is in his early 30’s, but he tells me that he strongly believes in Allah and His Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam).  He also mentioned that he knows and believes that praying is obligatory. He also said that sometimes he prays with the people who think he is praying properly, only to please them, but yet he feels tense inside when he is asked to pray with them, as he believes he is not ready.  He is never in a state of wudu before he prays superficially anyway. The thing is, he keeps saying that he will learn and pray when he is in the right situation, as he is not in the best of states at the moment.  I think he knows that pray is central and foremost, but neglects it and puts other things in front of him that he feels are more important right now for him. Please note that he also knows and believes that prayer is mandatory. He does not look down on Islam, and never mocks it!  So I don’t know if he is one who is not praying out of laziness, or by the information above, is one who is considered an unbeliever, because he is putting other things that he feels needs to be achieved first before the importance of prayer?  (I’m trying to advise him as best I can) Also the question on making up 33 years of prayer for him, if this applies to  him, is extremely burdensome.  With people’s life and work life the way they are these days, it would be very difficult.  We know, without question, that Allah (azza wa jal) deserves infinite prayers, but if he has to make them up, then this would be calculated at 60,060 prayers that is has missed! Could you shed some light on this person’s status as it would help me try and convince him not to worry about things and to take prayer seriously.

Q: Is it permissible to recite qur'an on an ipad or phone without wudhu whilst touching the screen with a pen not with th hand to go up and down
and turn the pages as I have trouble keeping my wudhu.

Q: If a lady is divorced with two kids, living on her own, working but earns minimum to pay rent /water/lights/groceries petrol etc. She has her own car but sells cars now with her brother and earns profits from there, not always a set amount but +- R1 000/R1 500 a car. Some months 3 cars and some months no cars. Can she receive zakaat?

Q: I am and Indian sister. I wanted to seek your ulama's advice in regarding my brother's education; that is in this era which line of education should we select becoming a great aalim or becoming an engineer or a doctor and doing the great effort of dawah and tableeg and seeking deeni ilm in free time from a scholar?

Q: Insha Allah I will give birth too a baby girl in two months. Now I would like to know if the name: Siyana is an Islamic and good name?

Q: When I was young I managed to shave both of my eyebrows by playing with a Gillette razor in the shower and it has never grown out normal like I had it from that time. I have really regretted it because some extra hair underneath the eyebrows is growing from my eyebrow to my eyes. So I do not look like how I used to normally. Now I remove the extra hair underneath to only have my original eyebrow left. Is this allowed for me? Because I don't change anything with my original eyebrow only the excessive hair that came after I ruined my eyebrow with shaving it all of by razor.

Q: I learnt in madressah that while a female is in haidh then she is not allowed to read any ayaats or surahs from the quraan. Is this true?

Q: Due to some petty things I became angry with my wife and said to her if next time I order you for this thing then our nikah will be broken. At that time I was very angry with her. Now I am in very big tension to get out from this saying.

Q: Please explain the severity of writing Salams, Slmz, Salam Alaykum, Slms etc instead of writing Assalamu Alaykum. People think it's no big deal when you tell them. From a scholarly point of view please elaborate why these abbreviations and versions of conveying Salam are incorrect?

Q: Offering or accepting bribe is indeed forbidden in Islam. However there are times when one is really helpless and cannot gain one's right or avoid being subject to to injustice except through bribery. This question is on behalf of my friend. "I am running an export oriented industry for which water is most essential. My water flow meter's visibility has become quite dull for which I approached the concerned authorities to allow permission to me for purchase of new meter as I fear that the current meter reading is also not clearly visible. I have been asked to send this meter for testing which I have done but the officials demand bribe for giving the permission to me to purchase new water flow meter which is my right. Delays will put me to great losses in my business. My question is that under the above circumstances if I fulfil their unjust demands would I be committing the major sin and face Allah's Wrath?"