Performing Salaah while seated on a chair

Q: I cannot sit in qa'dah position in salaah. Normally we use a chair only for qa'dah and sajdah and I stand in qiyaam. A person told me that I cannot stand in while performing salaah in jamaat. The reason being that you will not in be line with the saff and I will be standing in front of the the saff due to the chair being in line with the saff. Should I sit or stand?

Daughter dating a non-Muslim

Q: I am a mother to a 21 year old daughter who is a chef by profession and works away from home. She has met a gentleman who is older than her (she is 21) he is in his 30's. He is from the Christian faith (coloured) and wants to marry her with intention of converting to Islam. They have being dating now for a year. He appears to be respectful, and mature and is apparently the owner of an electrical business, however they both work together at the same resort.

She has introduced him to some Islamic ways already and has offered him an English/Arabic Quraan to learn more about Islam. Not much has being discussed with me as her mother, but I fear that they are living together and making their own plans.

I raised this girl by myself as her dad passed away when she was 6 years old. When she was 10 I remarried and had a second daughter, but she was part of all of this. She grew up being very shy and too scared to do things on her own. Mum had to be always there to help.

I am not happy with this relationship. I am not sure if he is being honest. He has offered her his credit card to use at liberty, his car to drive at liberty (BMW), and takes her to a building site where he apparently is building a house for her and his mum. She is currently allowed to help with all the building decisions.

I did not raise my child with no values and beliefs. I am saddened by her choice. She believes that this is her soul mate. Please advice me as to what route to take and how to manage the situation.

Women working

Q: I am very depressed even though I pray salaah five times a day and sometimes I pray tahajud too. I read Quraan 3 or 4 times a day. I think that I am disobedient towards my parents...

My mother always wants me to study but when I open my books I cant focus. Moreover I have applied for a job at the bank but when I open the books to study, thoughts come to my mind that it is haraam and Allah will punish me. My mother wants me to work and I am very depressed.

I make lots of dua and offer nafl prayers too. I ask Allah to help me so that no one will be displeased with me.

Please advice me so that I can come out of this depression.

Status of niqaab in Islam

Q: Could you please provide evidence from the Quran and Sunnah why niqaab is waajib in the Hanafi School? I’ve read that “The awrah of a woman infront of a non-mahram consists of the whole body except the face, hands and feet” - Raddul Mukhtar p531. v9

Travelling safar distance

Q: Is it allowed to have 2 watan iqamah at one time?

Does leaving my “watan iqamah”, make my watan iqamah no longer my watan iqamah?

(Does traveling from my watan iqamah make my watan iqamah batil)?

For example - London is my watan iqamah (I’m staying there with intention of 2 years), if I travel to Rome from London, and then I have a flight to Dubai from Rome with a 1 day layover in London. When I’m in London for 1 day, will I pray full or qasr? Basically, when I left my watan iqamah for a few days, will that make my watan iqama null and void? Even if I plan on coming back to it after some time?

Wife giving preference to her madrasah work over her husband

Q: Alhamdulilah, I am happily married, however I require clarification over a matter.

I work from 8 - 5 and my wife teaches hifz in the morning and madrasah in the afternoon. She is occupied and very busy the entire day. I have no problem with her busy day and am happy to let her serve the deen of Allah Ta'ala.

However during the evenings she does not provide me with her full attention but is still busy dealing with other work. She gives off the impression that her work is more important than me and often compares myself to her.

Am I correct in telling that her I am her primary responsibility and take preference over everything else?

Non-Muslim brother inheriting from parents

Q: My brother has gone away from the fold of Islam by having a girlfriend who is Christian Orthodox, committing zina, having a child out of wedlock and then saying that he will be become Christian for the sake of his child and girlfriend. He contacts my parents only when he wants some financial help otherwise he is not in contact with them or other family members on any regular basis. Whenever he does contact my family, we have always tried to remind him of Islam and Allah.

1. What does Shariah say for this matter with regards to his inheritance from my parents when they pass?

2. Should he be included in any will my parents make?

3. Does he have any right to claim inheritance from my parents if he is no longer Muslim?

4. Does my family have any responsibility or rights towards my brother if he claims to have forsaken Islam?

5. Should my family maintain contact with him or do we sever ties with him if he is no longer Muslim?