Learning more about Islam

Q: The reason for my email is that I am struggling to find myself on a religious level and would like to know more about Islam. I grew up in a very strict Christian home and most of my life I have only been exposed to how Christian people should live and it’s very difficult for me as my views about a lot of things regarding religion has changed since I went to University. It’s not that I don’t believe in anything, it’s just that I’m very confused as to what to follow. In the past three years, since I left home to study at Stellenbosch University, I have been exposed more to the Muslim religion and ever since then i started questioning my Christian ways, but I’m to scared to tell my parents about how i feel because I’m afraid that they won’t understand where i come from and I’m also scared of disappointing them. So i ask you if you can, will you please help me to understand your religion better just to help me find myself?

Marketing one's product through social networks

Q: I have developed an urdu learning app and I will sell its features.

1. If I ask some of my friends or relatives to forward and market my app as much as they can to their known people, do I need to pay them for this?

2. I am a female, can I market my app by collecting a large number of emails from internet and then send my app link on those email addresses, is it permissible for me to do this?

3. I am not on facebook neither do i use it. Can I ask my friend to market my app on facebook? Is it permissible? Is facebook a haram medium to market my app? What if I dont ask my friend but still she markets my app on facebook, do I need to stop her from marketing my app on facebook?

Removing impurity from countertops

Q: What is the best way to remove impurity from countertops? I had some wet impurity on a part of the countertop a while ago and it dried and nothing was visible, but the impurity itself was not visible. I spilled some water over a majority of the countertop (I could not cover the entire thing in water, as the water would have spilled over the sides), and then wiped it dry with tissue. The countertop is made of wood with a resin top however some of layers have come of so some wood is visible (the impurity was not on the wood parts, but the water I spilled on the impurity did get to the wood). Is this counter top pure? If not how do I clean it (note that impurity mixed with water has touched most of the countertop and since we make wudu/wash our hands here, no doubt it has transferred to a whole bunch of places). How do I take care of this?

Helping one's husband to stop being rude

Q: I need to know how to help my husband to stop being sarcastic and rude to everybody (his family, my family, close friends, my kids and I). His family even complains to me about how rude he is. I really don't know what to do anymore because it is affecting the way my son speaks as well. Do I take him to a therapist, Moulana?

PS: He doesn't see anything wrong with himself

Not allowing one's step son on one's property

Q: My husband has a son from his 1st marriage, he is 17. When we got married we used to see him at the weekends but then that stopped as it all went to court. Over the last year he made contact with my husband and they see each other every few weeks. Now his son wants to move in with us. I don't have an issue if he comes to visit but I am not comfortable with him moving in as I have a daughter from my previous marriage. She has not reached puberty yet but is 12 and will do soon.

My husband is adamant that he moves in with us. I want to know where I stand Islamically in this. My husband moved in with me into my property which I owned before I married him. My husband does own a property but his father and brother reside there.