Miscellaneous

Q: Is "chess" Haram? If it is haraam then why? please give references and explain.

Q: My question is that does having a dog in the house mean angels won't visit your home any more? I will be moving to a home where the basement is rented and the person who is renting it has a dog but this basement is separate entry and there is no way the dog can come to the upper portion. I am still worried as Allhumdulliah I am a practising Muslim. Please help.

Q: Outside the Madrasah bookshop there are some boxes of old/used kitaabs on a bench. Some people put their kitaabs which they don't want in the boxes. Other peoples kitaabs end up in the box without them knowing, e.g. someone misplaced his kitaab and someone else put it in the boxes. Also at the beginning of the term /year kitaabs which weren't claimed are put in the boxes by other people not by the owner. Is it permissible to take kitaabs from the boxes? If kitaabs were taken must it be put back?

Q: I am a Muslim living in a non Muslim country. Our neighbour is a non Muslim lady drug addict. I am always afraid of some kind of harm from her as she is not in her senses most of the time. Am I still obligated to look after my neighbour and offer her food etc on a daily basis?

Q: One of my friends gave me a pirated software to edit my youtube videos which are PG and send good examples and make people laugh. I got a lot of people and a big audience who are subscribed and liked my videos and tend to support me and watch more. But I did all of this using two pirated software that are really expensive. My family can afford it but don't want to waste their money. I said Wallahi when I grow up I will pay for the software with my future job. So should I stop getting fame and audience or is this all haram because of the software I use to make my videos. Youtube wanted to pay but I said no until I can buy the software. Their are millions of places on the Internet you can get this software for free. Well to be honest I am not the one giving it for free I am just a receiver. The one who made it for free he gave it to me so I don't think it is haram if I use it.

Q: My question is, what happens when you hear someone's conversation while having bad thoughts but then you realise during the conversation that you were not supposed to hear it and immediately divert your attention? Do you get the sin even though you diverted your attention right away or do not get it due to you not remembering that specific commandment of Allah Ta'ala?

Q: How does the system of Allah Ta'ala work with the regards to losing your deeds due to your sins. I heard in a bayaan that it's like a sink where you should make taubah immediately or else all your deeds go away. Unfortunately I want to clarifiy this due to my poor memory.

Q: I know that telling a lie is a sin in Islam. Islam has laid a great stress on speaking the truth. But some times people do not give us our rights unless we tell a lie. Example: A person is an employee of a company. His salary is 10000 and company tells him that he should work hard and after completion of some project company will raise his salary to 15000. But after completion of annual year/project company terminates him from job. Now person's work worth according to the market rate is 15000. But when this persons goes to next company for new job , if he tells them that his job was terminated and salary was 10000 (not 15000 which was his right now), new company will never take him on the reasonable salary (i.e. 15000). I want to ask that in this situation where we are unable to get our rights can we speak lie e.g. regarding salary to just get our right, not with the intention of harming any one?

Q:

1. Is it permissible to give a pet (like a cat or a bird) a toy bell to play with? The bell obviously makes a sound when the animal is playing with it.

2. Is it permissible to attach a bell to the collar of a pet cat? It would help in finding the cat as the bell makes a sound with any small movement the animal makes.

Q: I am a woman who is married to a beautiful person Alhamdulilah and have three children. I also have an amazing set of parents. I love them a lot and care for them. I respect them and I have succeeded in keeping them happy with my behaviour and humbleness towards them. I do this only because Allah has mentioned this over and over again about the rights of parents. I have tried my best not to disappoint them and keep asking them to forgive me if I have. My question is my parents keep talking of what belongs to my brothers amongst their properties and what belongs to me, although any sane person would say how unjust the division is. I have never said uff or raised my voice against their decision. But the thought keeps eating me from inside that although I have loved and obeyed every single word of my parents, why is it that I am being tested by not getting what Allah has given me the right to. My brothers are so disobedient and abuse my parents (at least one of them), they keep raising their voice against my parents decisions and I have selflessly always tried to make peace without thinking of any personal gain. Today, if I don't think of what is mine and what my haqq is, nobody will. I just don't know how to voice my mind to my parents only with the fear of upsetting them or maybe letting them down. They always come to me for opinions and help and I have always helped them without any ulterior motive. Just that nobody has any guarantee of time and I don't want to come to a point where I will be head on with my brothers and maybe ruin my relationship with them over my right. Please help me. I am torn, hurt and very upset.