Rights of servants

Q: Under what circumstances can a person break family ties with his/her own siblings?

Q: Is it a must/obligatory to keep contact with distant relatives (parents cousins)? If a person does not wish to keep contact with distant relatives but the parents force him to do so, then what should he do? If a person doesn’t wish to keep any contact, will he be sinful? 

Q: I am a 17 years old boy. Many times I have shouted at my parents, but now I have asked forgiveness from them and they have forgiven me.

My questions:

1. Will Allah also forgive me if my parents have forgiven me?

2. Will this behavior of mine towards my parents affect my career in the future?

Q: Whose duty is it to look after the old parents; the sons or the daughters?

Q: In Islam, is it necessary to meet relatives who do not come to meet you or keep contact with you, even though you visited them many times?

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: I have been living with my pensioner mother since I got married as I am the only child. We currently live in the same complex as my in laws and they are very accommodating of my mother and treat her kindly. I had a previous incident where my nanny left because my mother was talking ill about my husband, myself and my in laws. Bitter complaints and bringing me down. This isn't the first time. She has been complaining and bringing my husband down to many others. To the point where she makes herself seem like a victim and they actually despise me as she paints me out to be so nasty and cruel.

I have spoken to her on many occasions regarding this. She agrees not to do it and then a few months later I find out that she's talking about me, my husband or my in laws. She even complained to my mother in law about me continuously.

I have recently found out, once again that my helper (who also works for my in laws) wants to leave as my mother is talking about me, my husband and in laws behind our backs.

How do I defend my mother in a situation like this? My in laws know as the helper had to tell my mother in law to take her back full time as she works part time for me. I am at my wits end. I am so angry, hurt and frustrated. I cannot respect her. I want to know Islamically what is my duty regarding my mother and what rights do I have? I am so tired of her being manipulative and emotionally toxic. I am considering putting her into a retirement/old age home. It is as if she wants to intentionally ruin or cause drama in my marriage and between my in laws and I.

I need some advice as to how to handle this situation as my in laws are telling me to leave her and just continue as normal. I can't! I am so fedup of her causing unnecessary drama.

Q: Someone told me a secret and I promised not to tell anyone. However, because the person who told me the secret started telling others with whom he is not even close. I ended up telling someone else the secret. I know this is wrong and an act of hypocrisy. How do I go about in making taubah and making up for this sin?

Q: I sold my gold bracelet to the jeweller and my dad found out about it later on. He did not know that I had sold it. The bangle belonged to me but I’m still living with my parents.

My dads an alcoholic, he’s abusive and physically abusive as well. He thought that my house helper had stolen it and I remained quiet because I was too scared of how he would react. He got my house helper arrested and I remained quiet through out. Did I commit a sin? Will it count as stealing?

Q: What is the status of grandparents in Islam? 

If one is disobedient to his grandparents is the sin the same as if one was disobedient to his parents?