My father had full ownership of an expensive house in Pakistan. About 10 years ago, when I was 10 years old, he had passed away, and I have been raised by a single mother. Our financial conditions are worsening as my education needs are growing. However, my fathers brother had taken the house unlawfully and has been living in there since my father's death. Whenever my mother would ask for our house back, he would threaten to humiliate her and destroy her. Since I had moved to Canada right after my father's death, I'm not familiar with the laws and authorities in Pakistan, and since Pakistan is failing to govern itself, it has poor controls of policing and other enforcement agencies. Also, since my uncle is a very dangerous person, I am afraid of what he would do if I go there and try to take my property back. My question is that, in such dangerous circumstances, am I still obliged to take my rightful property? And if yes, are there any suggestions on how I should go about doing so?

In our country we have been affected by war and we were expelled from our land 23 years ago. Praise be to Allah, my father and I are settled now and we have a business. We borrowed money in order to settle and start a business, the value of which was 1 million. When we worked out the value of zakaah that we owe on the property and trade goods that we have in our possession, it was estimated to be 7 million, and the trade goods on which zakaah is due are worth 5 or 6 million. 
My questions are: 
1. Are we required to pay zakaah, as we have not paid it all these years because we were not able to pay off the debt of 1 million? Was it correct for us not to pay zakaah?
2. We do not have any cash now, if we are required to pay zakaah. We helped a brother of ours to pay off a debt he owed, so that he could pay off the borrowed amount without paying the interest that had been agreed upon. Is it possible for us to waive this debt and thus pay off the zakaah that we owe?
3. We own some property in the country where the war was, that we took possession of after the war ended, and we are planning to sell this property in order to pay off debts and so that we can buy a house in the place where we live now. Is this property subject to zakaah?.

My question is regarding distributing leaflets/pamphlets for dawah purposes that contain Quranic verses. It is likely that many of them will end up on the streets or bins after being distributed. Isnt this wrong and should this discourage us giving out such material? Also, is this ok, considering that the targeted recipients are non-muslims who are impure?

There is a person who was in a state of janaabah and he wanted to do ghusl for janaabah, but he said: I shall wait until the time for Jumu‘ah comes, then I will do one ghusl for both Jumu‘ah and janaabah. That was after Fajr prayer. But when the time for Jumu‘ah came, he did ghusl for Jumu‘ah and forgot to intend to do ghusl for janaabah. Then he prayed for an entire day, until Zuhr on Saturday, and he led the people in praying Zuhr. Then after Zuhr he remembered. Was his prayer and the prayer of the people valid? Should he tell the people about that?.

I am a young Algerian man married to a foreign Christian woman who has an inclination towards Islam. But Allah has willed that we should separate. My question is: is the kitaabi (Jewish or Christian) woman required to observe ‘iddah and do I have to impose it on her if she refuses to observe ‘iddah? There is a second problem, which is that I am living in her house and I do not have any other accommodation to go to. What is the Islamic ruling concerning that?.

There was a discussion about the issue of putting one’s trust in Allah (tawakkul) and taking measures; the trust of some of the righteous is like that of Maryam, to whom summer fruits used to come in the winter and vice versa without her taking any measures; rather she focused completely on worship. Please advise us about that, may Allah bless you.

I read your answer about prayer whilst doing surgery or afterwards. I work as a doctor and the day is very short in Canada during the winter; Maghrib comes at 5 p.m. Hence the time between the prayers is very short and I do not know how the surgeon can do his work when this time is very short. Hence I think it is better to make the prayers up afterwards. What is your opinion on that?

I am a Muslim Arab university student in the United States. I am married and am working temporarily in the distribution centre of a local daily newspaper until I graduate and return to my country, because my family and I need the money urgently and there are few opportunities for halaal work in this country. Is it permissible to work in newspaper distribution?.

There is a saying that treating people equally unfairly is justice; some people attribute this to the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and some regard it as if it is a basic principle that cannot be changed. What is the Islamic ruling or how sound is this saying?.

Is it permissible to remove janaabah by means of tayammum?.

What are the things that make ghusl obligatory?.

Respected scholars, As-Salamu `Alaykum. I have asked this question of many scholars but no one has been able to give me a satisfactory answer. I hope you can clarify it for me. I know that man has to go through a lot of problems and afflictions throughout his life. Now these sufferings could be a punishment from God or it could be that God wants to test his faith and raise his ranks in the Hereafter. But how can we tell the difference between punishment from God or tests and trials by God? Jazakum Allahu Khayran.