Al-Salâm `Alaykum. Can a Muslim keep a cat as a pet?
 

If a woman wants a khul` separation because of her husband’s neglect and bad treatment, and he refuses to grant her request, can the judge force him to grant her a khul`?
 

What is the ruling on fasting six days of Shawwaal? Is it waajib (obligatory)?

A young man proposed to a girl, but when the marriage contract was done, the girl’s father had a disagreement with his daughter’s fiancé, and refused to do the marriage contract. But the girl, her mother and her brother wanted the marriage to go ahead, so they left their house and rented an apartment, and they left the father who refused to do the marriage contract, and the marriage contract was done; the maternal uncle of the girl was the one who acted as her guardian (wali) in this marriage contract, in the presence of her brother. They argued that the father does not pray and they did not want him to be the wali of his daughter. How valid is this marriage contract?

I think my brother is gay, and I say this because of the way he talks, the way he does his hair, the kind of clothes that he wears and the things that he is interested in. One time I used his USB and saw some pornography on it, including anal intercourse, and I do not know whether it was between two men, because I closed it quickly and erased the file. I asked him about it and he said he did not know where it came from, but in the end I found more in his room. I also checked his personal computer and I found out that he visits gay websites in the country where he is studying. My question is: do I have to advise him and warn him about the bad consequences of this sin?

What is the ruling on buying and selling shares? Please note that some scholars regard shares from all companies as haraam. We hope that you can explain.

I must say that I'm a revert, Alhamdullila, that I was raised as a catholic and that I was very ungrateful to my Rabb before Islam. Since I was a little kid I was mischievous and often committed sin. After one particularly grave sin, and I asked Allah Subhana wa ta'ala (even thought I was a kaaffir I prayed to Allah azza wa jalla and not Jesus, peace be upon him) to have mercy on me, and I promised Him not to marry if He forgave me. Now that I'm Muslim, Alhamdulillah, I protect my chastity. I know the importance of marriage and the protection it offers a sister, and I wish I could get married in the future to a righteous brother (insha'Allah) so I could learn from him and also to be a comfort for him. But I don't know if I'm excused of not fulfilling my promise to Allah in this matter or if a woman who used to be so wicked could aspire to marry a righteous man.

May Allah reward you with good for answering my question, but I think that it needs further explanation of the issue of sprinkling hot water on the private part, because the wet dream occurred at the time of ‘Asr prayer, and I have a problem, which is that maniy and even madhiy continue to come out for a considerable period after they are first emitted. It often happens with me that one of them is emitted at the time of prayer, whether that is because of thinking or because of a wet dream, but in order not to miss the prayer, I sprinkle hot water (on my private part) so that whatever is left will come out. Please note that I do not feel any desire when I use this method. Now I am going to make up the fast of that day that I told you about, in sha Allah, but what should I do if maniy continues to come out whilst I am praying? Should I pray in that case?

I want to join an islamic society in europe. This society includes a mosque and dars.
The shura demands a membership fee. Is this halal?

When can I start fasting six days of Shawwal, since we have annual leave right now?

I have embraced Islam – praise be to Allah – and I have three children; I come from a Christian family that is tolerant of my being Muslim. My question is: how can I introduce Islam to my children, one of whom is eleven years old, the other is eight years old, and my daughter is five years old, without forcing them?

Is it haraam to make models of kaba and explain the children the rituals of hajj?