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.

What advice can you give to the Muslims in the west in the current situation in which the Muslim ummah finds itself? How can we fulfil our Islamic duties and please Allaah?.

If one Muslim brother loves another Muslim brother, does he have to say to this brother "I love you for the sake of Allah?

What is customary is for us to say “Blessings and peace of Allah be upon him (sall Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)” specifically for our Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him); is it permissible to offer this supplication with this wording for other Prophets? Who are the only ones for whom the following phrases are to be used: may Allah be pleased with him (radiya Allahu ‘anhu), may Allah have mercy on him (rahimahu Allah), may Allah keep him safe (sallamahu Allah)? Is it permissible to offer supplication for a great scholar who strove all his life to call people to Allah and His Messenger, such as Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz and other, similar contemporary scholars, when they die, by saying “may Allah be pleased with him” or “peace be upon him”?

I am curious about the coverings that you have to wear if you’re a female in your religion/culture. it really does all seem very vain for us that are Christian because it implies that a woman thinks every man wants her if she is not wearing this type of garb. It also seems that men are not to be trusted with someone from your culture/religion because of your "beauty" that you feel you possess, but people could be beautiful and not every man wants them. Can you shed some light on this for me? I will be honest and say that when I see someone wearing this, I always think "how vain are you?". Thank you ahead of time for replying.

If the Muslims celebrate the birthday of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), why do they not celebrate the birthday of the Prophet of Allah ‘Eesa (peace be upon him)? Is he not a Prophet who was sent from Allah, may He be glorified and exalted? I heard this idea from someone, and I know that Christmas and the celebration thereof is haraam, but I want an answer to this question. May Allah reward you with good.

My neighbour is an American Christian, and she and her family brought me a gift when it was Christmas. I could not refuse the gift, lest she be offended.  
Can I accept this gift, as the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) accepted gifts from kaafirs?

We are a group of employees of Saudi Aramco, working in the Italian city of Milan on a work mission that will take approximately one year. We offer some of the prayers in a room in the workplace that has been set up as a prayer-room for us. Some of the group decided to gather in this room for Friday prayer (Jumu’ah) where one of them will deliver the khutbah.

Their basis for doing this is that praying Jumu’ah in this room saves time instead of going to the mosques in and around Milan, and holding Jumu’ah prayers in this mosque will encourage some of us who are too lazy to go and pray Jumu’ah in the mosques of Milan. Some of us decided not to pray Jumu’ah in this prayer-room, because we are not sure whether doing so is permissible, as one of the mosques is only ten minutes away by car and another mosque is twenty minutes away, and a third mosque is half an hour away by car.

We are divided, some of us pray Jumu’ah in this prayer-room and some of us pray in the mosques in and around Milan. We hope that you can advise us of the ruling on praying in the office prayer-room.

What is the ruling on one who delays Hajj for no reason when he has the means and is able to do it?

 As-salamu `alaykum. I work in a software company where the dress code is business formal. So, it’s compulsory to wear shoes. The thing is I have to remove my socks and shoes every time I make wudu’. I heard that it’s not necessary to remove socks for wudu’. Well, I'm not sure about that and its procedure. So, if there is any alternative to this, then, please, enlightenment me on this. Jazaka Allah khair.