What are the Sunnahs of fasting?.

My question deals with a friend of mine who was ignorantly joking. When my friend was teased by another friend he ignorantly picked up his phone out of joking and said I have to tell Allah. Then he said on the phone "Hello, Allah" as to tell Allah. I know this is incorrect but is this shirk?

I would like to know the proper way to make du’aa’ during prayer, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did it. Is it after the prayer or between the two prostrations or whilst standing or when?.

When I went to do ‘umrah, I was menstruating, so I did sa‘i and cut my hair, and I exited ihram and put on niqab. I waited until I became pure, then I did tawaaf at the Ka‘bah. I did this based on the ruling on Hajj, which says that the menstruating woman should do everything except tawaaf. Please note that I am not married. What is your opinion, may Allah bless you?

A man lives within a community that commits shirk (polytheism) by appealing for help from other than Allah. Is he allowed to pray with them with their leading the prayer? Is it obligatory to abandon them? Is their Shirk considered shirk al-akbar (great and serious act of disbelief by associating other beings with Allah's supremacy)? Is alliance with them treated the same as alliance with true non-believers?

Can you tell me the ruling on women wearing a red or yellow `abâyah? Does she have to wear black?
 

I want to make my children keen to pray, because they will pray once then forget about prayer many times. I always advise them and pray to Allah to guide them. How can I encourage them and make them love prayer?.

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.