Should a person feel pleased, or have a virtuous vision after offering Istikhara (guidance prayer) in order to do what he/she had offered it for?
The result of the Istikhaarah is not necessarily that a person sees something (in his dream), or feels pleased, but the most important result of the Istikhaarah is whether a person is enabled to do a given matter or not.
Is it permissible to pray with a heater (stove) in front of me?
There is no harm in praying with a heater in front of you, as long as you do not intend to venerate the fire or imitate those who worship it. And Allah Knows Best.
Is it permissible for us to sever ties of kinship if our blood-relatives` gatherings/meetings involve acts of sin?
Observing kinship ties is obligatory, and paying your blood-relatives a visit causing their sinful acts to be hindered , then you should do so. However, if their sinful acts continue while you are at their gathering and they didn't respond positively, then observing kinship ties via telephone and the like will suffice in this case. And Allah Knows
I`m a university student. While I was sitting for an exam, the professor caught my fellow student cheating. I heard him telling her to hide the dossier. After the exam, he asked me to testify that I saw her cheating although I heard him telling her to hide the dossier but didn`t see her cheating. What is the ruling of Sharia on this?
All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of The Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
It was narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said to a man: "Do you see the sun?" He replied: "Yes." He said: "Give witness in a similar case [which is as clear as the sun], or leave it." [Reported by Al-Baihaqhi in "Sho`ab Al-Eman" pp.10964]. Therefore, it is not permissible to testify about something that you haven`t actually seen. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.