The supplication: "O Allah, we do not ask You to avert the decree, but we ask You for kindness in it." Is this Supplication Halal or Haram?
We are obliged to supplicate Allah, so when supplicating we comply with Allah's Ordainments, and making supplications that are reported in the authentic texts is better. And Allah Knows Best.
Is housemaid right hand possession?
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all of his family and companions.
Housemaid isn`t right hand possession. Rather, she is a free woman because she is just hired to deliver a service. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
Who are the blood-relatives with whom kinship ties should be maintained?
Blood-relatives are those from the side of one`s father and mother: grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles, and aunts. And Allah Knows Best.
It was found out that a man divorced his wife for the third time in 2005, but they continued cohabiting as man and wife. However, when they realized that what they were doing was unlawful, they came the Iftaa` Department in 2009 and were told that they can`t be together. What is the position of Sharia on this couple?
All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
Her Iddah* period starts after the third divorce. As for the continued cohabitation, it is unlawful because being ignorant about the rulings of Sharia while in Dar Al-Islam* is no valid excuse. If a baby came as the fruit of this unlawful consummation of marriage, then a judge of Sharia has the final say in this regard because lineage is a serious matter. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
* ʿIddah: a specified period of time that must elapse before a Muslim widow or divorcee may legitimately remarry. The Qurʾān (Sura,2/verse,228) prescribes that a menstruating woman have three monthly periods before contracting a new marriage; the required delay for a nonmenstruating woman is three lunar months.
* Dar Al-Islam: designates a territory where Muslims are free to practice their religion, though this often implies the implementation of Islamic law, whereas Dar al-Harb represents those lands ruled by non-believers
