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.
Is it permissible for a woman who has become pure before the end of forty days of confinement to perform different acts of worship? and is it lawful for her husband to have sex with her?
Once postpartum bleeding ceases and she is certain that it won`t happen again, she becomes pure, and so she should perform Ghusl (ritual bath), pray, and fast. She can also have sex with her husband even before the end of (40) days because the minimum of postpartum bleeding is a moment, and the maximum is (60) days. However, the postpartum bleeding for the majority of women is (40) days, but this does not apply to rest of them.
What is the ruling on having a second congregational prayer in the mosque?
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds, and may His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all of his family and companions It is disliked to have a second congregational prayer in the mosque which isn`t visited by travelers like the neighborhood`s mosque, and which has an appointed Imam, save with the latter`s permission. Nevertheless, if the mosque is visited by travelers, it is permissible to have a second and a third congregational prayer, whether it has an appointed Imam or not, or whether he permits that or not. And Allah Knows Best.
Is washing the private part after urinating (Istinjaa`) a condition, and is it done with water and soap, or with water only?
Istinjaa` is obligatory for removing impurity, and it can be done with toilet paper, or a stone, or water. It is preferable to do Istinjaa` first with paper, or stone, or the like, then to wash the private part with water until making sure that the impurity has been removed. Using soap is not a condition, but there is no harm in doing so provided that it is washed off with water. It is also permissible to use either water, or paper if impurity is removed by any.