What is the Sharia (Islamic law) ruling on masturbation?
According to trustful physicians, masturbation is harmful to one`s health, and is forbidden according to the majority of Muslim scholars. Therefore, a Muslim should avoid all that which inflicts harm on him in the life of this world and the Hereafter.
My father placed shares worth twenty dinars in one of the banks, and their value doubled to become five thousand dinars. When my father passed away, one of the scholars told us that it is permissible for us to take the money. What is the ruling on this money, considering that it comes from a bank and involves interest (Riba)?
Allah The Almighty Said (What means): "And if you repent, then for you is the principal of your wealth. You do not wrong, nor are you wronged." [Al-Baqarah/279]. This is the precautionary ruling regarding what you are asking about. You are entitled to the principal amount, and you should give the excess as charity to the poor and needy. If you are poor, you may take from it. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
What is the difference between Tahajjud prayer and night prayer, and do they have a particular Witr prayer other than that of Isha (evening prayer)?
Tahajjud and Qiyam-Al-Lail (night prayer) are two words for the same meaning which is offering voluntary prayer at night after sunset, but before dawn break. However, Tahajjud is offered after waking up; whereas, Qiyam-Al-Lail is permissible before sleeping, or after it. Therefore, every Tahajjud is a Qiyam, but not every Qiyam is a Tahajjud. Moreover, there is no specified Witr for both of them, but Witr after Isha is by itself the Witr of Qiyam, and it is a Sunnah to postpone it until after Qiyam if the worshiper thought that he was most probably going to wake up in order to offer it, but if he wasn`t sure of waking up, then he is at liberty to offer it before going to bed as was reported in the Prophet`s Hadith.
Is it permissible for one to shake hands with his uncle`s daughter?
No, it isn`t because he is a non-Mahram (Marriageable) to her.
