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.
Does the clipping of nails nullify ablution?
No, it does not, and it is preferable to wash the hands afterwards.
How are gaps filled during congregational prayer?
A praying person is allowed to take two steps in order to fill the gap in the row ahead. If the distance was long and requires much movement, then it is impermissible for one to move to fill it because much consecutive movement (three movements) during prayer invalidates it.
How should I be kind to my atheist father?
Allah, The Exalted, has decreed and ordained his slaves to be kind with parents, even if they are polytheists, by honoring and obeying them in all that isn`t sinful, so that they might love Islam and embrace it as a result.