Enmity for his In-Laws

Question:

Assalaamu ‘alaikum

Respected ‘Ulama

I write this with a very heavy heart. My sister is married to a man who is a practicing Muslim and a pious person, who is very close to ‘Ulama.

He is sometimes the best husband in the world to her, but then he “goes off”, and it happens all the time. She has lost her self-confidence and health due to the constant tension.

He doesn’t like the fact that he has in-laws and takes advantage because he knows my father will not tell him anything. Because of his unfriendly behaviour towards my family, no one likes him, yet he speaks nicely to his friends and own family.

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Specifying Ownership

Question:

Assalaamu ‘alaikum

Respected ‘Ulama

I am newly-married and we have received certain items as gifts. Is it okay to say that these items belong to both of us or is that ambiguous?

In the case of one spouse passing away, would these belong to the spouse that is living or will they need to be distributed to the heirs of the other spouse?

Does one have to be specific as to who the fridge, washing machine, appliances, cutlery, dishes, lounge suite, mattress, linen, etc. belong to?

If yes, what is the advisable way in which it should be done?

Jazakallah

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Forcing Children to Eat

Question:

Assalaamu ‘alaikum

Respected ‘Ulama

I would like to enquire about the meaning of the following hadeeth with regards to forcing children to eat food that they dislike. The hadeeth is something to this effect: If Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) liked food, he ate it. If he disliked it, he left it.

I understand that the hadeeth is saying that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) never complained about food. However, with regards to upbringing of children, sometimes children dislike food but parents force them to eat it.

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Dealing with Feelings

Question:

Assalaamu ‘alaikum

Respected ‘Ulama

I am thirteen years old and just started high school. I did not know what it felt like to like a boy as more than a friend until now. The boy feels the same way as I do. We both come from respectable households and have known each other for a long time.

As soon as I reached puberty, I stopped playing with him. It wasn’t hard until I started going to the same school as him which was last year. That’s when I realised that I had feelings for him. I’m trying to ignore these feelings but they won’t go away, and I know that it’s wrong to like somebody in this way.

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Advising the Children of Relatives

Question:

Assalaamu ‘alaikum

Respected ‘Ulama

My nephew was playing and I noticed a red string on his hand with something small hanging off it. He was playing and found it, so he put it on his hand. I advised him to take it off as Allah Ta‘ala wouldn’t like us to wear something like that on our hands. I just felt that Hindus wear strings on their hands (especially red ones). Although this was obviously not his intention, I felt that this is something that should be inculcated from early. My sister (his mother) immediately chastised me for saying that to him. She insisted that I’m making him aware of something he didn’t think of, and I was over reacting over such a simple thing, as he was just playing.

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