Suicide is a major sin in Islam. Prophet Muhammad stated that the one who commits suicide will be punished with what he used to kill himself. Suicide is not disbelief that puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, as some people think. Rather it is a major sin that is subject to the Will of Allah on the Day of Resurrection: if He Wills, He will forgive it, and if He Wills He will punish for it. The Prophet refrained from offering the funeral prayer for one who had committed suicide, as a punishment to him and so as to deter others from doing the same. But he allowed people to offer the funeral prayer for him, so it is Sunnah for the people of knowledge and virtue not to offer the funeral prayer for one who has committed suicide.

It is prohibited for men to imitate women and vice versa with regard to clothing that is unique to one’s sex, and the one who does that is subject to the threat of being cursed. So, if it is prohibited with regard to clothing, then imitating women in one’s movements and tone of voice is even more abhorrent.

With regard to masturbation, the basic ruling is that it is prohibited according to the majority of scholars, and the one who does it should be given a Ta`zir punishment, but it is not like Zina.

There is nothing wrong with telling other people about the pregnancy after you find out about it, and it is not essential to wait until three months have passed.

1. With regard to a woman’s lack of reason, it is because women are easily swayed by emotions, which make them unable to deal appropriately with new issues that arise. 2. As for a woman’s lack of religious commitment, it is because women do not pray and fast during the days of their menses and when they are bleeding following childbirth. 3. Prophet Muhammad spoke about creating women from a rib to urge men to show kindness to women and to be patient in putting up with any annoyance that may come from them; they should not criticise women, rebuke them or belittle them. 4. Islam respects and honours women and treats them fairly and gives them their rights. Islam honours the woman as a mother, as a daughter, as a sister and as a wife.

To solve your problems with your husband’s family, do the following: • Ignore what you hear from your husband’s family which you can tell is aimed at upsetting and provoking you and is pure fabrication, with no substance. • Pay attention to yourself, your house, your children and whatever you hear from them that is true [in terms of shortcomings]; you have to rectify these things and do them properly. • Try to be friendly towards his family, showing good manners, speaking gently and behaving kindly. Make sure to give them appropriate gifts from time to time, or some food that you have made for them, or some sweets that you have made specially for them. • Be kind to your husband by not telling anyone about how his family treats you, and make him trust you more; do not let him hear or see anything from you that he does not like.

You can overcome your fear of losing means of provision if you develop trust in Allah, and truly put your hope in Him and be connected to Him. Provision has nothing to do with the death or life of anyone, because Allah’s way in dealing with His creation is not to change anything for the death or life of anyone.