Relations (6):

Q1: I am a Muslim and have a friend who is Jewish. This friend moved to Israel and has joined the Israeli army. Although he supports Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian lands, I am not sure how to interact with him now. How should I approach my relationship with him now?.

A: You do not have to cut your personal relations with him. Yes, You must guide him to differentiate between truth and false if you can. Almighty Allah said: "Call unto the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation".

Q2: Is it allowed for us to send our children for trick-or-treating on Halloween, October 31st?

A: It is not permissible to celebrate festivals that are unrecognized in our religion if it encourages or propagates another religion or if it originates from the dissolve of the personality of the Muslim individual in the values of the non Muslim society.
If such a celebration cohabits with the believers from another religions and an indication to a good dealing, then it is permissible.

Q3: I find it difficult in dealing with Sunnis and I don’t know what I am supposed to do because I was a Sunni before converting to Shiaism?

A: We advice you to deal with the members of other sects of Islam in high morality and tolerance to any discomforts that might occur. It is better to call them to guard the rights of the Ahlulbyte and like them (peace be upon them). And it is better to explain to Sunnis - without any exciting to fanaticism - the necessity to follow the Imams of the Ahlulbyte as religious leaders after the prophet (peace be upon him) as the messenger of Allah himself ordered us to do so when he said: “I am leaving amongst you the two weighty things, the book of Allah and my household”.
We encourage you to do all this with calmness and ease. Almighty Allah said: "Call unto the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation".

Q4: The Qur'an states that we should aviod the company of the sinners. does that include family?
I have a friend who backbites and tells jokes that are lies. should i aviod her? I ask as I read a hadith on the authority of Isa a.s. which said that one should keep in touch with friends even if they are sinners.

A: You do not have to avoid the company of your friends and it is unlawful to boycott your family and relatives even if they were sinners.
Yes if they sin, you must point that to them and guide them if you expect them to benefit from that.

Q5: Can I greet a muslim "Assalamu Alaikum" who do not pray 5 time a day. or reply him for his salam?

A: Yes, it is recommended to greet a Muslim and the said person is still considered as one.

Q6: What exactly are the duties of a daughter-in-law towards her father-in-law and/or mother-in-law?

A: There are no religious obligations on the son’s wife towards his father or mother, but it is better to consort with them in kindness and deal with them in a better way because they are older in age and this kind of dealing fulfills the right of the kindred that happened because of the marriage as the best ethics is amongst the best deeds.