Dought & clear, - Should one who joins the prayer late recite the opening du‘aa’?

The opening du'aa' (du'aa' al-istiftaah) should come at the beginning
of the prayer. If I join the congregation at the beginning of the
second rak'ah, for example, should I recite it or have I missed the
time for it? In other words, should the opening du'aa' be recited only
in the first rak'ah, and after that should it not be recited? Or is it
that whenever the worshipper starts his prayer, he should say it even
if he did not say it in the first rak'ah?
Praise be to Allah.
The opening du'aa' is Sunnah according to the majority of scholars,
and whenever the worshipper catches up with his imam in the first or
second rak'ah, he should recite the opening du'aa', so long as he is
not worried that the imam will bow (too soon). But if he is worried
that the imam will bow, then he should recite al-Faatihah only,
because reciting it is obligatory.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If one who joins the
prayer late starts to pray, then the imam says Ameen immediately after
he has started to pray, then he should say Ameen and then recite the
opening du'aa', because the saying ameen is brief. If the one who
joins the prayer late catches up with the imam in the final tashahhud,
he should say takbeer and sit down, then if the imam says the salaam
as soon as he has sat down, then he should stand up (to make up what
he has missed of the prayer) and not say the opening du'aa', because
he has missed the place for it.
End quote fromal-Majmoo', 3/275
He also said: If he catches up with him when he is still standing, and
he knows that he will be able to recite the opening du'aa' and seek
refuge with Allah and recite al-Faatihah, then he must do so. This was
stated by ash-Shaafa'i inal-Umm, and also by our companions. … If he
knows that he will only be able to recite part of the opening du'aa'
and seek refuge with Allah and recite al-Faatihah, and he will not be
able to do all of it, he should do what he is able to do. This was
stated inal-Umm.
End quote fromal-Majmoo', 3/276
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If the latecomer joins the prayer when the imam is reaching the end of
his recitation, before bowing, should he start his prayer with the
opening du'aa', or should he join the imam and remain silent?
He replied:
If the latecomer arrives when the imam is bowing, he should bow with
him, and not recite the opening du'aa' or recite any Qur'an; rather he
should say takbeer and bow. But if he comes when the imam is still
standing and there is plenty of time, then he should recite the
opening du'aa' and al-Faatihah. This is what is prescribed for him: to
recite the opening du'aa' and then al-Faatihah, even in the prayers in
which the imam recites out loud. If there is a pause where the imam
falls silent, he should recite it at that time; otherwise he should
recite it to himself, then after that he should listen attentively to
the imam. But if he comes late, when the imam is bowing, then he
should say takbeer and bow, and the requirement to recite al-Faatihah
is waived in this case, because he is excused.
End quote fromMajmoo' al-Fataawa, 30/150
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - He wanted to help a woman become Muslim, then they committed zina and she got pregnant, then she insisted on leaving him, and cut off ties with him

I would like to ask you a question which is killing myself - I tried
to help a women for reverting Islam though before she didnt had any
religion and she agreed to marry with me but in the meantime we had
sex without marriage and aftersometime she broke with me and Allah swt
knows why she did that.
After that I repented a lot..May Allah forgive my sins and I tried to
pray istekhara and during this period she gave the news that she is
pregnant... which I told her that this is the sign for our marriage
but she didnt believe it. Instead of that she got upset and angry as
she became pregnant. Later she told me that she will abort the baby
and we didnt marry.
Now its been 6 months she is carrying the baby and wants to deliever
the child and In this meantime I have send several times of marriage
proposal but she didnt accept. I want my child back as well as her but
she is not agreeing.
What shall I do to get my child back and and I know even we marry now
the child will be illlegitmate. There fore I would like to know what
shall I do as I wana take the responsibility of the child and her and
if its legal to do so... will i lose the child? If child born does he
will have my name and am i legal to take care?
Kindly reply my answer at the earliest.
Praise be to Allah.
We believe that everyone who reads this question must learn from it
and convey that lesson to people, so that they may protect themselves
and their societies from such errors, and understand how doing things
the wrong way must inevitably lead to wrong outcomes, even if the aim
was noble. The aim is not sufficient to make actions right; rather the
action must also be free of any element of evil or corruption, as Ibn
al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: We seek refuge with Allah
from starting any action without basin it on knowledge and reason.
Talbees Iblees, p. 277
Similarly, we read what is mentioned in the question with a great deal
of sorrow. How the nafs (self) that is inclined towards evil could
take advantage of a girl who is interested in Islam, seeking guidance
and to learn about the Qur'an, and make her fall into the pit of
desire and forbidden pleasure, so that her search for guidance turned
into an occasion for resentment, anger and aversion, and showed her
the darkness of sin instead of the light of guidance. No light will be
left in the heart of the sinner; rather he will be stuck in the mire
of his sin, and what has tainted his heart of evil can hardly be
washed away except after sincere repentance, a great deal of praying
for forgiveness, and turning to Allah, may He be exalted, with
humility and humbling oneself before Him, in the hope that He may
pardon and forgive, and help him to come back to obedience to his
Lord, so that he may move beyond this dark stage in which the sin
began by forming a relationship with a non-mahram woman and ended with
zina.
See also fatwa no. 11195
Now that you have knocked at the door of repentance and have turned to
Allah, may He be exalted, you must understand some shar'i rulings
which are very important in your case; we will list them for you
below:
Firstly:
It is not permissible for a Muslim to marry a woman of any other
religion apart from the people of the Book, namely Jews and Christians
and those whom the scholars included under the same heading. As for a
woman who does not follow any religion at all, not even in name only
or on official papers, it is not permissible to marry her. Allah, may
He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And do not marry Al-Mushrikat (idolatresses, etc.) till they believe
(worship Allah Alone). And indeed a slave woman who believes is better
than a (free) Mushrikah (idolatress, etc.), even though she pleases
you"
[al-Baqarah 2:221].
No exception is mentioned except in the case of the people of the
Book, because of the general meanings of the word mushrikaat (fem. pl.
of the word mushrik, meaning one who associate others with Allah).
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to all disbelievers apart from the people of the Book,
such as those who worship whatever they see fit of idols, rocks, trees
and animals, there is no difference of scholarly opinion that it is
haraam to marry their women or eat meat slaughtered by them.
End quote fromal-Mughni, 7/131
This has been discussed previously in fatwa no. 2851
Secondly:
Attributing the child who is born as a result of zina (with a woman
who is not married) to the zaani is also a problematic matter. The
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "If (the
child) is from a free woman with whom he cohabited, he is not to be
attributed (to the zaani) and cannot inherit from him." Narrated by
Abu Dawood inas-Sunan, 2265; classed as hasan by al-Albaani inSaheeh
Abi Dawood.
We have previously discussed this issue in more detail in fatwa no.
33591and 175523.
Thirdly:
With regard to m of the child, there is nothing wrong with you
spending on the child who was born as a result of zina if you want to
do so, provided that this is done from a distance, by sending the
money through a bank account for example, without being in contact
with that woman or meeting her, so that the sin will not be repeated
and so that the Shaytaan will not cause temptation between you.
Fourthly:
It is not permissible for you to carry on trying to convince her to
marry. She has been put off and has been faced with distress because
of that sin. Similarly, it is not permissible to use the fact that you
prayed istikhaarah and that she became pregnant as proof that this
marriage is something good. We think that this is a kind of getting
carried away in temptation and is an attempt to confuse that woman.
The marriage that is prescribed by Allah, may He be exalted, and is
liked by Him is not something for which pregnancy that results from
haraam actions can be interpreted as a sign in its favour; rather it
begins with obedience to Allah, may He be glorified, and adherence to
His laws and commands.
Our advice to you is to stop attempting to convince her; rather you
must stop trying to communicate with her in any way, because there is
no way that you can marry her if it becomes clear that she is neither
a Jew nor a Christian. Even if it becomes clear that she is a follower
of one of these two religions, there is no way that you can marry her
because she has refused and is convinced that marriage would fail
after it has been spoiled by zina.
We ask Allah to forgive us and you, and to grant us all well being.
And Allah knows best.

Man's ultimate responsibility is to God and his highest goal is the pleasure of his Creator.

From an Islamic perspective, the purpose of human life is to worship
God, by leading this worldly life in harmony with the Divine Will, and
thereby achieve peace in this world, and everlasting success in the
life of the hereafter. Muslims look to Noble Qur'an and the Traditions
of Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) as their moral guides. Muslims believe
that true happiness occurs when you are God-conscious and submissive
to God's will. Freedom is freedom from human desires and man-made
ideals. Through prayer and fasting, self-discipline and self-control
become a focus of many Muslims. This also is a foundation for human
dignity.
Almighty Allah (SWT) sums up righteousness in verse 177 of Surat Al
Baqarah as follows:
"It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and
the West, but righteousness is this that one should believe in Allah
and the last day and the angels and the Book and the prophets, and
give away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the
orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for (the
emancipation of) the captives, and keep up prayer and pay the
poor-rate; and the performers of their promise when they make a
promise, and the patient in distress and affliction and in time of
conflicts - these are they who are true (to themselves) and these are
they who guard (against evil)." (Noble Qur'an, 2:177)
This verse teaches us that righteousness and piety is based before all
else on a true and sincere faith. The key to virtue and good conduct
is a strong relation with God, who sees all, at all times and
everywhere. He knows the secrets of the hearts and the intentions
behind all actions. Therefore, Islam enjoins moral behavior in all
circumstances; God is aware of each one when no one else is. It may be
possible to deceive the world, but it's not possible to deceive the
Creator. The love and continuous awareness of God and the Day of
Judgment enables man to be moral in conduct and sincere in intentions,
with devotion and dedication:
"Indeed, the most honorable among you in the sight of God is the most
pious." (Noble Qur'an, 49:13)
The guiding principle for the behavior of a Muslim is what Noble
Qur'an refers to as virtuous deeds. This term covers all deeds, not
just the outward acts of worship.
Some of the most primary character traits expected of a Muslim are
piety, humility and a profound sense of accountability to God. A
Muslim is expected to be humble before God and with other people.
Islam also enjoins upon every Muslim to exercise control of their
passions and desires. Gratitude in prosperity, patience in adversity,
and the courage to uphold the truth, even when inconvenient to
oneself, are just some of the qualities that every Muslim is
encouraged to cultivate.
Islam warns against vanity and excessive attachment to the ephemeral
pleasures of this world. While it is easy to allow the material world
to fill our hearts, Islam calls upon human beings to keep God in their
hearts and to use the material world in moderation and in accordance
with God's guidance. The Glorious Qur'an says:
"The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, but only he (will
prosper) that brings to Allah a sound heart." ( Noble Qur'an:
26:88-89)
Charityis one of the most commendable acts in Islam. In fact, Zakah,
the annual charity that is obligatory on every Muslim who has accrued
wealth above a certain level.

Morality and Ethics in Islam: Islamic Culture in Muslim Society(Moral Stories)

The word "morality" comes from the Latin word moralitas meaning
"manner, noble character and proper behavior". Morality generally
refers to a code of conduct, that an individual, group or society hold
as authoritative, in distinguishing right from wrong. Immorality is
the active opposition to morality, while amorality is not admitting of
moral distinctions or judgments; neither moral nor immoral or lacking
moral sensibility; not caring about right and wrong.
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that
addresses questions about morality that is, concepts such as good and
evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice, etc. Ethics in Islam
or True Islamic code of ethics provides basic concepts which gives
humanity a strong platform on which they can lay their lives according
to the teaching of Noble Qur'an and Prophet's Sunnah.
Islam as a comprehensive way of life encompasses a complete moral
system that is an important aspect of its world-view. We live in an
age where good and evil are often looked at as relative concepts.
Islam however, holds that moral positions are not relative and
instead, defines a universal standard by which actions may be deemed
moral or immoral.
A major goal of Islam is to provide mankind with a practical and
realistic system of life based on good by which he can conduct his
life. It calls upon mankind not only to practice virtue but to
establish it and to eradicate all that is harmful. It seeks the
supremacy of one's conscience in all matters, so that what is harmful
cannot gain the upper hand in either an individual or a society. Those
who respond to this call are known as Muslims, which literally means
those who have submitted to God (Allah). The sole object of the
resulting community of Muslims ( Muslim Ummah) is the undertaking of
an organized effort to establish what is good and to fight and
eradicate what is evil and harmful.
Morality is one of the fundamental sources of a nation's strength,
just as immorality is one of the main causes of a nation's decline.
Hence, Morality is one of the cornerstones of Islam. Morality in Islam
has established some universal fundamental rights for humanity as a
whole, which are to be observed in all circumstances. Islam's moral
system is striking in that it not only defines morality, but also
guides the human race in how to achieve it, at both an individual as
well as a collective level. Thus, everything that leads to the welfare
of the individual and the society is morally good in Islam, and
whatever is harmful is morally bad.
Given its importance in a healthy society, Islam supports morality and
matters that lead to it and stands in the way of corruption and
matters that lead to it. The Islamic moral principles therefore,
appeal naturally to the human intellect, while elevating the pursuit
of morality to the level of worship. This is because Islam holds every
action that is done with the goal of attaining of God's pleasure to be
worship. The Guardian and Judge of all deeds is God Himself.
The concept of morality in Islam centers around certain basic beliefs
and principles. Among these are the following: (1) God is the Creator
and Sustainer of the Universe and Source of all goodness, truth and
beauty. (2) Man is a responsible, dignified and honorable agent of his
Creator. (3) God has put everything in the heavens and the earth in
the service of mankind. (4) By His Mercy and Wisdom, God does not
expect the impossible from man or hold him accountable for anything
beyond his power. Nor does God forbid man to enjoy the good things of
life. (5) Moderation, practicality and balance are the guarantees of
high integrity and sound morality. (6) All things are permissible in
principle except what is singled out as obligatory, which must be
observed, and what is singled out as forbidden, which must be avoided.