Role of parents towards their children in a society that does not helpin raising children properly

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A very common problem seen in youth in western countries is that their parents allow them to indulge in some form of haram in the hope that that will stop them from committing worse haram. An example of this is that parents will say that they allow their children to indulge in music in the hope that that will stop them from going out with bad people or leaving their home all together. Parents are afraid that if they enforce the law of Allah in their homes, that their children will leave. What is Islam’s position on this sort of compromise? Some parents also say that they only have the duty to tell their children something is haram, and then their children have to choose for themselves because they are already young adults (i.e. 13 -18 yrs old and unmarried, living at home). Don’t the parents have to forbid haram by all means, or do they just say that is haram and then leave them be? To what extent do parents have to go to forbid their children from haram? Parents also believe that once their children reach the age of puberty they are no longer responsible for their sins or actions, and so say they will have no sin if they advise their children something is haram and then leave them. Is this true? Or do parents always have the responsibility of forbidding their children from haram, and will they be responsible if they see their children doing haram and just leave them after advising them?

The difference between taking the kaafirs as friends and seeking theirhelp

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Praise be to Allaah.

Taking the kaafirs as friends (muwaalaah) means supporting them and helping them in matters of kufr, such as the Muslims fighting alongside the kuffaar, such as when the kaafirs launch an assault against a Muslim country and a Muslim befriends them and supports them and helps them in fighting against that country, whether that is with weapons or by supplying them with anything that will help them to fight the Muslims. This is muwaalaah, or a type of friendship that is haraam,

Playing Qur'aan in the car from speakers next to the feet

I have a question about the ruling on playing Qur'aan in the car, as the sound comes out directly next to the feet.

Praise be to Allaah.

Listening to Qur'aan in the car is a righteous deed and a beneficial act of worship. But having the speakers directly next to one's feet in such a way that the sound of the Qur'aan is heard from below is something that is not appropriate and you should limit it to the rear speakers if you have any, or do something to change the position of the speakers.

Fasting ‘Ashoora’ for one who still owes days from Ramadaan

I still have days to make up for Ramadaan and I want to fast ‘Ashoora’. Is it permissible for me to fast ‘Ashoora before I have made up the fasts I owe? Can I fast ‘Ashoora’ and the eleventh of Muharram with the intention of making up the Ramadaan fasts, and will I get the reward for fasting ‘Ashoora’?

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

You should not observe voluntary fasts when you still owe one or more days from Ramadaan, rather you should start with the fasts that you owe from Ramadaan, and then observe voluntary fasts.

Ruling on celebrating non-Muslim holidays and congratulating them

Can a muslim celebrate a non muslim holiday like Thanksgiving?

Praise be to Allaah.
Greeting the kuffaar on Christmas and other religious holidays of theirs is haraam, by consensus, as Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said in Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah: "Congratulating the kuffaar on the rituals that belong only to them is haraam by consensus, as is congratulating them on their festivals and fasts by saying ‘A happy festival to you’ or ‘May you enjoy your festival,’ and so on.