Amina Inloes

Inisghtful question!

The Qur'an itself does not specify which prayer is the "middle prayer" (salat al-wusta) in Qur'an 2:238.

According to Shi'i hadith (via Imam al-Baqir and Imam al-Sadiq), the "middle prayer" is the noon (zuhr) prayer (and possibly specifically the Friday prayer).

This corresponds with the idea that the sun is in the middle of the sky at this time, and so it is a middle prayer.

Sunni scholars mostly say that it is the 'asr prayer, although some say it is the zuhr prayer, and a few say it is the fajr prayer (as you have suggested). These views are also based on hadith/interpretation of hadith and an interpretation of what is meant by 'middle'.

The Qur'an speaks to us all individually, and I don't think there is any problem if this ayah speaks to different people differently since it is reminding us to focus on our prayers. Some people may need more focus on their fajr prayer (possibly because they are sleepy!), while others may need more focus on their noon/afternoon prayers, because they are busy.

Allah knows best!

This is a big question and one that many people may have different answers on.

In my view, we have to have faith that we received what is necessary for us via the Qur'an and hadith, and ethical principles stated in them, and that we are meant to put forward effort to try to deduce the right answers for our time. This is part of our test and struggle as individuals and as a human race.

We still receive spiritual guidance from Imam Mahdi (A) and of course from Allah, even if it is not in the form of texts.  

In Nahj al-Balaghah, it is related that Imam 'Ali said, "A woman's jealousy is disbelief, and a man's jealousy is faith."

This is generally explained by saying that a woman should not be jealous of her husband for lawfully taking another woman (such as a co-wife), because it is allowed. However, a man's jealousy over his woman will impel him to protect her from other men.

(Sadly, many customs and traditions worldwide regarding women boil down to protecting women from overeager men!)

Either this attribution to Imam Ali is accurate; or, possibly, there is a cultural element to this attribution to Imam 'Ali since many cultures have this sense of machismo.

Al-Kafi also contains a hadith which says that a woman's ghirah stems from love (al-Kāfī, vol. 5, p. 506, no. 6). That is, because she loves her husband, she wants him for herself.

Some narrations discuss ghirah relating to Allah; for instance, because of his ghirah, Allah hates the forbidden things. This is somewhat similar to the idea of sexual morality (just as the womenfolk are described as the haram and off limits to other men, the sins are described as haraam and off limits to people) but is also broader. It seems to be the Islamic way that the Old Testament idea of a "jealous God" is revised. 

Since temporary marriage does not have a fixed paradigm for how people live it out in daily life, you have to decide what is fair for you. As a wise person once said, if you have to ask the question, you already know the answer. 

God's Emissaries by Shaykh Rizwan Arastu contains a section on him. The book is based on Qur'an and traditional narrations, and is readable. 

Of course, there are many takes on this story, and you will find ample discussion elsewhere as well.

Reading books of tafsir is also a good option. 

Women have looked to marriage to escape difficult family situations for ages, and it is natural to want to get married at your age.

If you choose that route, be sure that the person you marry is a good choice (as much as you can tell) so that you go into a better situation, not a worse situation. 

Sometimes girls tend towards marrying someone like their father, because he is a familiar model of manhood, and if he has some difficult traits, be sure those are not found in your future husband.

Also, my personal advice is, do not tell your future husband that you married him to leave home, because that can make you seem vulnerable or might make him feel unwanted. Rather, just focus on building a life together and the positive aspects of being together. 

If you can move away for university, study abroad, work, or other opportunities, that may also be an option. Financial independence can give you security and let you marry by choice rather than necessity. 

In any case, it is good to have some idea what your expected future direction might be - for instance, does your family expect you to marry, do they expect you to work, do they expect you to stay home and keep doing the same thing, etc. It sound like there might not have been much guidance or discussion in this area.

Having lived for a few months in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), I can confirm that Mississuaga and Vaughan are commonly considered to be part of the same city unit for the purposes of praying and fasting. That is, you do not say qasr prayers or break fast if you go from one to the other.

Here is an interesting website addressing the question of qasr prayers in the GTA: https://al-m.ca/travel/#gta

The local ulama should also be able to help with any specific questions about travelling questions in the area, since many people have questions about travel prayers!

Although it's more difficult to control feelings than to control actions, it's good to try to let go of resentment as much as possible since it only poisons you and does not help anything. It is better to focus on anything practical you can do that is best for the situation (if there is anything), and if there isn't anything you can do, try to focus on other things. 
 

Sometimes as we make our way through life, we get a better understanding of the psychological reasons why parents act in a less than ideal way and can have compassion for that, even if their choices were harmful to themselves, ourselves, or others. 

If you have a mosque near you, you could ask the imam of the mosque if he knows anyone. You could also ask friends. Joining Islamic groups (especially in person) never hurts! :)

Islam discourages racism and tribalism and encourages accepting any suitor who is mu'min and compatible. However people are complicated, especially when it comes to their expectations for their children's marriage and potential future descendants. I am sorry you have to go through that. 

Different people have different unspoken expectations for how other people should behave, and we get these expectations from various places (family, school, etc). Some people are good at recognising and communicating their unspoken expectations, and others are not, and just get angry if someone violates their expectations. Having different unspoken expectations is a major cause of tension between people, especially in a marriage. When he is done being upset, you could try asking him in a non-confrontational way why he was upset, since there could be any number of reasons. 

While traditional Muslim clothing for both men and women tends to be long and loose, after colonialism, it became common in some places for men to wear western clothing and women to wear traditional clothing (in part because women are seen as keepers of the culture). So there is a lot going on that is not necessarily about shariah when it comes to clothing and identity. Of course Islam prescribes modesty and decency for both men and women but does not require a specific cultural style. 
 

It tends to be a big challenge for people, especially in youth. Often, as people get older, that particular temptation becomes less, and other temptations come to the forefront. (Exceptions apply!)

However, although that is a common temptation, there is no one single challenge that everyone faces equally - our temptations are as diverse as ourselves. Possibly, your brother is going through a difficult time managing this aspect of himself, and this is why he said that.