My name is Shazia and I have a few questions. I hope you can try and help me.
Firstly, I would like to know the meaning of my name.
Secondly, I have a question about Hijab. I want to know what is the exact Hijab prescribed for women. Is wearing a Niqab allowed? What is the Sunnah on this matter? Just wearing a scarf is enough or is it a rule to wear the Jilbab or the coat? Is wearing open sandals with heels allowed? I have heard that the face and the hands should not be covered. I would like to know the exact Ayah or Hadith where this is mentioned.
Thirdly, is listening to songs and watching movies, that are not too vulgar ok?
Finally, I have a bit of a personal question. I am a student and an Indian. Where I previously used to study the guys and the girls were very friendly with each other. Even though I tried to stay away from guys and avoid talking to them, somehow I couldn't keep totally away from this and made friends with this guy. He is a Christian and his name is.... It's been a year now since I have made friends with him and even though I have stayed in my limits as far as the friendship is concerned and have kept to just being friends with him, no touching no going out nothing , just talking on the net no phones because I live in America now and he is in the Middle East... I have found myself starting to like this guy. He has a very good character and he never misbehaves and he takes me as his best friend. I too take him as a best friend and we both share everything going on in our lives with each other. I know this is Haram and this is bothering me a lot and I feel very guilty all the time. But its too late now for me to break this friendship. I like him a lot as a friend and he likes me too as a good friend and breaking this good friendship is not possible for me anymore. I care a lot for him and hurting him is going to hurt me and I don't want to do that. I know its wrong and its Haram. I am a good Muslim, I wear Hijab, pray five times a day, read Qur'an and I am getting involved in Islamic activities too. But this is one part of my life I can never give up and I feel very guilty. I have promised him to be his friend forever and I mean it and promises are not to be broken. I feel very guilty and disturbed about this because I come from a very religious family Al-Hamdu Lillah, but somehow I just can't see myself breaking this friendship. I know its not allowed and its not possible to make this friendship Halal. I used to be in Muscat, now i am in America for further studies and he is back in Muscat. I have never gone out with him, never touched him, never gone to any mixed parties...just talk to him. When I used to meet him in my college and online. I am really guilty about these feelings towards him and am really ashamed but I don't know what to do and how to avoid sinning other than breaking the friendship, which I don't want to. Please help me.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

We do not have an answer to your first question.

For your second question, please refer to Fatwa: 81554.

For your third question, please refer to Fatwa: 81239, 81545 and 84494.

As regards your last question, we ask you to fear Allah, and know that this worldly life, and whatever it contains as pleasures, is temporary. So no sound person should be misled or deceived by this life putting in priority one's own desires, while one knows that his/her Lord and Creator is angry with them because of that forbidden action.

We strongly advise you to stay away from that man. You are saying that it is impossible to cut relations with him. This is just one of the whispers of Satan to draw you slowly to the Anger of Allah.

A pious, believing woman should not establish any intimate relations except with her husband. So stay away from thinking about this man and just consider him as though he does not exist. He is alien to you, and he is not a good person to be a husband for you because he is a Kafir who rejects Islam. Allah does not accept any other religion than Islam.

Allah Says (interpretation of meaning): {And whoever seeks a religion other than Islâm, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.}[3:85].

We advise you to take the initiative to get married in order to protect yourself from illegal relations and from committing Haram. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) advised the youth to get married. Bukhari and others reported that Abdullah said: 'We were young during the era of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam), and we barely had any means.

So the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) told us, "O, Young people, whoever amongst yourselves can provide for the expenses of marriage (and the dowry) and is physically fit should get married, by getting married you protect your gaze and your private parts, and whoever is unable to get married should fast, as this is a cure for him."

Allah knows best.