The Status of Sunnah inIslam

Introduction
Praise be to Allah, Benediction and Peace be on the Messenger of
Allah, his family, his companions, and his adherents.
This is a lecture which I delivered in the city of Doha, the capital
of Qatar , in the blessed month of Ramadhan 1392 A.H. Some of my
friends have suggested to me to publish my lecture on account of need
of the Muslims to a work of its kind. In response to their request, I
am printing it for general propagation on account of its advantage,
having regard for the reminiscences and history. I have added some
separate titles to assist the reader to collect the main ideas. I pray
to Allah, the Mighty, the Glorious, to write me among those who defend
the religion and those who help enact thelaw; and to reward me for it.
Surely he is the most generous in responding to my prayer.
Damascus 22 Muharram-al-Haram 1394 A.H.
__________________________________________________________________________________
The Status of Sunnah inIslam
A Declaration that it cannot dispense with TheQur'an
All Praise be to Allah, we praise Him, seek His help and His
forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our souls and
evils of our deeds. One whom Allah guides, nonecan lead him astray,
and one whom He misguides, none can guide him. I bear witness that
there isnothing worthy of worship(1) except Allah, and I bear witness
that Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and His messenger.
Oh you who believe, Fear Allah Truly, and do not die except as Muslims. (3:102).
O Men fear your Lord who created you from one soul, and created its
partner, and from them spread men and women in numbers. Take care,
Allah will question you about it and the kinship. Surely, Allah is
ever watchful of your deeds (4:1).
O those who believe. FearAllah and say what is correct so that it fits
you. He will forgive your sins. Whoever obeys Allah and His messenger
that is a great achievement (33:70-71).
The best of speech is the speech of Allah. That is The Book of Allah.
The best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. Of all matters, the
worst are innovations; and everything new is an innovation, and every
innovation is a deviation,and every deviation leadsto Hell-fire.
I do not think that I will be able to offer this high ranking assembly
- especially when there aredistinguished ulama (scholars) and
professors present - some knowledge which has not been dealt with
before. If what I think is true, I will rest contented that my address
will be a reminder, as it says in theQur'an: Remind, for the reminder
would benefit the believers (51:55).
I do not think that my talk in this blessed monthof Ramadhan, the
month of importance, is an exposition of something of its merits,
rules and their practice, and the like, which generally the preachers
and instructorstouch on, on account of the benefit they give to the
listeners, and procurefor them good and blessing; but I have chosen my
talk to be a study of a general nature, surely it is one of the roots
of the Shari'ah (Islamic law). It is a declaration of the importance
attached to the Sunnah in the Islamic law.
The Role of Sunnah Towards The Qur'an
You all know that Allah, The Blessed and Mighty, chose Muhammad (SAW)
as His Prophet and pickedhim to deliver the final message. The Qur'an
was revealed to him and commanded him to obey all what He had ordered
him to do, that is, to expound His message to the people. Allah says:
Wehave revealed to you the Reminder (The Qur'an) to expound to people
what was revealed to them (16:44 ).
I think that the declaration mentioned inthe verse contains two orders:
1. Declaration of the word and its arrangement. It is the
communication of the Qur'an and its non-concealment, and itspursuit to
Mankind just as Allah, The Blessed Almighty, has revealed to the heart
of the Prophet (SAW) which is the intent of His saying O
Messengerproclaim what is revealed to you from your Lord (5:67).
Sayyida Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) is reported to have
said"Whosoever says that Muhammad (SAW) concealed something which he
was commanded to communicate, is is a great calumny against Allah."
Then she read the abovementioned verse. (Bukhari and Muslim have
stated it.)
And according to the narration of Muslim: "If the Messenger of Allah
(SAW) had concealed something which he was commanded to communicate,
he would have concealed the saying of The Almighty: Behold thou didst
say to one who had received the grace of Allah and thyfavour: Keep
your wife toyourself and fear Allah. But thou didst hide in thyheart
that which Allah was about to make manifest; you did fear the people,
whereas Allah had a better right that you should fear Him (33:37).
2. The explanation of the meaning of the word or sentence or verse for
which man needs an explanation, most of which bear reference to
'Mujmal' (comprehensive)verses or 'Amah' (general) verses or 'Mutlaq'
(unbounded) verses.
Then comes the Sunnah and clarifies the sentences and specifies the
verses called 'Amah' and defines what is 'mutlaq' that is, in refernce
to the saying (Qaul) of The Prophet (SAW), his deed (Fi'l) and the act
he confirmed (Iqrar).
The Necessity of Sunnah to Understand
The Qur'an and Parables on that...
Allah says: The male thief and female theif cutt of their hands (5:38
) is a fitting example of that. The thief in it is general like the
hand.
The oral tradition explains the first of them and restricts it by
'as-sareq' (the thief) who steals something worth a fourth of a
Dinar(2) according to the saying of the Prophet (SAW) There is no
cutting - of the hand - unless the thing stolen is worth a fourth of a
Dinar or more(Buhkari & Muslim) the two shaikhs have recorded this
Hadeeth.
Again, the other is explained by the action of the Prophet (SAW) or
the action of his companions and his confirmation. They used to cut
the hand of the thief from the wrist as is known in the work of
Hadeeth. The oral tradition explains the hand mentioned in the verse
on Tayammum (dust ablution) And rub therewith your faces and hands
(5:6) is also the palm of the hand as is stated in a Hadeeth Tayammum
is the wiping of the face and the hands recorded by the two shaikhs
and Ahmad and others from a tradition reported by Ammar bin Yasir (may
Allah be pleased with them).
There are other verses that cannot be completely understood except
through Sunnah. They are:
1. It is whose who believeand confuse not their beliefs with
wrong,'dhulm'that are(truly) in security for they are on(right)
guidance (6:82).
The companions of the Prophet (SAW) understood the word 'dhulm' in its
general sense to mean every wrong doing, even if it be little. On this
account the verse is regarded as dubious and they said, "OMessenger of
Allah, which of us did not involve his faith with obscurity?" He (SAW)
said; It is not that. It is only the 'shirk'(3). Have you not heard
what Luqman said: Verily Shirk is a very great sin (dhulm) (31:13).
The two shaikhs have recorded it with others.
2. Allah says: When you travel on earth, there is no blame on you to
shorten your prayer, for fear the unbelievers will persecute you
(4:101). It is obvious from this versethat fear is a pre-requisite for
the shortening of prayers. Some of the Prophet's companions asked him:
"Why do we shorten our prayers while we feel safe?" He said: It is a
charity from Allah, so accept it (Muslim).
3. Allah says: The carcass and it's blood are forbidden to you (5:3).
In explanation of this verse, the corpse of locusts, fish,the livers,
spleen of bloodare lawful. So the Prophet (SAW) said: He has made two
dead things and blood lawful: the locusts and the fish, the liver and
the spleen.
Baihaqi and others have recorded it as 'marfu' type of hadeeth as also
'mauquf' type. The 'isnad'od 'mauquf' is authentic and it is as good
as 'marfu' tradition, since it is not stated in the form of a 'ra'y'
(decision basedon one individual's judgement not on Qur'anand Sunnah).
4. Allah says: I find not in the message received by me by inspiration
any (food) forbidden to be taken by one who wishesto, unless it is
dead meat or blood poured forth or the flesh of swine, for it is an
abomination, or what is impious (meat) on which a name has been
invoked other thatnAllah's (6:145).
The Sunnah has forbidden many things not mentioned in the verse
mentioned above, as for example in the saying of the Holy Prophet
(SAW): All predatory animals with tusk and every bird with claw are
forbidden for consumption. There are other traditions which have
forbidden the consumption of such animals as the Prophet (SAW) is
reported to havesaid on the Day of Khayber: Allah and His Messenger
have prohibited the consumption of domesticated asses, for they are
filth. The two shaikhs have reported it.
5. Allah says: Who has forbidden the adornmentof Allah which He has
produced for His servants, and the things clean and pure (which hehas
provided for sustenance) (7:32 ).
The Sunnah, too, has forbidden some adornments, and this is evident
from the Prophet(SAW) who is reported to have met some of his
companions, and had a silk garment in one hand,and gold in the other,
and said: These are prohibited to Muslim males, lawful to females. The
hadeeths in their interpretation are many and well known in both the
authentic collections of hadeeths, and others and the like of many
examples well known to scholars familiar with hadeeth and Islamic
Jurispudence.
From what has been stated above, O Muslim Brethren, you can see
theimportance attached to Sunnah in Islamic Law. When we divert our
intention again to the exaples mentioned beside others not mentioned,
we are certain that there is no way to understand the Qur'an correctly
except inassociation with the interpretation of the Sunnah.
In the first example, the understanding of the 'sahabah' of 'dhulm'
mentioned in the verse ison its general sense, despite the fact that
the (Allah be pleased with them) were, as stated by Ibn Mas'ud: "The
best of this community, most pious, profound in learning, least of
dissimulation." Yet with all that they erred in their understanding of
that.
Were it not for the Prophet (SAW), who held them back from their
mistaken notion, and made them take the step in the right direction in
that the correct meaning of 'dhulm' in the context is shirk
(association of partnership with Allah), we too would have followed in
their wrong thinking. Allah, The Blessed and The Most High saved us
from that wrong notion by the grace of the right direction of the
Prophet (SAW) and his Sunnah.
In the second example - with Allah's guidance - if not for the hadeeth
mentioned above, we would have been in doubt at least with regard to
the shortening of prayer (qasr-as-salat) during a journey while secure
- if we did stipulate the condition offear as obvious in the verse -
till the companions saw the Prophet (SAW) shorten the prayers when it
was safe and secure.
In the third example, if not for the hadeeth, we would have forbidden
ourselves the consumption of good things made lawful to us: locusts,
fish, liver, and thespleen.
In the fourth example, if not for the hadeeths, some of which we have
mentioned, we would have considered lawful what Allah has made
unlawful through the dictum of the holy Prophet (SAW) like predatory
animals, and the birds which have claws.
And so in the fifth example, if not for the hadeeths in regard to this
question, we would have considered lawful what Allah prohibited
through the words of His Prophet (SAW) like gold and silk.
It is for this, some forbearers (as-salaf) say that 'Sunnah'
pronouncesjudgement of The Book (al-Qur'an).
The Deviation of Those Who are Satisfied with The Qur'an to the
Exclusion of Hadeeth
It is a matter of regret that according to the interpretation found in
the works of some commentators and moders authors, that it is
permissible to do what is stated in the last two examples: Consumption
of the predatory animals and the waearing of goldand silk by referring
theirinterpretation only to theQur'an.
Today, a sect exists called"Quranites" who comment according to their
whims and fancies; without seeking the explanation of the authentic
Sunnah. They only accept and follow the Sunnah which suit their
desires, the rest they throw behind. The Prophet (SAW) is reported to
have said that: None of you reclineson his bed, the order comes to him
on an affairwhich I am commanded to do or not to do. He says: "I don't
know, what is found in The Book of Allah we follow" (Tirmidhi).
According to another report: What is found in The Book of Allah as
'Haram,' we pronounce it 'haram' (forbidden). Surely, I am given The
Qur'an and its example with it. Yet, according to another report: What
the Messenger of Allah has forbidden, Allah has prohibited it.
It is a matter of regret that one renowned scholar has written a book
on Islamic law and its dogma, and in its preface, he says that he has
written it and that hehas made reference only to The Qur'an.
This true hadeeth gives positive evidence that the divine law of Islam
- As-Shari'ah - is not merely Qur'an, but Qur'anand Sunnah. Therefore,
whoever holds fast to one source for reference to the exclusion of the
other, he held fast to neither of them, since both complement each
other. The Qur'an says: Whoever obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah.
Allah says, [color=green] No, by your Lord they do not believe until
they submit to your adjucation in all disputes between them, then
theydo not find themselves oppressed with your decisions and they
completely submit (4:65). Again, Allah says: When a matter has been
decided by Allah and His Messenger, it does not behove a believer, man
or woman, to have choice in their matter. One who disobeys Allah and
His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path (33:36).
Furthermore, Allah says: What the Messenger teaches you, take it, and
what he forbids you, avoid doing it (59:7).
In connection with this verse, I am marvelled by what is corroborated
by Ibn Mas'ud (Allah be pleased with him) that is,a woman came to him
and told him, "You who says: May Allah's curse be on 'Al-Namisat' and
'Al-Motanamisat'(4) and those who tattoo." He said "Yes." She said, "I
read the Book of Allah (Al-Qur'an) from beginning to its end. I did
not find what you have said. He told her, "If you have read it, you
would have found it. As for your reading what the Messenger teaches
you, take it, and what he forbids you, avoid doing it." She said,
"Certainly." He said, "I have heard theMessenger of Allah (SAW) say
May Allah's Curse be on the Al-Namisat." (Bukhari and Muslim)
Inadequacy of Philology to understand The Qur'an
From what has been stated above, it is clear that there is no scope
for anyone with all his ArabicScholarship to understand the glorious
Qur'an, without the help of the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW), his
sayings and actions.
The companions of the Prophet (SAW) were the most knowledgeable in the
language, which The Qur'an was revealed in, when it was not blemished
by the incorrectness of the common folks knowledge or their
grammatical mistakes. Yet, they erred in understanding the
versesquoted above when they relied on language alone.
It is self-evident that a man well-informed of theSunnah is more
appropriate to understand The Qur'an and deduce the rules from it than
one who is ignorant of it. How can it be a source to one who does not
reckon it and does not make reference to it?
For this reason, it is part of the rules agreed upon that Qur'an
should be interpreted by the Qur'anitself as welll as the Sunnah, then
by the sayings of the Sahabah... etc.

Hajar, Umm Isma'il - Biography

One of the most prominent distinguishingfeatures of the Muslim woman
is her deep faith in Allah (SWT), and her sincere conviction that
whatever happens in thisuniverse, and whatever fate befalls human
beings, only happens through the will and decree of Allah (SWT);
whatever befalls a person could not have been avoided, and whatever
does not happen to a person couldnot have been made to happen. A
person has no choice in this life but to strive towards the right path
and to do good deeds - acts of worship and other acts - by whatever
means one can,putting all his trust in Allah (SWT), submitting toHis
will, and believing that he is always in need of Allah's (SWT) help
and support.
The story of Hajar offers the Muslim woman the most marvellous
exampleof deep faith in Allah (SWT) and sincere trust inHim. Ibrahim
'May peace be upon him' (PBUH) left her at the Ka'bah in Makkah, above
the well of Zamzam, at a time when there were no people and no water
in the place. Hajar had no-one with her except her infant son Isma'il.
Sheasked Ibrahim, calmly and with no trace of panic: "Has Allah (SWT)
commanded you to do this, O Ibrahim?" Ibrahim (PBUH) said, "Yes." Her
response reflected her acceptance and optimism: "Then He is notgoing
to abandon us." (Reported by Bukhari in Kitab al-Anbiya)
Here was an extremely difficult situation: a man left his wife and
infant son in a barren land, where there were no plants, no water, and
no people, and went back tothe distant land of Palestine. He left
nothing with her but a sack of dates and a skin filled with water.
Were it not for the deep faith and trust in Allah (SWT) that filled
Hajar's heart, she would not have been able to cope with such a
difficult situation; she would have collapsed straight away, and
wouldnot have become the woman whose name is forever remembered night
and day by those who perform hajj and 'umrah at the house of Allah
(SWT), every time they drink the pure water of Zamzam, and run between
the mounts of Safa' and Marwah, as Hajar did on that most trying
day...
"The first lady to use a girdle was the mother of Ishmael. She used a
girdle so that she might hide her tracks from Sarah. Abraham brought
her and her son Ishmael while she was suckling him, to a place near
the Ka'ba under a tree on thespot of Zam-zam, at the highest place in
the mosque. During those days there was nobody inMecca, nor was there
anywater So he made them sit over there and placed near them a leather
bag containing some dates, and a small water-skin containing some
water, and set out homeward. Ishmael's mother followed him saying, "O
Abraham! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is
no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to
enjoy)?" She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back
at her Then she asked him, "Has Allah ordered you to do so?" He
said,"Yes." She said, "Then He will not neglect us," and returned
while Abraham proceeded onwards, and on reaching the Thaniya where
they could not seehim, he faced the Ka'ba, and raising both hands,
invoked Allah saying the following prayers:
'O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring dwell in a valley
without cultivation, by Your Sacred House (Kaba at Mecca) in order, O
our Lord, that they may offer prayer perfectly. So fill some hearts
among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with
fruits, so that they may give thanks.' (14.37) Ishmael's mother went
on suckling Ishmaeland drinking from the water (she had).
When the water in the water-skin had all been used up, she became
thirsty and her child also became thirsty. She started looking at him
(i.e. Ishmael) tossing in agony; She left him, for she could not
endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of Safa was the
nearest mountain to her on that land. She stood on it and started
looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she
could not see anybody. Then she descended from Safa andwhen she
reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valleylike a
person in distress and trouble, till she crossed the valley and
reached the Marwa mountain where she stood and started looking,
expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She repeated
that (running between Safa and Marwa) seven times."
The Prophet said, "This is the source of the tradition of the walking
of people between them (i.e. Safa and Marwa). When she reached the
Marwa (for the last time) she heard a voice and she asked herself to
be quiet and listened attentively. She heard thevoice again and said,
'O, (whoever you may be)! You have made me hear your voice; have you
got something to help me?" And behold! She saw an angel at the place
of Zam-zam, digging the earth with his heel (or hiswing), till water
flowed from that place. She started to make something like a basin
around it, using her handin this way, and started filling her
water-skin with water with her hands, and the water was flowing out
after shehad scooped some of it."
The Prophet added, "May Allah bestow Mercy on Ishmael's mother! Had
she let the Zam-zam (flowwithout trying to control it) (or had she not
scooped from that water)(to fill her water-skin), Zam-zam would have
been a stream flowing onthe surface of the earth." The Prophet further
added, "Then she drank (water) and suckled her child. The angel said
to her, 'Don't be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of
Allah which will be built by thisboy and his father, and Allah never
neglects His people.' The House (i.e. Kaba) at that time was ona high
place resembling ahillock, and when torrents came, they flowed to its
right and left. She lived in that waytill some people from the tribe
of Jurhum or a family from Jurhum passed by her and her child, as they
(i.e. the Jurhum people) were coming through the way of Kada'. They
landed in the lower part of Mecca where they saw a bird that had the
habit of flying around water and not leaving it. They said, 'This bird
must be flying around water, though we know that there is no water in
this valley.' Theysent one or two messengers who discovered the source
of water, and returned to inform them of the water. So, they all came
(towards the water)." The Prophet added,"Ishmael's mother was sitting
near the water. They asked her, 'Do you allow us to stay with you?"
She replied, 'Yes, but you will have no right to possess the water.'
They agreed to that." The Prophet further said, "Ishmael's mother was
pleased withthe whole situation as she used to love to enjoy the
company of the people. So, they settled there, and later on they sent
for their families who came and settled with them so that some
families became permanent residents there. The child (i.e. Ishmael)
grew up and learnt Arabic from them and (his virtues) caused them to
love and admire him as he grew up, and when he reached the ageof
puberty they made him marry a woman fromamongst them.
After Ishmael's mother had died, Abraham came after Ishmael's marriage
in order to see his family that he had left before, but he did not
find Ishmael there. When he asked Ishmael's wife about him, she
replied, 'He has gone in search of our livelihood.' Then he asked her
about their way of living and their condition, and she replied, 'We
are living in misery; we are living in hardship and destitution,'
complaining to him. He said, 'When your husband returns, convey my
salutation to him and tell him to change the threshold of the gate (of
his house).' When Ishmael came, he seemed to have felt something
unusual, so heasked his wife, 'Has anyone visited you?' She replied,
'Yes, an old man of so-and-so description came and asked me about you
and I informedhim, and he asked about our state of living, and I told
him that we were living in a hardship and poverty.' On that Ishmael
said, 'Did he advise you anything?' She replied, 'Yes, he told me to
conveyhis salutation to you and to tell you to change the threshold of
your gate.' Ishmael said, 'It was my father, and he has ordered me to
divorce you. Go back to your family.' So, Ishmael divorced her and
marriedanother woman from amongst them (i.e. Jurhum).
Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah
wished and called on them again but did not find Ishmael. So he came
to Ishmael's wife and asked her about Ishmael. She said, 'He has gone
in search of our livelihood.' Abraham asked her, 'Howare you getting
on?' asking her about their sustenance and living. She replied, 'We
are prosperous and well-off (i.e. we have everything in abundance).'
Then she thanked Allah' Abraham said, 'What kind of food do you eat?'
She said. 'Meat.' He said, 'What do you drink?' She said, 'Water." He
said, "O Allah!Bless their meat and water." The Prophet added, "At
that time they did not have grain, and ifthey had grain, he wouldhave
also invoked Allah to bless it." The Prophet added, "If somebody has
only these two things as his sustenance, his healthand disposition
will be badly affected, unless he lives in Mecca." The Prophet added,"
Then Abraham said Ishmael's wife, "When your husband comes, give my
regards to him and tell him that he should keep firm the threshold of
his gate.' When Ishmael came back, he asked his wife, 'Did anyone call
on you?' She replied, 'Yes, a good-looking old man came to me,' so she
praised him and added. 'He asked about you, and I informed him, and he
asked about our livelihood and I told him that we were in a good
condition.' Ishmael askedher, 'Did he give you any piece of advice?'
She said, 'Yes, he told me to give his regards to you and ordered that
you should keep firm the threshold of your gate.' On that Ishmael
said, 'It was my father, and you are the threshold (of the gate). He
has ordered me to keep you with me.'
Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah
wished, and called on them afterwards. He saw Ishmael under a tree
near Zamzam, sharpening his arrows. When he saw Abraham, he rose up to
welcome him (and they greeted each other as a father does with his son
or a son does with his father).Abraham said, 'O Ishmael!Allah has
given me an order.' Ishmael said, 'Do what your Lord has ordered you
to do.' Abraham asked, 'Will you help me?' Ishmael said, 'I will help
you.' Abraham said, Allah has ordered me to build a house here,'
pointing to a hillock higher than the land surrounding it." The
Prophet added, "Then they raised the foundations of the House(i.e. the
Ka'ba). Ishmael brought the stones and Abraham was building, and when
the walls became high, Ishmael brought this stone and put it for
Abraham who stood over it and carried on building, while Ishmael was
handing himthe stones, and both of them were saying, 'O our Lord!
Accept (this service)from us, Verily, You are the All-Hearing, the
All-Knowing.' The Prophet added, "Then both of them went on building
and going round the Ka'ba saying: Oour Lord ! Accept (this service)
from us, Verily, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." [Narrated
Ibn Abbas: Bukhari]
Origins:

Story - , Moons Peak [FINISHED]- Black Wolf (chapter 14)

A LITTLE GIRLS HUM rousedme to consciousness.
I blinked my eyes open tosee Derryn smiling back at me. Her reddish
browncurls were tamed in two French braids, and the green eyes that
her family shared gleamed with excitement.
"She's awake!" She shouted over her shoulder, as if talking to
someone, though it was obvious that we were theonly ones in the room.
I winced as I tried to get up, because my head felt a little queasy.
Giving up, I lay my head back on thepillow, and grunted.
"Where am I?" I scrutinized the room thatseemed foreign to me. Derryn
sat up in the chairshe'd been sitting in for god knows how long.
"You're in my room silly. Satchel carried you in here a while ago." I frowned.
I don't remember Satchel carrying me. And by 'awhile' she must have
meant the whole day, since nighttime was nearing again. I started to
lift my head again, butfailed miserably since it was apparent I was
feeling nauseous.
God! How long was I out? I wondered.
"Oh God! I feel dizzy." I muttered. Derryn touched her hand to my forehead.
"Mom said you had a bit of a fever, so you had to rest. Satchel told
me to look after you while he showered. He told me to yell out to him
when you woke up."
I smiled, looking around the foreign room again, noticing just how
much of Derryns personality showed from looking at her room.
You'd think it was a boy room with all the wild animals plastered
everywhere. The color of her room was as neutral as any plain room;
with gray carpet, beige walls, and the same comforters as I once had
in my room over at my fathers farmhouse estate.
I don't know how many stuffed animals she had perched on shelves but
it was a lot, and the postersthat were hung up were of wolves in
different colors and sizes. I stopped at one wolf. One that sat in a
frame that looked familiar.
A black wolf with green eyes, and a little girl cuddled up next to it,
smiling into the camera. Idon't know for sure, but Iwas betting that
that wasthe same wolf I'd seen in the forest. In the photo, Derryn
looked like she'd adored the wolf, and the wolf adored her.
"That's you in that picture?" She followed my stare and nodded.
"Uh huh. That's me and Black Wolf." I frowned.
"Black Wolf? It's not Satchel?" She raised her eyebrows, clearly surprised.
"You know?" I slowly nodded. Her shoulders relaxed.
"You're not supposed to know yet, but I'm glad you do." She said, and
I wasn't sure what to make of that comment. But I guess, I'll have to
ask Satchel about that.
"You call him Black Wolf?" I asked instead. She nodded.
"Yeah, daddy named him that when he was sick. It's like he knew what
Satchel was."
A knock snapped me out of my reverie, and startled Derryn. We looked
to see that Satchelwas leaning on the door frame.
"Derryn? I think Willy is thirsty. Would you mind getting her some
water?"She got up and squeezed my hand, smiling with those warm green
eyes.
"You'll be alright. Like I said, my brother will takegood care of
you." She left soon after, leaving me alone with Satchel. Hestayed
leaning on the door frame, just staring at me.
"You okay?" He said at last. I nodded.
"Yeah, just a little dizzy, but it'll pass." He moved forward, taking
up the empty seat that was onceoccupied by Derryn. I noticed his hair
fit into a ponytail now, and he was freshly clothed.
A black shirt, with the same colored slacks, held up with red
suspenders this time. But the one thing that never failed to intrigue
me were the depth of his light green eyes. So compelling, I couldn't
quite pull mine away from them. He crooked a smile.
"You wanna tell me why you passed out on me back there?" No. I broke
his gaze and blushed. God I was such a loser, I didn't want to relive
my embarrassment for having to explain myself for passing out on him.
Especially in the middle of a make out session. I'd never done that
before, but then again, I've neverkissed a werewolf either.I found
myself shuddering at the thought. There was no such things as
werewolves. I chanted in my head. I looked up to the sound of his
sigh.
"Willy, you gotta meet me half way. I don't know what you're feeling,
and your body language gives me mixedmessages. Tell me what I did
wrong."
"You're a wolf." I blurted.He blinked and then stared for what felt
like ages. I could hear my own heart thrumming fast.
"I…and that bothers you?" It wasn't exactly anagreement, but he didn't
deny it either. I'm not sure what I wanted confirmed either, so it was
just as well he kept quiet. I frowned.
"I don't know how I feel about anything. Besides, I can't be involved
with someone like you." He scoffed.
"Someone like me…" He let the sentence hang in the air, and I watched
hisface turn over with multiple expressions. I didn't mean it to come
out like that, but I knew it hurt him just judging from his
expressions. I wanted to slap myself forsaying such a thing.
"I didn't mean to say that. I'm sorry." I said quickly. He shrugged it
off like it was no big deal.
"I'm just a little shaken up about what I saw…when I saw you
outthere." He rubbed his face as if he could erase his feelings I
presumed, and looked at me with that god forsaken stare that I'm sure
could bend me over backwards and compel me to do anything. I blinked
my stupid thoughts away. Focusing on Satchel.
"What you saw out there was…you weren't supposed to see that. Notyet
anyway." His voice was strained, and it hurt him to say the words, I'd
realized.
"I'm not sure what it was I did see out there Satchel. All I know is
that it's not normal to see a human boy flailing aboutwith hands and
feet like paws."
"I'm sorry you had to findout that way. I wanted totell you…but I had
to waituntil…" He paused and bit his lip. I frowned.
"Until what?" He shook his head.
"I've said too much already. Promise you won't say anything aboutwhat
happened in there. It's not your time. You shouldn't know about this
yet." He had his handon my face, gently caressing my cheekbones.
"Satchel, what are you talking about? Time. I have time." I frowned, I
noticed his eyes were staring out of the window again.
"What aren't you telling me?" I whispered. He looked at me, taking his
hand away.
"I need to go." He shot upout of his seat, and paused at the sound of my plea.
"Satchel. Please! Tell me what's going on?" He looked over his
shoulder with an apologetic look on his face.
"Wait 'til your birthday. Then you'll know everything." And with that,
he slipped through the door, and closed it gently behind him. I wanted
to scream in anger, or throw something at the door to release some of
my pent up frustration.
But I resorted to just lying there, staring at theceiling as if
answers would magically appear in front of me. They didn't, and I lay
there for hours wondering what answers I would get in this coming
fall. My seventeenth birthday was less than a month away.
What was so important it had to wail until then?

Jinn, witchcraft, evil eye - , Dought & clear - , How to deal with sihr (magic/witchcraft)

What is the way to deal with sihr (magic/witchcraft)?
Praise be to Allaah.
Whoever is affected by sihr should not treat it with sihr, because
evil cannot be removed by evil, and kufr cannot be removed by kufr.
Evil is removed by good. Hencewhen the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) wasasked about al-nushrah (treating sihr with
sihr), he said: "This is the workof the Shaytaan." Nushrah means
removing sihr from a person who has been affected by it by using more
sihr. But if it is treated by means of the Qur'aan and permissible
medicines or good ruqyahs, there is nothing wrong with that, but
treating it with sihr is not permitted, as previously stated, because
sihr means worshipping the shayaateen (devils). The saahir (magician,
practitioner of witchcraft) does sihr or learns sihr only after
worshipping and serving the shayaateen, and drawing close to them by
means of the things that they like. After that, they teach him the
means of sihr. But, praise be to Allaah, there is no reason why the
person who has been affected by sihr should not be treated bymeans of
reciting Qur'aan and the prayers for refuge with Allaah that are
prescribed in sharee'ah, and permissible medicines, just as patients
with all kinds of sicknesses are treated by doctors. The patient does
not necessarily recover, because not every sick person does recover. A
sick patient might be treated and then recoverif his appointed time
(of death) has not yet arrived, or he may not recover and may die from
this sickness, even though he may be been seen by the most skilled
physicians and knowledgeable doctors. When the appointed time of death
comes, no medicine or treatment will be of any avail, because Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And Allaah grants respite to none when hisappointed time (death) comes"
[al-Munaafiqoon 63:11]
Medical treatment is of benefit when the appointed time has not yet
come, and Allaah decrees that His slave should be healed. The same
applies in the case of one who has been affected by sihr; Allaah may
decree that he should recover, or He may not decree that, as atest and
a trial, or for other reasons which are known to Allaah. Among those
reasons may be the fact that the one who is treating him doesnot have
the right treatment for this problem. It was narratedin a saheeh
report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "For every disease there is a medicine, and if that medicine is
applied to the disease, he will recover by Allaah's Leave." And he
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah has not sent
down any disease but Hehas also sent down the cure; the one who knows
it knows it and the one who does not know it does not know it."
Among the treatments prescribed in sharee'ah is the treatment of sihr
with recitation of the Qur'aan. The greatest soorah in the Qur'aan,
which is al-Faatihah, should be recited over the person who has been
affected by sihr. This should be repeated several times. If it is
recited by a believing, righteous reader who knows that everything
issubject to the will and decree of Allaah, that Allaah is in control
of all things, that when He says to a thing 'Be!' it is, if the
reciting is based on faith, taqwa and sincerity, and is repeated
several times, then the sihr may be removed and the personmay recover
by Allaah's Leave. Some of the Sahaabah (may Allaah bepleased with
them) passed by some Bedouins whose shaykh,i.e., their leader, had
been bitten. They had done everything they could but he had not gotten
better. They said to one of the Sahaabah, "Is there any raaqi (one who
performs ruqyah) among you?" They said, "Yes." So one of them recited
Soorat al-Faatihah over him, and he immediately got up full of energy
as if nothing had happened; Allaah healed him of the ill-effects of
that snakebite. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "There is nothing wrong with ruqyah so long as it does not
involve shirk." He (peaceand blessings of Allaah be upon him)
performedruqyah and had it performed for him. There is a lot of good
in ruqyah, and a great dealof benefit. Al-Faatihah, Aayat al-Kursiy,
"Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad", al-Mi'wadhatayn and other aayahs may be
recited over the person who has been affected by sihr, as well as good
du'aa's narrated in the ahaadeeth from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), such as the du'aa' he said when he
performed ruqyah for a sick person and said, "Allaahumma Rabb al-naas,
adhhib il-ba's, washfi anta al-Shaafi laashifaa'a illa shifaa'uka
shifaa'an laa yughaadir saqaman (O Allaah, Lord of mankind, remove the
harm and heal him, for You are the Healer and there is no healing
except Your healing, with a healing which does not leave any disease
behind)." This may be repeated three times or more. And it was also
narrated from him (peace and blessingsof Allaah be upon him) that
Jibreel (peace be upon him) performed ruqyah for him and said three
times: "Bismillaah arqeeka min kulli shay'inyu'dheeka, wa min sharri
kulli nafsin aw 'aynin haasid Allaah yashfeek, bismillaah arqeek (In
the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you, from every thing that is
harming you, from the evil of every soul or envious eye may Allaah
heal you, in the name of Allaah I perform ruqyah for you)." This is a
great ruqyah which was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It is prescribed to
perform ruqyah for the one who has been bitten or stung,and the one
who has been affected by sihr, and the one who is sick. There is
nothing wrong with performing ruqyah for one who is sick or has been
affected by sihror bitten or stung, by reciting good du'aa's, even if
they were not transmitted from the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), so long as they do not contain anything that is
haraam, because of the general meaning of the hadeeth of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "There is nothing wrong
with ruqyah so long as it doesnot involve shirk."
Allaah may heal the sick person and the person affected by sihr, and
others, without any ruqyah and without any action on the part of other
people, because He is Able to do all things, and He is Wise in all
that He does. Allaah says in His Holy Book:
"Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing,is only that He says to
it, 'Be!' and it is!"[Yaa-Seen 36:82]
To Him be praise and thanks for all that He wills and decrees, for He
is wise in all that He does.
The sick person may not be healed if his appointed time has come and
it is decreed that he should die from this disease. Among the things
that may be used in ruqyah are the verses which speak of sihr, which
may be recited into water. These are theverses about sihr in Soorat
al-A'raaf, where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And We revealed to Moosa (saying): 'Throw your stick,' and behold! It
swallowed up straight away all the falsehood which they showed.
Thus truth was confirmed, and all that they did was made of noeffect.
So they were defeated there and returned disgraced
[al-A'raaf 7:117-119]
And in Soorat Yoonus (interpretation of the meaning):
"And Pharaoh said: 'Bring me every well-versed sorcerer.'
And when the sorcerers came, Moosa said to them: 'Cast down what you
want to cast!'
Then when they had castdown, Moosa said: 'Whatyou have brought is
sorcery, Allaah will surelymake it of no effect. Verily, Allaah does
not set right the work of Al-Mufsidoon.
And Allaah will establish and make apparent the truth by His Words,
however much the Mujrimoon may hate (it).'"
[Yoonus 10:79-82]
And in Soorat Ta-Ha (interpretation of the meaning):
"They said: 'O Moosa! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?'
Moosa said: 'Nay, throw you (first)!' Then behold!their ropes and
their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved
fast.
So Moosa conceived fearin himself.
We (Allaah) said: 'Fear not! Surely, you will have the upper hand.
And throw that which is in your right hand! It will swallow up that
which they have made. That which they have made is only a magician's
trick, and the magician will never be successful, to whatever amount
(of skill) he may attain.'"
[Ta-Ha 20:65-69]
These aayahs are amongthe things by which Allaah causes the
ruqyahagainst sihr to be beneficial. If the qaari' (reader) recites
these verses into water, and also reads Soorat al-Faatiha, Aayat
al-Kursiy, "Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad", and al-Mi'wadhatayn into the
water, then pours it over the person who he thinks has been affected
by sihr or is being prevented by magic from having intercourse with
his wife, then he will be healed by Allaah'sLeave. If seven lotus
leaves are ground up and added to the water as well, this is
appropriate, as was mentioned by Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Hasan (may
Allaah have mercy on him) in Fath al-Majeed, quoting from some of the
scholars in the chapter entitled Ma jaa'a fi'l-Nushrah. It is
mustahabb to recite the three soorahs, namely Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad,
Qul A'oodhu bi Rabb il Falaq and Qul A'oodhu biRabb il-Naas. The point
isthat these and similar treatments which are used to treat this
problem of sihr, may also be used to treat the one who is prevented
bymagic from having intercourse with his wife. This has been tried a
great deal and Allaah caused it to yield results. A person may be
treated with al-Faatihah alone and be healed, or with Qul Huwa Allaahu
Ahad and al-Mi'wadhatayn on their own, and be healed. It is very
important that the person performing this treatment and the person who
is being treated should both have sincere faith and trust in Allaah;
they should know that He is control of all things and that when He
wills a thing it happens, and when He does not will a thing it does
not happen. The matter is in His hand, whatever He wills happens and
whatever He does not will does not happen. When both the reader and
the one who is read over have faith and are sincere towards Allaah,
the sickness will disappear quickly by Allaah's Leave, and both
physical and spiritual medicine will be beneficial. We ask Allaahto
help us all to please Him, for He is All-Hearingand is ever Near.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh
al-'Allaamah 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him),
p. 70