CHAPTER: Regarding killing snakes.
Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: We have not made peace with them since we fought with them, so he who leaves any of them alone through fear does not belong to us.
Narrated Abdullah ibn Masud: The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: Kill all the snakes, and he who fears their revenge does not belong to me.
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: He who leaves the snakes along through fear of their pursuit, does not belong to us. We have not made peace with them since we have fought with them.
Narrated Al-Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib: Al-Abbas said to the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم: We wish to sweep out Zamzam, but in it there are some of these Jinnan, meaning small snakes; so the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ordered that they should be killed.
Ibn Umar reported the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم as saying: Kill snakes, kill those which have two streaks and those with small tails, for they obliterate the eyesight and cause miscarriage. Salim said: Abdullah (bin Umar) used to kill every snake which he found. Abu Lubabah or Zaid bin al-Khattab saw him chasing a snake. He said: He (the Prophet) prohibited house-snakes.
Abu Lubabah said: The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم prohibited killing the jinnan (small snakes) that are in the house, except the one which have two streaks and the one with small tail, for they obliterate the eyesight and cause miscarriage.
Nafi said: After that, that is, after Abu Lubabah had mentioned him this tradition, Ibn Umar found a snake in his house; he commanded regarding it and it was driven away to al-Baqi'.
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Nafi through a different chain of transmitters. In this version Nafi said: After that I saw it again in his house.
Narrated Abu Saeed al-Khudri: Muhammad ibn Abu Yahya said that his father told that he and his companion went to Abu Saeed al-Khudri to pay a sick visit to him. He said: Then we came out from him and met a companion of ours who wanted to go to him. We went ahead and sat in the mosque. He then came back and told us that he heard Abu Saeed al-Khudri say: The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: Some snakes are jinn; so when anyone sees one of them in his house, he should give it a warning three times. If it return (after that), he should kill it, for it is a devil.
Abu al-Saib said I went to visit Abu Sa’ld al-Khudri, and while I was sitting I heard a movement under under his couch. When I looked and found a snake there, I got up. Abu Sa’ld said: what is with you? I said: Here is a snake. He said: what do you want ? I said: I shall kill it. He then pointed to a room in his house in front of his room and said: My cousin (son of my uncle) was in this room. He asked his permission to go to his wife on the occasion of the battle of Troops (Ahzab), as he was recently married. The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم gave him permission and ordered him to take his weapon with him. He came to his house and found his wife standing at the door of the house. When he pointed to her with the lance, she said; do not make haste till you see what has brought me out. He entered the house and found an ugly snake there. He pierced in the lance while it was quivering. He said: I do not know which of them died first, the man or the snake. His people then came to the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and said: supplicate Allah to restore our companion to life for us. He said: Ask forgiveness for your Companion. Then he said: In Madina a group of Jinn have embraced Islam, so when you see one of them, pronounce a waring to it three times and if it appears to you after that, kill it after three days.
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Ibn 'Ajilan through a different chain of narrators briefly. This version has: He should give it a warning three times. If it appears to him after that, he should kill it, for it is a devil.
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Abu Saeed al-Khudri in a similar manner through a different chain of narrators. This version is more perfect. In this version he said: give it a warning for three days; if it appears to you after that, then kill it, for it is only a devil.
Narrated Abdur Rahman Ibn Abu Layla: The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was asked about the house-snakes. He said: When you see one of them in your dwelling, say: I adjure you by the covenant which Noah made with you, and I adjure you by the covenant which Solomon made with you not to harm us. Then if they come back, kill them.
Narrated Abdullah ibn Masud: Kill all the snakes except the little white one which looks like a silver wand. Abu Dawud said: A man said to me: A white snake does not wind in its movement. If it is correct, that is a sign in it, if Allah wills.