Few Reminders on how should one (Muslim) deal with snakes !!

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu. This article was inspired when a friend of mine had a question related to snake during a session when we were sitting to remember Allah. As Muslims we really need to know what are We supposed to do when there is a snake. Most of us face such situation of encountering a snake at home , back yard, during cultivation, cleaning , gardening even during travelling etc; so what are we supposed to do in such situation, what does Islam says about it, Let us learn this in the light of Quran and Sunnah.

The Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined the killing of snakes, and this is general in meaning and applies to all kinds of snakes, in any place. But if the snake is inside the house, it should not be killed until it has been warned three times; that is because of the possibility that it may be a jinn.

What does Islam say about People who says Do not kill Snake as it will revenge?

(5249) narrated that Ibn Mas‘ood said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Kill all the snakes, and whoever fears their revenge does not belong to me.”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) address the people from the minbar, saying: “Kill snakes.”
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said: After that, I would not leave any snake that I saw but I would kill it.Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3299) and Muslim (3233)

Narrated Ibn `Umar:That he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) delivering a sermon on the pulpit saying, "Kill snakes and kill Dhu-at- Tufyatain (i.e. a snake with two white lines on its back) and Al-Abtar (i.e. a snake with short or mutilated tail) for they destroy the sight of one's eyes and bring about abortion." (`Abdullah bin `Umar further added): Once while I was chasing a snake in order, to kill it, Abu Lubaba called me saying: "Don't kill it," I said. "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered us to kill snakes." He said, "But later on he prohibited the killing of snakes living in the houses." (Az-Zuhri said. "Such snakes are called Al-Awamir.")Sahih al-Bukhari 3297, 3298

What do you do when you find a snake at your residence ?

Muslim (2233) narrated that Naafi‘ said: One day ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar was was at a ruin of his, when he saw the flash of a small snake. He said: Find this snake and kill it. Abu Lubaabah al-Ansaari said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbid killing the small snakes that live in houses, except the short-tailed snake and the one with two stripes, for they are the ones that cause blindness and miscarriages.

And Muslim (2236) narrated that Abu’s-Saa’ib said: We entered upon Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri, and whilst we were sitting there, we heard a movement beneath the bed. We looked and saw a snake… and he quoted the hadith, in which it says: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “These houses have inhabitants. If you see any of them, ask them to leave for three days. If it goes (all well and good), otherwise kill it, for it is a kaafir.”

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said:It is preferable that all snakes that are found in houses should be warned, as Maalik said. What is meant by warning is that the person who sees a snake in his house should say: I urge you, O snake, not to appear before us or harm us. End quote.

The Shaafi‘i scholar Ibn Hajar Al-Haytami (Rahmahullah) wrote, "As for the snakes that reside inside houses, they are not to be killed until they have been warned thrice. The scholars held different views as whether the intended meaning is three days or three times. The first is the view adopted by the majority of the scholars ... The most likely correct view is that warning (the harmless house snake) is recommended, though the statements of some Hanbali scholars suggested that it is obligatory..." [Al-Fataawa Al-Fiqhiyyah Al-Kubra]

As for the fact that these snakes may harm people and may be poisonous, if their harm is feared, then the harm must be eliminated even by killing them from the first time (without warning). If they are of a kind known to be poisonous and it is feared that they would harm people, it is allowed to kill them. Al-Qurtubi  (Rahmahullah) wrote about the command to warn snakes before killing them, "The command in this regard is not an obligation; if the harm is certain, it must be eliminated."

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (Rahmahullah) said regarding killing the snake even if done in the first time, "He warns it three times by saying to it: I warn you not to be in my house, or similar words... If the snake attacked him, he has the right to ward it off, even if it leads to killing it as long as warding off its harm cannot be done except by killing it or its attack cannot be stopped except by killing it. It is allowed to kill it in this situation because it is considered self-defense."

What about Snakes outside the house?

So there is nothing wrong with you killing snakes that are outside the house and scholars agreed that snakes should not be warned if they are found in the desert if you feel unsafe from it. As for those that are found inside the house, they should not be killed until they have been warned.

Alhamdullilah i have listed few hadeeth related to the topic hope you benefit from this article and please share your knowledge with your friend too. 

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