Nafi’ narrated from Abu Lubabah bin ‘Abdul-Mundhir Al-Ansari – who lived in Quba’ then moved to Al-Madinah – that while ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar was with him, making a door in the wall, they saw a snake of the type that lives in houses, and they wanted to kill it. Abu Lubabah said that it was forbidden to kill them – meaning the snakes that live in houses – but it was enjoined to kill the short-tailed snake and the one with two stripes. And it was said: “There are the ones that target the eyes and cause miscarriages.”

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ يَعْنِي الثَّقَفِيَّ ، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ يَحْيَى بْنَ سَعِيدٍ ، يَقُولُ : أَخْبَرَنِي نَافِعٌ ، أَنَّ أَبَا لُبَابَةَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْمُنْذِرِ الأَنْصَارِيَّ ، وَكَانَ مَسْكَنُهُ بِقُبَاءٍ فَانْتَقَلَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ ، فَبَيْنَمَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ جَالِسًا مَعَهُ يَفْتَحُ خَوْخَةً لَهُ ، إِذَا هُمْ بِحَيَّةٍ مِنْ عَوَامِرِ الْبُيُوتِ ، فَأَرَادُوا قَتْلَهَا ، فَقَالَ أَبُو لُبَابَةَ : إِنَّهُ قَدْ نُهِيَ عَنْهُنَّ يُرِيدُ عَوَامِرَ الْبُيُوتِ ، وَأُمِرَ بِقَتْلِ الأَبْتَرِ وَذِي الطُّفْيَتَيْنِ وَقِيلَ هُمَا اللَّذَانِ يَلْتَمِعَانِ الْبَصَرَ ، وَيَطْرَحَانِ أَوْلاَدَ النِّسَاءِ.

It was narrated from ‘Umar bin Nafi’, that his father said: “One day ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar was at a demolished site of his, when he saw flash of a small snake. He said: ‘Find this snake and kill it.’ Abu Lubabah Al-Ansari said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) 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.”’

وحَدَّثَنِي إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَهْضَمٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ وَهُوَ عِنْدَنَا ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ ، عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ نَافِعٍ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، قَالَ : كَانَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ يَوْمًا عِنْدَ هَدْمٍ لَهُ ، فَرَأَى وَبِيصَ جَانٍّ فَقَالَ : اتَّبِعُوا هَذَا الْجَانَّ فَاقْتُلُوهُ ، قَالَ أَبُو لُبَابَةَ الأَنْصَارِيُّ : إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَهَى عَنْ قَتْلِ الْجِنَّانِ الَّتِي تَكُونُ فِي الْبُيُوتِ ، إِلاَّ الأَبْتَرَ وَذَا الطُّفْيَتَيْنِ ، فَإِنَّهُمَا اللَّذَانِ يَخْطِفَانِ الْبَصَرَ ، وَيَتَتَبَّعَانِ مَا فِي بُطُونِ النِّسَاءِ.

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said: “We were with the Prophet (s.a.w) in a cave, and: ‘By the winds (or angels or the Messengers of Allah) sent forth one after another was revealed to him. We heard it directly from his lips. Then a snake came out and he said: ‘Kill it.’ So we hastened to kill it but it got away from us. The Prophet (s.a.w) said: ‘Allah protected it from your harm as He protected you from its harm.”’

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ، وَاللَّفْظُ لِيَحْيَى قَالَ يَحْيَى : وَإِسْحَاقُ : أَخْبَرَنَا ، وقَالَ الآخَرَانِ ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ ، قَالَ : كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي غَارٍ ، وَقَدْ أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَالْمُرْسَلاَتِ عُرْفًا ، فَنَحْنُ نَأْخُذُهَا مِنْ فِيهِ رَطْبَةً ، إِذْ خَرَجَتْ عَلَيْنَا حَيَّةٌ ، فَقَالَ : اقْتُلُوهَا فَابْتَدَرْنَاهَا ، لِنَقْتُلَهَا ، فَسَبَقَتْنَا ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : وَقَاهَا اللَّهُ شَرَّكُمْ كَمَا وَقَاكُمْ شَرَّهَا.

Abu As-Sa’ib the freed slave of Hisham bin Zuhrah, narrated that he entered upon Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri in his house. He said: “I found him praying, so I sat down to wait until he finished his prayer. I heard a sound in the ceiling, and I turned and saw a snake, so I jumped up to kill it, but he gestured to me to sit down, so I sat down, When he had finished he pointed to a room in the house and said: ‘Do you see this room?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘In in there was a young man of our family who was newly married. We went out with the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) to (the battle of) Al-Khandaq (the Ditch) and that young man used to ask the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) for permission to go back to his wife at mid-day. He asked him asked him for permission one day, and the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: “Take your weapon with you, for I fear that Quraizah may harm you.” So the man took his weapon and went back, and he found his wife standing in the courtyard. He ran towards her with the spear to stab her, because he was overtaken by protective jealousy (Ghirah), but she said to him: “Put your spear down, and go inside the house so you can see what made me come out.” He went inside and saw a huge snake coiled on bed. He ran towards it with his spear and pierced it, then he came out and thrust the spear, with the snake on it, into the ground in the yard. It attacked him, and it is not known which of them died first, the snake or the young man. We said to him (the Prophet (s.a.w)): “Pray to Allah that he might be brought back to life for us.” He said: “Pray for forgiveness for your companion.” Then he said: “In Al-Madinah there are some Jinn who became Muslim, so if you see any of them, ask them to leave for three days. If it appears to you after that then kill it, for it is a devil.”

وحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَرْحٍ ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ ، أَخْبَرَنِي مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ ، عَنْ صَيْفِيٍّ ، وَهُوَ عِنْدَنَا مَوْلَى ابْنِ أَفْلَحَ ، أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو السَّائِبِ ، مَوْلَى هِشَامِ بْنِ زُهْرَةَ أَنَّهُ دَخَلَ عَلَى أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ فِي بَيْتِهِ ، قَالَ : فَوَجَدْتُهُ يُصَلِّي ، فَجَلَسْتُ أَنْتَظِرُهُ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَ صَلاَتَهُ ، فَسَمِعْتُ تَحْرِيكًا فِي عَرَاجِينَ فِي نَاحِيَةِ الْبَيْتِ ، فَالْتَفَتُّ فَإِذَا حَيَّةٌ فَوَثَبْتُ لأَقْتُلَهَا ، فَأَشَارَ إِلَيَّ أَنِ اجْلِسْ فَجَلَسْتُ ، فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ أَشَارَ إِلَى بَيْتٍ فِي الدَّارِ ، فَقَالَ : أَتَرَى هَذَا الْبَيْتَ ؟ فَقُلْتُ : نَعَمْ ، قَالَ : كَانَ فِيهِ فَتًى مِنَّا حَدِيثُ عَهْدٍ بِعُرْسٍ ، قَالَ : فَخَرَجْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى الْخَنْدَقِ فَكَانَ ذَلِكَ الْفَتَى يَسْتَأْذِنُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِأَنْصَافِ النَّهَارِ فَيَرْجِعُ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ ، فَاسْتَأْذَنَهُ يَوْمًا ،فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خُذْ عَلَيْكَ سِلاَحَكَ ، فَإِنِّي أَخْشَى عَلَيْكَ قُرَيْظَةَ ، فَأَخَذَ الرَّجُلُ سِلاَحَهُ ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَإِذَا امْرَأَتُهُ بَيْنَ الْبَابَيْنِ قَائِمَةً فَأَهْوَى إِلَيْهَا الرُّمْحَ لِيَطْعُنَهَا بِهِ وَأَصَابَتْهُ غَيْرَةٌ ، فَقَالَتْ لَهُ : اكْفُفْ عَلَيْكَ رُمْحَكَ وَادْخُلِ الْبَيْتَ حَتَّى تَنْظُرَ مَا الَّذِي أَخْرَجَنِي ، فَدَخَلَ فَإِذَا بِحَيَّةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ مُنْطَوِيَةٍ عَلَى الْفِرَاشِ فَأَهْوَى إِلَيْهَا بِالرُّمْحِ فَانْتَظَمَهَا بِهِ ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَرَكَزَهُ فِي الدَّارِ فَاضْطَرَبَتْ عَلَيْهِ ، فَمَا يُدْرَى أَيُّهُمَا كَانَ أَسْرَعَ مَوْتًا الْحَيَّةُ أَمِ الْفَتَى ، قَالَ : فَجِئْنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَذَكَرْنَا ذَلِكَ لَهُ وَقُلْنَا ادْعُ اللَّهَ يُحْيِيهِ لَنَا فَقَالَ : اسْتَغْفِرُوا لِصَاحِبِكُمْ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : إِنَّ بِالْمَدِينَةِ جِنًّا قَدْ أَسْلَمُوا ، فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ مِنْهُمْ شَيْئًا ، فَآذِنُوهُ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ ، فَإِنْ بَدَا لَكُمْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ ، فَاقْتُلُوهُ ، فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ شَيْطَانٌ.

Asma bint ‘Ubaid narrated that a man who was called As-Sa’ib – and he is known to us as Abu As-Sa’ib – said: “We entered upon Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri, and while we were sitting there, we heard a movement beneath the bed. We looked and saw a snake…’ and he quoted the story as in the Hadith of Malik form Saifi (no. 5839). And he said: “The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) 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 disbeliever.’ And he said to them: ‘Go and bury your companion.”’

وحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ جَرِيرِ بْنِ حَازِمٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي ، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ أَسْمَاءَ بْنَ عُبَيْدٍ ، يُحَدِّثُ ، عَنْ رَجُلٍ يُقَالُ لَهُ السَّائِبُ وَهُوَ عِنْدَنَا أَبُو السَّائِبِ ، قَالَ : دَخَلْنَا عَلَى أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ، فَبَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ جُلُوسٌ إِذْ سَمِعْنَا تَحْتَ سَرِيرِهِ حَرَكَةً ، فَنَظَرْنَا فَإِذَا حَيَّةٌ ، وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ بِقِصَّتِهِ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ مَالِكٍ عَنْ صَيْفِيٍّ. وَقَالَ فِيهِ ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : إِنَّ لِهَذِهِ الْبُيُوتِ عَوَامِرَ ، فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ شَيْئًا مِنْهَا فَحَرِّجُوا عَلَيْهَا ثَلاَثًا ، فَإِنْ ذَهَبَ ، وَإِلاَّ فَاقْتُلُوهُ ، فَإِنَّهُ كَافِرٌ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ : اذْهَبُوا فَادْفِنُوا صَاحِبَكُمْ.

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: “The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: ‘Whoever kills a geckos with the first blow will have such and such of Hasanah (good merit). Whoever kills it with the second blow will have such and such of Hasanah, less than the first. Whoever kills it with the third blow will have such-and-such of Hasanah, less than the second.”’

وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى ، أَخْبَرَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ ، عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مَنْ قَتَلَ وَزَغَةً فِي أَوَّلِ ضَرْبَةٍ فَلَهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا حَسَنَةً ، وَمَنْ قَتَلَهَا فِي الضَّرْبَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ فَلَهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا حَسَنَةً ، لِدُونِ الأُولَى ، وَإِنْ قَتَلَهَا فِي الضَّرْبَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ فَلَهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا حَسَنَةً ، لِدُونِ الثَّانِيَةِ.

A Hadith like that of Khalid from Sahl (no. 5846) was narrated form Abu Hurairah from the Prophet (s.a.w), except Jarir only, in whose Hadith it says: “Whoever kills a gecko with the first blow, one hundred Hasanah will be recorded for him, and for the second blow, less than that, and for the third blow, less than that.”

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ (ح) وحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ (ح) وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ ، يَعْنِي ابْنَ زَكَرِيَّا (ح) وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ , كُلُّهُمْ عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِمَعْنَى حَدِيثِ خَالِدٍ ، عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ. إِلاَّ جَرِيرًا وَحْدَهُ ، فَإِنَّ فِي حَدِيثِهِ مَنْ قَتَلَ وَزَغًا فِي أَوَّلِ ضَرْبَةٍ كُتِبَتْ لَهُ مِئَةُ حَسَنَةٍ ، وَفِي الثَّانِيَةِ دُونَ ذَلِكَ ، وَفِي الثَّالِثَةِ دُونَ ذَلِكَ.

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah from the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w): “An ant bit one of the Prophets and he ordered that the colony of the ants be burned. Allah revealed to him: Because one ant bit you, you have destroyed one of the nations that glorifies Allah?”

حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ ، وَحَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى ، قَالاَ : أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ ، وَأَبِي سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّ نَمْلَةً قَرَصَتْ نَبِيًّا مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ ، فَأَمَرَ بِقَرْيَةِ النَّمْلِ فَأُحْرِقَتْ ، فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ : أَفِي أَنْ قَرَصَتْكَ نَمْلَةٌ أَهْلَكْتَ أُمَّةً مِنَ الأُمَمِ تُسَبِّحُ ؟.

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (s.a.w) said: “One of the Prophet halted beneath a tree and an ant bit him. He ordered that his belongings be removed from beneath (the tree), then he ordered that it be burned. Allah revealed to him: ‘Why not punish just one ant?”’

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ ، يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْحِزَامِيَّ ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : نَزَلَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ ، فَلَدَغَتْهُ نَمْلَةٌ ، فَأَمَرَ بِجِهَازِهِ فَأُخْرِجَ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهَا ، فَأُحْرِقَتْ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ ، فَهَلاَّ نَمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً.

It was narrated that Hammam bin Munabbih said: “This is what Abu Hurairah narrated to us from the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w),” – and he narrated a number of Ahadith including the following: “The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: ‘One of the Prophet halted beneath a tree and an ant bit him. He ordered that his belongings be removed from beneath (the tree), then he ordered that it be burned. Allah revealed to him: ‘Why not punish just one ant?”’

وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ ، عَنْ هَمَّامِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ ، قَالَ : هَذَا مَا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَذَكَرَ أَحَادِيثَ مِنْهَا ، وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : نَزَلَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ ، فَلَدَغَتْهُ نَمْلَةٌ ، فَأَمَرَ بِجِهَازِهِ فَأُخْرِجَ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا ، وَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَأُحْرِقَتْ فِي النَّارِ ، قَالَ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ : فَهَلاَّ نَمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً.