Islamic marriage advice and family advice

Is the killing of snakes allowed in islam?

superstition

Just last week I killed a black snake that was coming inside my house. I got scared and hit it.

I heard that some jinns can come in the form of snakes.

Is it okay to kill snakes or not?

-199617


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11 Responses »

  1. Assalamu'alaikum,

    You did the right thing. We have been commanded to kill snakes, even in the state of salah.

    Rasoolullah ﷺ said: kill the two black things during prayer; the snake and the scorpion. (Sahih ibn Hibban)

    In fact, if one can kill them without exitimg from prayer, that is allowed as well. But if one fears one can't, then one can leave the prayer and kill them first.

    This is to prevent the harm that they can cause. Yes, Jinn can take any form except that of Rasoolullah ﷺ. But a snake can be killed even if it was not Jinn.

    Abu Abdul Bari
    IslamicAnswers.com Editor

  2. asalamualakum
    As far as I know in islam you are not allowed to kill any animal unless it is going to harm you. There are many types of snakes that can't harm people, so if the snake will harm you, kill it. if it won't harm you leave it alone.
    Islam is not a religion that teaches us to kill the creations of allah ta'allah for no good reason.

    • asalamualakum

      dear muhammad711,
      if you are a biologist or geographical expert or something like that and you are for sure that the snake is not poisonous and you are sure that it will not harm you then you have the point, Otherwise your argument is weak.
      Life of a Muslim is far more precious than the life of a snake. Saving your life is better than saving a life of a snake. What if you face a deadly bear of deadly shark. Piety on you. History shows that a snake is a wild and reactive to human. Most of the people are killed by snake. If hundred of tigers are being killed by Englishmen rapidly to save villagers life so why not snakes???? Snake are harmful and enemy of human. this is for sure.
      Hope you understand.

      • if snakes are enemy of human then why god created it . All animals are praying to allah and allah ask us to show mercy to animals and those who kill it without proper reason at judgement it will be questioned.

  3. Assalaamualaikam

    The Prophet (peace be upon us) advised that we should not allow snakes to remain inside our houses - that we should try to get rid of them, and if they do not go then we should kill them rather than just leave them where they could be a hazard.

    Snakes can be very dangerous, and some have very poisonous venom, so I think you were justified in your actions, and in being scared - I think I'd be scared too in that situation.

    We should never take joy from ending the life of one of Allah's creations, but we are entitled to protect ourselves and the people we love from harm.

    Midnightmoon
    IslamicAnswers.com editor

  4. A black cat crossing your path means that it is going to eat that snake you are so worried about

  5. A salam alekum. I agree with the brothers,
    I think there is also another Hadith on animals, I've heard that if you see animals mating (let's say for example snakes since they role and slide them selves)... If they mate near your house don't kill them.

    Allah knows best

    Fi-amanAllah

  6. Please leave jinns aside. You can not recognise them even if they are in any shape! They can misguide you. Humans also misguide you (shayaatheen min al Jinn wa al Ins - Quraan). So be careful (muthaqi) always. If you find a snake is anywhere and it is harmful, inform the authorities they will protect you and the snake. Islam is not a religion. It is the Way of Life, not only for human beings, but for the entire cosmos. One can understand this if he studies (not reads) the Quraan in total, then sees the sunna (how the prophet implemented the Quraan) and then considers a particular hadeeth, that too if it is authentic.

  7. First and foremost, one needs to remember that snakes are a lot more scared of you than you are of them. That may be hard to believe at times, or might also be said about other animals, but it’s the truth. So when one bumps into a snake, the snake will be wanting to flee in the other direction, it won’t attack you.

    Snakes are not on this planet to keep the human population in check. Snakes do not want to bite us, and they do not seek out us humans. If a bite occurs, it may be an unavoidable accident where someone stands on a snake, or an avoidable accident, where someone tries to kill the snake.

    Snakes come to our properties for food, shelter, and in the right season, maybe even a mate, whom has already been attracted by the food source or shelter. So if you have a lot of rats, geckos or frogs around, you may have a snake popping in for a quick, takeaway meal.

    Contrary to popular belief, there is no proven repellent that keeps snakes away permanently. The best thing one can, as a preventative measure, is to just keep a neat and tidy garden. Try not to keep piles of wood, asbestos, bricks, rubble or corrugated iron for too long, as this makes for a great shelter for snakes. Keep shrubs cut away from windows too. Don’t go and rip out all the trees, which give off oxygen, to pave the garden. You may do that, but you may still get a snake. There’s no need to persecute snakes.

    The reason why snakes are on this planet, the role they play in the environment, is that they are predators and they are prey. So they keep rodent numbers in check. Rats can be destructive around homes, and can carry disease, so snakes are performing a crucial job. Snakes also keep frog numbers in check. No frogs are a key link in the food chain, keeping mosquito numbers down, and they’re food for a lot of animals too, but we can’t have too many frogs. Snakes also eat lizards, birds, and even small insects.

    Snakes, in return, are food for animals such as birds, mongoose, monitor lizards, genets, and even some other snakes! So they are not breeding out of control. As well as being killed in large numbers by people, they have many of their own predators. So you see, they are playing a very important role in the food chain, helping to maintain a healthy environment. So leave them alone to fulfil this role, please.

    If you see a snake, whether you love them or hate them, do not try to kill or capture it. This is asking for trouble, and you could end up in hospital. Not all snakes are venomous of course, but if you mess with the wrong one, you will regret it. It’s safer to treat them all as venomous. This doesn’t mean that you need to hate them or kill them. It simply means that you should just treat them with respect, and leave them alone.

    If you leave them alone, they will leave you alone. When you see a snake, just keep your distance, and move away slowly. If it’s in the garden, it will move off by its own. If it’s in the house, and you want the snake removed, call a snake-catcher to remove it safely please. This is safer for the snake, and you. (please note, should you call a snake-catcher, please keep an eye on the snake from a safe distance of 5 meters or more. If the snake disappears, there’s little hope of finding it).

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