39/37. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2233c — Snake Ruling with House Exception
Killing Snakes Etc.
Hadith About Killing Snakes With a Clear House Snake Exception
Sahih Muslim : 2233c
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2233c
وَحَدَّثَنَا حَاجِبُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، عَنِ الزُّبَيْدِيِّ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، أَخْبَرَنِي سَالِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَأْمُرُ بِقَتْلِ الْكِلاَبِ يَقُولُ \" اقْتُلُوا الْحَيَّاتِ وَالْكِلاَبَ وَاقْتُلُوا ذَا الطُّفْيَتَيْنِ وَالأَبْتَرَ فَإِنَّهُمَا يَلْتَمِسَانِ الْبَصَرَ وَيَسْتَسْقِطَانِ الْحَبَالَى \" . قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ وَنُرَى ذَلِكَ مِنْ سُمَّيْهِمَا وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ . قَالَ سَالِمٌ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ فَلَبِثْتُ لاَ أَتْرُكُ حَيَّةً أَرَاهَا إِلاَّ قَتَلْتُهَا فَبَيْنَا أَنَا أُطَارِدُ حَيَّةً يَوْمًا مِنْ ذَوَاتِ الْبُيُوتِ مَرَّ بِي زَيْدُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ أَوْ أَبُو لُبَابَةَ وَأَنَا أُطَارِدُهَا فَقَالَ مَهْلاً يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ . فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَمَرَ بِقَتْلِهِنَّ . قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَدْ نَهَى عَنْ ذَوَاتِ الْبُيُوتِ . وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ، حُمَيْدٍ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا حَسَنٌ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، عَنْ صَالِحٍ، كُلُّهُمْ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ غَيْرَ أَنَّ صَالِحًا، قَالَ حَتَّى رَآنِي أَبُو لُبَابَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُنْذِرِ وَزَيْدُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَقَالاَ إِنَّهُ قَدْ نَهَى عَنْ ذَوَاتِ الْبُيُوتِ . وَفِي حَدِيثِ يُونُسَ \" اقْتُلُوا الْحَيَّاتِ \" . وَلَمْ يَقُلْ \" ذَا الطُّفْيَتَيْنِ وَالأَبْتَرَ \" .
Ibn 'Umar reported: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) commanding the killing of dogs and the killing of the striped and the short-tailed snakes, for both of them affect the eyesight adversely and cause miscarriage. Zuhri said: We thought of their poison (the pernicious effects of these two). Allah, however, knows best. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar said: I did not spare any snake. I rather killed everyone that I saw. One day as I was pursuing a snake from amongst the snakes of the house, Zaid b. Khattab or Abu Lubaba happened to pass by me and found me pursuing it. He said: 'Abdullah, wait. I said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) commanded (us) to kill them, whereupon he said that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the killing of the snakes of the houses. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2233b, cIn-book reference : Book 39, Hadith 178USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 26, Hadith 5545
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2233c
Core Topic: Snake Safety. This Hadith carries the same main teaching found in the related report: “kill the striped and short-tailed snakes,” while also preserving the warning about house snakes. People often search for it using phrases like “hadith about house snakes” and “Sahih Muslim snake hadith.” The report says the two named snakes affect eyesight and cause miscarriage. It also records that Ibn Umar did not leave any snake he saw until he was reminded that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم forbade killing snakes of the houses. The Hadith teaches careful action. It is not a general call to kill without limits. The named harmful snakes and the house-snake exception both matter.
What we learn from this hadith
- The two named snake types are treated as harmful in the text.
- Ibn Umar stopped when he was reminded of the prohibition about house snakes.
- The report teaches that one text should be understood with another related instruction.
- The wording keeps a clear difference between harmful named snakes and snakes of houses.
