Book Fifty Four – The Book on Beginning of Creation

Hadith Number 528.

Narrated by 'Aisha (Radhi Allahu Anha): The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) ordered that a short-tailed or mutilated-tailed snake (i.e. Abtar) should be killed, for it blinds the on-looker and causes abortion."


Hadith Number 529.

Narrated by Abu Mulaika: Ibn 'Umar (Radhi Allahu Anhuma) used to kill snakes, but afterwards he forbade their killing and said, "Once the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) pulled down a wall and saw a cast-off skin of a snake in it. He said, 'Look for the snake. 'They found it and the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said, "Kill it." For this reason I used to kill snakes. Later on I met Abu Lubaba who told me the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said, 'Do not kill snakes except the short-tailed or mutilated-tailed snake with two white lines on its back, for it causes abortion and makes one blind. So kill it.'"


Hadith Number 530.

Narrated by Nafi' : Ibn 'Umar (Radhi Allahu Anhuma) used to kill snakes but when Abu Lubaba informed him that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) had forbidden the killing of snakes living in houses, he gave up killing them.


Hadith Number 531.

Narrated by 'Aisha (Radhi Allahu Anha): The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said, "Five kinds of animals are mischief-doers and can be killed even in the Sanctuary: They are the rat, the scorpion, the kite, the crow and the rabid dog."


Hadith Number 532.

Narrated by 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (Radhi Allahu Anhuma): Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said, "It is not sinful of a person in the state of Ihram to kill any of these five animals: The scorpion, the rat, the rabid dog, the crow and the kite."


Hadith Number 533.

Narrated by Jabir bin 'Abdullah (Radhi Allahu Anhuma): The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said, "Cover your utensils and tie your water skins, and close your doors and keep your children close to you at night, as the Jinn spread out at such time and snatch things away. When you go to bed, put out your lights, for the mischief-doer (i.e. the rat) may drag away the wick of the candle and burn the dwellers of the house." Ata said, "The devils." (instead of the Jinn).


Hadith Number 534.

Narrated by 'Abdullah (Radhi Allahu Anhu): Once we were in the company of Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) in a cave. Surat-al-Mursalat (77) was revealed there, and we were learning it from Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam). Suddenly a snake came out of its hole and we rushed towards it to kill it, but it hastened and entered its hole before we were able to catch it. Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said," It has been saved from your evil and you have been saved from its evil."

Hadith Number 535.

Narrated by Ibn 'Umar (Radhi Allahu Anhuma): The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said, "A woman entered the (Hell) Fire because of a cat which she had tied, neither giving it food nor setting it free to eat from the vermin of the earth."


Hadith Number 536.

Narrated by Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allahu Anhu): Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said, "Once while a Prophet amongst the Prophets was taking a rest underneath a tree, an ant bit him. He, therefore, ordered that his luggage be taken away from underneath that tree and then ordered that the dwelling place of the ants should be set on fire. Allah sent him a revelation: "Wouldn't it have been sufficient to burn a single ant?


Hadith Number 537.

Narrated by Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allahu Anhu): The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said "If a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink), for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease."


Hadith Number 538.

Narrated by Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allahu Anhu): Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said, "A prostitute was forgiven by Allah, because, passing by a panting dog near a well and seeing that the dog was about to die of thirst, she took off her shoe, and tying it with her head-cover she drew out some water for it. So, Allah forgave her because of that."


Hadith Number 539.

Narrated by Abu Talha (Radhi Allahu Anhu): The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said, "Angels do not enter a house which has either a dog or a picture in it."


Hadith Number 540.

Narrated by 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (Radhi Allahu Anhuma): Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) ordered that the dogs should be killed. (*)

* The companions of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) thought that this order was concerned with rabid dogs. Scholars differ as to harmless dogs, i.e. whether to kill them or not.



Hadith Number 541.

Narrated by Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allahu Anhu): Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said, "If somebody keeps a dog, he loses one Qirat (of the reward) of his good deeds everyday, except if he keeps it for the purpose of agriculture or for the protection of livestock."


Hadith Number 542.

Narrated by Sufyan bin Abi Zuhair Ash-Shanai (Radhi Allahu Anhu): That he heard Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) saying, "If somebody keeps a dog that is neither used for farm work nor for guarding the livestock, he will lose one Qirat (of the reward) of his good deeds everyday."