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Why did the Prophet (peace be upon him) seek refuge from dying by snakebite, and is it disliked for a Muslim to die in such a manner?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The hadith combines seeking refuge from purely evil things with seeking refuge from things that can lead to the reward of martyrdom, such as seeking refuge from being crushed by a falling wall, burned, or stung. Scholars have found it problematic to seek refuge from these latter matters, which grant martyrdom. They have responded by explaining that these are distressing and disturbing experiences, and a person might not endure them patiently, leading to a bad end for them. Alternatively, Satan might tempt them, harming their faith, or these events might surprise them and take them unawares.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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