What is the truth about snakes that kill by sight, and it has been reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to seek refuge from them?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded the killing of snakes, especially "Dhu al-Tufyatayn" (the one with two stripes) and "al-Abtar" (the short-tailed one), because they blind the eye and cause miscarriage. However, he made an exception for house snakes (al-'Awamir), which are not to be killed directly. Instead, they must be warned for three days before being killed if they do not leave. If they do not depart after the warning, then they are devils.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/36014
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 36014
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy