killing lizards

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Sahih of Imam Muhammed Muslim ibne al hajjaj (38)

Chapter: It Is Recommended To Kill Geckos

Umm Sharik reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) commanded her to kill geckos. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn Abi Shaiba with a slight variation of wording.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَعَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرُونَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرِ، بْنِ شَيْبَةَ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أُمِّ شَرِيكٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَمَرَهَا بِقَتْلِ الأَوْزَاغِ ‏.‏ وَفِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ أَمَرَ ‏.‏
Reference: Sahih Muslim 2237 a

: Book 39, Hadith 193


Umm Sharik reported that she consulted Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) in regard to killing of geckos, and he commanded to kill them and Umm Sharik is one of the women of Bani 'Amir b. Luwayy. This hadith has been reported through another chain of transmitters with the same meaning.

وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ، بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ أَبِي خَلَفٍ حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحٌ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَكْرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ بْنُ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ شَيْبَةَ، أَنَّ سَعِيدَ بْنَ الْمُسَيَّبِ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ أُمَّ شَرِيكٍ أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّهَا، اسْتَأْمَرَتِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي قَتْلِ الْوِزْغَانِ فَأَمَرَ بِقَتْلِهَا ‏.‏ وَأُمُّ شَرِيكٍ إِحْدَى نِسَاءِ بَنِي عَامِرِ بْنِ لُؤَىٍّ ‏.‏ اتَّفَقَ لَفْظُ حَدِيثِ ابْنِ أَبِي خَلَفٍ وَعَبْدِ بْنِ حُمَيْدٍ وَحَدِيثُ ابْنِ وَهْبٍ قَرِيبٌ مِنْهُ ‏.‏
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2237 b: Book 39, Hadith 194
: Book 26, Hadith 5561



Abu Huraira radi allahu ta'ala anho reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

He who killed a gecko with the first stroke for him is such and such a reward, and he who killed it with a second stroke for him is such and such reward less than the first one, and he who killed it with the third stroke for him is such and such a reward less than the second one.
وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي، هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَنْ قَتَلَ وَزَغَةً فِي أَوَّلِ ضَرْبَةٍ فَلَهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا حَسَنَةً وَمَنْ قَتَلَهَا فِي الضَّرْبَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ فَلَهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا حَسَنَةً لِدُونِ الأُولَى وَإِنْ قَتَلَهَا فِي الضَّرْبَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ فَلَهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا حَسَنَةً لِدُونِ الثَّانِيَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2240 a

: Book 39, Hadith 197

: Book 26, Hadith 5564


This hadith has been reported on the authority of Abu Huraira radi allahu ta'ala anho through another chain of transmitters (and the words are):

- He who killed a gecko with the first stroke for him are ordained one hundred virtues, and with the second one less than that and with the third one less than that.
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ يَعْنِي ابْنَ زَكَرِيَّاءَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، كُلُّهُمْ عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏ بِمَعْنَى حَدِيثِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ إِلاَّ جَرِيرًا وَحْدَهُ فَإِنَّ فِي حَدِيثِهِ ‏ "‏ مَنْ قَتَلَ وَزَغًا فِي أَوَّلِ ضَرْبَةٍ كُتِبَتْ لَهُ مِائَةُ حَسَنَةٍ وَفِي الثَّانِيَةِ دُونَ ذَلِكَ وَفِي الثَّالِثَةِ دُونَ ذَلِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2240 b

: Book 39, Hadith 198

: Book 26, Hadith 5565


Abu Huraira radi allahu ta'ala anho reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying (that he who kills a gecko) with the first stroke there are seventy rewards for him.

وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ يَعْنِي ابْنَ زَكَرِيَّاءَ، عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ، حَدَّثَتْنِي أُخْتِي، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ ‏ "‏ فِي أَوَّلِ ضَرْبَةٍ سَبْعِينَ حَسَنَةً ‏"‏ ‏.‏
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2240 c

: Book 39, Hadith 199

: Book 26, Hadith 5566

Ibn Maajah (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated in his Sunan from Saa’ibah the slave woman of al-Faakih ibn al-Mugheerah that she entered upon ‘Aa’ishah and saw a spear sitting there in her house. She said, “O Mother of the Believers, what do you do with this?” She said, “We kill these salamanders with it, because the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that when Ibraaheem was thrown into the fire, there was no animal on earth but it tried to extinguish the fire, except for the salamander, which was blowing on the fire (to keep it burning). So the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded that they should be killed.”

(Sunan Ibn Maajah, 3222. It is stated in al-Zawaa’id, the isnaad of ‘Aa’ishah’s hadeeth is saheeh, its men are thiqaat (trustworthy))

Note of caution, there is some debate regarding salamanders and lizards and whether these hadeeth relate solely to lizards or include salamanders, since salamanders (if my biology serves me right) are amphibious and lizards are reptiles (scales v skin). I am sure others who are more versed in fiqh and deeniyaat can enlighten us more.