Denying the story of the man around whom a snake coiled

Question:
The questioner: Yes, a paper has appeared recently containing a picture of a woman around whom a snake is coiled. There has been a lot of talk about it in the magazine *Allah*. Does your statement deny the occurrence of such a story?

Answer:
The Shaykh: Yes, yes, it denies it and refutes it. First, if this story were true and a huge snake had coiled around her, how could they get close to her, bury her, and handle her while it was wrapped around her? Second, who is the news from? It says it is from people who were present. Who are the people who were present? This is a report from her aunt. If this story were true, the scholars in Madinah would have known about it.
The Shaykh: In fact, they knew about it, were present, and discussed it, and they stated their opinion in it. The fact that they bypass the scholars and publish these pictures without consulting the scholars, and the fact that none of the scholars in Madinah acknowledge this story—does any of the recognized scholars acknowledge this story? This is proof of its falsehood, that it is a fabrication. What is the hadith on which it is based? A disliked hadith? Yes.