Killing Snakes and Vipers

Question:
And therefore, Shaykh (may Allah preserve you), what about killing snakes absolutely?

Answer:
Snakes are killed because they are among the five harmful creatures , and the viper is mentioned among them. The ruling regarding the viper is that it is harmful, except for the house snakes, which are the ones about whom the prohibition was reported. The house snakes, or the snakes that live in houses, are the ones about whom it was reported that they should not be killed until they are warned and cautioned first. If they do not stop, then they are killed, but they are not killed at the first instance, because, and Allah knows best, they are from the jinn. And one of the Companions killed...