The Ruling on Killing Insects in the Sacred Precinct
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What is the ruling on killing insects in the Haram?The Shaykh: Like what?The questioner: Like anything that causes harm.
The Shaykh: Like what?The questioner: Birds or anything else.
The Shaykh: Pigeons?The questioner: Pigeons or anything else.
The Shaykh: What is the ruling on killing insects in the Haram?And I wanted an example of insects from him, but he failed and said: Birds.
The questioner: Anything.
The Shaykh: Killing a human being?The questioner: A human being?The Shaykh: You are saying: anything.
The questioner: Killing insects.
The Shaykh: Insects like what?The questioner: If it is inside the Sacred Precinct, for example, ants or anything else?The Shaykh: Like ants! I have never seen an ant in the Sacred Precinct.
The questioner: The ruling on killing pigeons.
The Shaykh: Define it for me now, look, I understand now that pigeons are among the insects! The questioner: This is an example.
The Shaykh: Mosquitoes? Well, in any case, insects and their like fall into three categories: The first category is that which the Shari'ah has commanded to be killed; this is killed in the permitted areas and in the Sacred Precinct, even if you find it in the middle of the Ka'bah,The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: (Five types of animals are to be killed in the permitted areas and in the Sacred Precinct: the crow, the kite, the scorpion, the rat, and the vicious dog) The lizard is also commanded to be killed. Do you know what a lizard is?The questioner: The leper lizard.
The Shaykh: It is called the poison lizard, the leper lizard, the lizard, and the skink. The important thing is that because it is so common among people, it has many names. In any case, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) commanded the killing of lizards and said: It used to blow fire upon Ibrahim (Abraham). Glory be to Allah! This weak insect was empowered to blow fire upon Ibrahim (Abraham). Therefore, we now kill it in obedience to the command of Allah the Exalted, and in victory for our father Ibrahim (peace be upon him), because it blows fire upon him.
This is the first category: That which the Shari'ah has commanded to be killed is killed in the permitted areas and in the Sacred Precinct, and there is no problem with that.
The second category: That which the Shari'ah has forbidden to be killed is not killed, neither in the permitted areas nor in the Sacred Precinct,For example: The ant, the bee, the hoopoe, and the swift.
This is not killed, neither in the permitted areas nor in the Sacred Precinct, unless it causes harm. In that case, it is repelled by the easiest means. If it cannot be repelled except by killing it, then it is killed.
The third category: That which the Shari'ah has been silent about, such as cockroaches, crickets, beetles, and their like,This, some scholars said: It is forbidden to kill them,And some of them said: It is disliked,And some of them said: It is permissible, but leaving them alone is better. This third opinion is the correct one: that killing them is permissible,And the evidence: Because it has not been forbidden—Meaning: Killing them—nor has it been commanded—Meaning: To kill them—it is a matter about which the Shari'ah has been silent, but it is better not to kill them. Why?Because Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said: [Al-Isra: 44] So let them glorify Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and do not kill them. But if you kill them, is there a sin upon you? No.
We have now finished with the forbidden insects. What remains are the lawful things. It is known that Makkah, which Allah the Mighty and Majestic has honored, does not permit the killing of game, such as pigeons, ducks, rabbits, gazelles, and their like. That is the end of it.
But which category do mosquitoes fall into?We say: They are among those commanded to be killed by analogy to the five types; because the mosquito is certainly harmful. Its harm is clear. Sometimes a mosquito bites you and the skin swells, and it may cause wounds. So it is among those commanded to be killed. But if we cannot reach killing it except with difficulty, as is the case now with what hangs in cafes, shops, and even mosques, do we do it or not? We do it.
And we place these electric zappers to attract them and electrocute them.
The Shaykh: Like what?The questioner: Birds or anything else.
The Shaykh: Pigeons?The questioner: Pigeons or anything else.
The Shaykh: What is the ruling on killing insects in the Haram?And I wanted an example of insects from him, but he failed and said: Birds.
The questioner: Anything.
The Shaykh: Killing a human being?The questioner: A human being?The Shaykh: You are saying: anything.
The questioner: Killing insects.
The Shaykh: Insects like what?The questioner: If it is inside the Sacred Precinct, for example, ants or anything else?The Shaykh: Like ants! I have never seen an ant in the Sacred Precinct.
The questioner: The ruling on killing pigeons.
The Shaykh: Define it for me now, look, I understand now that pigeons are among the insects! The questioner: This is an example.
The Shaykh: Mosquitoes? Well, in any case, insects and their like fall into three categories: The first category is that which the Shari'ah has commanded to be killed; this is killed in the permitted areas and in the Sacred Precinct, even if you find it in the middle of the Ka'bah,The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: (Five types of animals are to be killed in the permitted areas and in the Sacred Precinct: the crow, the kite, the scorpion, the rat, and the vicious dog) The lizard is also commanded to be killed. Do you know what a lizard is?The questioner: The leper lizard.
The Shaykh: It is called the poison lizard, the leper lizard, the lizard, and the skink. The important thing is that because it is so common among people, it has many names. In any case, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) commanded the killing of lizards and said: It used to blow fire upon Ibrahim (Abraham). Glory be to Allah! This weak insect was empowered to blow fire upon Ibrahim (Abraham). Therefore, we now kill it in obedience to the command of Allah the Exalted, and in victory for our father Ibrahim (peace be upon him), because it blows fire upon him.
This is the first category: That which the Shari'ah has commanded to be killed is killed in the permitted areas and in the Sacred Precinct, and there is no problem with that.
The second category: That which the Shari'ah has forbidden to be killed is not killed, neither in the permitted areas nor in the Sacred Precinct,For example: The ant, the bee, the hoopoe, and the swift.
This is not killed, neither in the permitted areas nor in the Sacred Precinct, unless it causes harm. In that case, it is repelled by the easiest means. If it cannot be repelled except by killing it, then it is killed.
The third category: That which the Shari'ah has been silent about, such as cockroaches, crickets, beetles, and their like,This, some scholars said: It is forbidden to kill them,And some of them said: It is disliked,And some of them said: It is permissible, but leaving them alone is better. This third opinion is the correct one: that killing them is permissible,And the evidence: Because it has not been forbidden—Meaning: Killing them—nor has it been commanded—Meaning: To kill them—it is a matter about which the Shari'ah has been silent, but it is better not to kill them. Why?Because Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said:
The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them exalt Him. And there is not a thing except that it exalts [Allah] by His praise, but you do not understand their [way of] exalting
تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَكِنْ لا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْWe have now finished with the forbidden insects. What remains are the lawful things. It is known that Makkah, which Allah the Mighty and Majestic has honored, does not permit the killing of game, such as pigeons, ducks, rabbits, gazelles, and their like. That is the end of it.
But which category do mosquitoes fall into?We say: They are among those commanded to be killed by analogy to the five types; because the mosquito is certainly harmful. Its harm is clear. Sometimes a mosquito bites you and the skin swells, and it may cause wounds. So it is among those commanded to be killed. But if we cannot reach killing it except with difficulty, as is the case now with what hangs in cafes, shops, and even mosques, do we do it or not? We do it.
And we place these electric zappers to attract them and electrocute them.