What is the ruling on removing spider webs from the corners of the house?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on removing spider webs from the corners of houses? I ask for information on this question.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgment. There is nothing wrong with removing spider webs from the corners of houses, because spiders are harmful and they dirty the walls, and they may build nests on books and clothes. They are among the harmful insects, even if their harm is light compared to others. If they cause harm, there is nothing wrong with removing the nests they have built. And if their harm cannot be repelled except by killing them, there is nothing wrong with killing them as well.
The legal principle is that these insects are either harmful by their nature, in which case it is recommended to kill them, such as the scorpion, the rat, the snake, and the like. Or they are harmful due to an incidental cause, in which case it is not recommended to kill them absolutely, but they are killed when they are causing harm and not killed when they are in a state where they are not causing harm. This is because killing them when they are not causing harm may lead to the soul becoming accustomed to aggression against Allah’s creatures. However, this is not on the basis of prohibition or dislike, but on the basis of scrupulousness, and it is more preferable. The Sunnah has come regarding insects and the like in three ways. The first way is the command to kill them, which applies to those that are harmful by their nature. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 2887Sahih (Darussalam) These five, and anything like them or more harmful, it is prescribed to kill them in all cases, whether the harm actually occurs or not. If the harm occurs, they are killed by their involvement in the harm, and if it does not occur, they are prepared for harm.
The second category is what the Shari'ah has forbidden to kill. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the killing of four types of animals:Sunan Abi Dawud 5267Sahih (Al-Albani) These are not to be killed.
The third category is what the Lawgiver has been silent about. It is more preferable not to kill them, and if they are killed, there is no blame on you.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. This is a message received from the listener Umm 'Abd al-Rahman from the Eastern Region. She says in her prayer.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgment. There is nothing wrong with removing spider webs from the corners of houses, because spiders are harmful and they dirty the walls, and they may build nests on books and clothes. They are among the harmful insects, even if their harm is light compared to others. If they cause harm, there is nothing wrong with removing the nests they have built. And if their harm cannot be repelled except by killing them, there is nothing wrong with killing them as well.
The legal principle is that these insects are either harmful by their nature, in which case it is recommended to kill them, such as the scorpion, the rat, the snake, and the like. Or they are harmful due to an incidental cause, in which case it is not recommended to kill them absolutely, but they are killed when they are causing harm and not killed when they are in a state where they are not causing harm. This is because killing them when they are not causing harm may lead to the soul becoming accustomed to aggression against Allah’s creatures. However, this is not on the basis of prohibition or dislike, but on the basis of scrupulousness, and it is more preferable. The Sunnah has come regarding insects and the like in three ways. The first way is the command to kill them, which applies to those that are harmful by their nature. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
It was narrated that Aishah said: "The Prophet said: "There are five animals all of which are vermin, and may killed outside and inside the sanctuary: Vicious dogs, crows, kites, scorpions and mice.'"
خمس من الدواب كلهن فاسق يُقتلن في الحل والحرم: الغراب والحدأة والعقرب والفأرة والكلب العقورThe second category is what the Shari'ah has forbidden to kill. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the killing of four types of animals:
ants, bees, hoopoes, and sparrow-hawks
النملة والنحلة والهدهد والصُرَدThe third category is what the Lawgiver has been silent about. It is more preferable not to kill them, and if they are killed, there is no blame on you.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. This is a message received from the listener Umm 'Abd al-Rahman from the Eastern Region. She says in her prayer.