What is the ruling on killing insects in the Haram?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on killing insects in the Haram?
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : Killing insects in the Haram?
The Shaykh : Like what?
The questioner : Like, I mean, what do you mean? Something that harms, or nothing?
The Shaykh : Like what?
The questioner : Like birds.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The questioner : Birds, or nothing?
The Shaykh : Pigeons?
The questioner : Pigeons, or nothing?
The Shaykh : The questioner asks, saying, "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," right?
The questioner : Any kind, I mean, for example.
The Shaykh : How? Any kind? Killing a human being?
The questioner : A human being?
The Shaykh : I know, you are saying "any kind"!
The questioner : Killing insects.
The Shaykh : Insects like what?
The questioner : Butterflies.
The Shaykh : No one is speaking.
The questioner : If it is inside the Haram.
The Shaykh : Like what?
The questioner : For example, I mean, ants or something.
The Shaykh : Ants? I have not seen an ant in the Haram.
The questioner : The ruling, I mean.
The Shaykh : Specify it for me now. Look, did you understand that among the insects are pigeons?
The questioner : I have an example.
The Shaykh : Like what?
The questioner : The one I told you about.
The Shaykh : Mosquitoes?
The questioner : Mosquitoes.
The Shaykh : Well, in any case, insects and their like fall into three categories. The first is that which the Shari'ah has commanded to be killed; this is killed in the permitted areas and in the Haram, even if you find it in the middle of the Ka'bah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The lizard is also commanded to be killed. Do you know what a lizard is? Yes.
The questioner : The leper lizard.
The Shaykh : The leper lizard, and it is called the leper. It is called the poisonous leper. It has types, and the lizard, and what else?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : And the skink. The important thing is that due to its prevalence among people, it has many names. In any case, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded the killing of lizards and said: Glory be to Allah! This weak insect was empowered to blow fire upon Ibrahim, so we kill it in obedience to the command of Allah the Exalted and in support of our father Ibrahim (peace be upon him), because it blows fire upon him. Well, this is one category.
The first category: that which the Shari'ah has commanded to be killed. This is killed, what? In the permitted areas and the Haram, and there is no problem with it.
The second: that which is forbidden to be killed. This is not killed, neither in the permitted areas nor in the Haram, such as the ant, the bee, the hoopoe, and the woodpecker. This is not killed, neither in the permitted areas nor in the Haram, except if it harms, in which case it is repelled by the easiest means. If it cannot be repelled except by killing, then it is killed. Did you understand? Well. The third: that about which the Shari'ah is silent, such as the grasshopper, the dung beetle, the beetle, and their like. Some scholars said that it is forbidden to kill them, some said that it is disliked, and some said that it is permissible, but leaving them alone is better. This third, final opinion is the correct one: that killing them is permissible. The evidence is that it was not forbidden, nor was it commanded. Yes, it was not forbidden, meaning the killing of them, nor was it commanded, meaning the killing of them. It is left silent about. But it is better not to kill them. It is better that you do not kill them. Why? Because Allah Blessed and Exalted is He said:[Al-Isra 17:44] So leave them to glorify Allah the Majestic. Do not kill them. But if you killed them, is there a sin upon you? Answer, everyone! No. We have now finished with the forbidden insects. We remain with the lawful things. It is well known that Makkah, which Allah the Majestic has honored, does not permit the killing of game, such as pigeons, ducks, rabbits, gazelles, and their like. Yes, yes, it is finished. Well, mosquitoes, which category are they from?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, but were they commanded to be killed or not?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : No, my brothers. We may say that they are among those commanded to be killed by analogy to the five [animals], 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. Well, if we do not reach its killing except by electrocution, as there are now devices attached in cafes, shops, and also in mosques, do we do it or not? We do it and place these electrocutors to attract them and electrocute them. Yes, on the right.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : Killing insects in the Haram?
The Shaykh : Like what?
The questioner : Like, I mean, what do you mean? Something that harms, or nothing?
The Shaykh : Like what?
The questioner : Like birds.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The questioner : Birds, or nothing?
The Shaykh : Pigeons?
The questioner : Pigeons, or nothing?
The Shaykh : The questioner asks, saying, "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," right?
The questioner : Any kind, I mean, for example.
The Shaykh : How? Any kind? Killing a human being?
The questioner : A human being?
The Shaykh : I know, you are saying "any kind"!
The questioner : Killing insects.
The Shaykh : Insects like what?
The questioner : Butterflies.
The Shaykh : No one is speaking.
The questioner : If it is inside the Haram.
The Shaykh : Like what?
The questioner : For example, I mean, ants or something.
The Shaykh : Ants? I have not seen an ant in the Haram.
The questioner : The ruling, I mean.
The Shaykh : Specify it for me now. Look, did you understand that among the insects are pigeons?
The questioner : I have an example.
The Shaykh : Like what?
The questioner : The one I told you about.
The Shaykh : Mosquitoes?
The questioner : Mosquitoes.
The Shaykh : Well, in any case, insects and their like fall into three categories. The first is that which the Shari'ah has commanded to be killed; this is killed in the permitted areas and in the Haram, even if you find it in the middle of the Ka'bah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Five of the animals are killed in the permitted areas and the Haram: the crow, the kite, the scorpion, the rat, and the biting dog.
خمس من الدواب يقتلن في الحل والحرم الغراب والحدأة والعقرب والفأرة والكلب العقورThe questioner : The leper lizard.
The Shaykh : The leper lizard, and it is called the leper. It is called the poisonous leper. It has types, and the lizard, and what else?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : And the skink. The important thing is that due to its prevalence among people, it has many names. In any case, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded the killing of lizards and said:
It used to blow fire upon Ibrahim.
إنه كان ينفخ النار على إبراهيمThe first category: that which the Shari'ah has commanded to be killed. This is killed, what? In the permitted areas and the Haram, and there is no problem with it.
The second: that which is forbidden to be killed. This is not killed, neither in the permitted areas nor in the Haram, such as the ant, the bee, the hoopoe, and the woodpecker. This is not killed, neither in the permitted areas nor in the Haram, except if it harms, in which case it is repelled by the easiest means. If it cannot be repelled except by killing, then it is killed. Did you understand? Well. The third: that about which the Shari'ah is silent, such as the grasshopper, the dung beetle, the beetle, and their like. Some scholars said that it is forbidden to kill them, some said that it is disliked, and some said that it is permissible, but leaving them alone is better. This third, final opinion is the correct one: that killing them is permissible. The evidence is that it was not forbidden, nor was it commanded. Yes, it was not forbidden, meaning the killing of them, nor was it commanded, meaning the killing of them. It is left silent about. But it is better not to kill them. It is better that you do not 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
تسبح له السماوات السبع والأرض ومن فيهن وإن من شيء إلا يسبح بحمده ولكن لا تفقهون تسبيحهمThe questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, but were they commanded to be killed or not?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : No, my brothers. We may say that they are among those commanded to be killed by analogy to the five [animals], 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. Well, if we do not reach its killing except by electrocution, as there are now devices attached in cafes, shops, and also in mosques, do we do it or not? We do it and place these electrocutors to attract them and electrocute them. Yes, on the right.