181 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said, “Kill the two black ones during the prayer: the snake and the scorpion.” Related by the Four, and Ibn Ḥibbān declared it authentic. (1)
Degree of authenticity:
This ḥadith is ṣaḥīḥ and has many corroborating reports. Al-Tirmidhī said, “A good, sound ḥadith,” and it was authenticated by Ibn Ḥibbān and al-Ḥākim, with al-Dhahabī concurring.
Vocabulary:
• al-Aswadayn: the dual form of aswad (“black”); it refers to the snake and the scorpion whatever their actual color, even if they are not black.
• al-Ḥayyah: (with an open ḥāʾ and a doubled yāʾ) the serpent; the term applies to both male and female. The feminine suffix appears because it denotes a single member of the species. Plural: ḥayyāt (snakes).
• al-ʿAqrab: a small arachnid with venomous sting, applying to both male and female. Plural: ʿaqārib (scorpions).
• “the snake and the scorpion” is in apposition to “the two black ones.”
Lessons derived from the ḥadith:
- It is recommended to kill snakes and scorpions, even while praying, and even if they are not black, for blackness is only their most common description.
- Such slight, praiseworthy movement does not invalidate or diminish the prayer, even though it is not