๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก, ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ (๐๐๐๐ค๐จ๐ฌ)?
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR
Question
An incident took place in Saur cave where Prophet and Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (Peace be upon them) were hiding to escape from enemies. A spider web hid the cave entrance
But a lizard made a noise and broke the web, which would have helped enemies to find our Prophet and Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (Peace be upon them).
Based on this there is a Hadith in Sahih Muslim that we should kill Lizards. Is this true?
Anti-Islam Claim:
-Prophet Muhammed peace be upon him in the above-mentioned- Authentic statement (Hadith) said that Salamander blew fire at Prophet Ibrahim while he was thrown in the fire by idol worshippers.
– The same above-mentioned- Authentic statement (Hadith) implies that Islam acknowledges the original sin by advising Muslims to kill Salamander and its progeny.
Answer
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ค๐จ?
๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ ๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐จ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ.
๐๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ค ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ง-๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก
๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ค ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ค ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ง-๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก
Some translators have used different words such as the salamander or chameleon to Refer to The Arabic word is Wazag=ูุฒุบ which basically means the Domestic Lizard commonly known as Gecko.
At the End of the Day, all these words are referring to this type of lizard in Arabic Wazag=ูุฒุบ
Prophet Muhammed warns us against anything that will harm us, and this is one of the harmful reptiles simply because it is a germ transmitter.
And if it goes into your kitchen and breathes into your food you can get sick because that type of creature usually eats bad things such as flies, and many other dirty things.
If you insist that there is a discrepancy between the multiple hadith that warn us against the Domestic Lizard commonly known by Gecko.
We invite you to learn Arabic Language or Hire a professional Arabic translator to examine those multiple hadiths in Arabic and cut the lying story short about Prophet Muhammed Hadith.
For detailed article
It is an important terminology to start with before we get into details and for the purpose of this article, when we use the word Salamander this refers to house lizards and alike such as Geico lizard
For the story you mentioned about a lizard breaking the spider cobweb, we were not able to find authentic Islamic sources confirming that a lizard or salamander broke the spider cobweb at the entrance of Saur cave while our beloved Prophet Muhammed peace be upon him and his companion Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq may Allah be pleased with him were in Saur cave.
On the contrary, the reports about spider cobwebs (as mentioned in some of the Islamic history books) narrate that a spider-made cobweb by Allahโs order existed and that the cobweb was one of the main reasons that deterred the Arab Pagan polytheists from entering Saur cave, thinking that no one could be in the cave. Some scholars consider this story to be good (Hasan) and others consider it to be weak.
Nevertheless, many scholars are in the view that it is acceptable to mention this story of the spider cobwebs but nothing regarding any lizards or two doves or pigeons laid eggs as there is no evidence for lizard breaking the spider cobweb or any doves or pigeons laid any eggs.
(Refer to Arryaz Annazra, vol. 1, pp. 457, Dalaโel Annabowwa, vol. 1, pp. 66, 76, Akhbar Makka, vol. 4, pp. 83).
Regarding the โkilling lizardโ, First you need to appreciate the difference between lizards and salamanders.
The first (Lizards) are typically referred to as, โAl-Zabbaโ in Arabic while the latter (the salamanders) is what is mostly referred to as โAl-Wazaqโ in Arabic. Lizards are reptiles, while salamanders are amphibians.
It is the killing of salamanders (and not lizard) that is a matter of debate. It is true that there are Ahadith encouraging the killing of salamanders.
Some of these Hadith are as follows:
Narrated โAisha: Allahโs Apostle called the salamander a bad animal, but I did not hear him ordering it to be killed.โ (Bukhari โ Volume 3, Book 29, Number 57)
Narrated Aisha: The Prophet called the Salamander, a mischief-doer. I have not heard him ordering that it should be killed. Sad bin Waqqas says that the Prophet ordered that it should be killed. (Bukhari โ Volume 4, Book 54, Number 525)
Narrated Um Sharik: Allahโs Apostle ordered that the salamander should be killed and said, โIt (i.e. the salamander) blew (the fire) on Ibrahim.โ (Bukhari Volume 4, Book 55, Number 579)
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allahโs Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: He who killed a Salamander with the first stroke for him is such and such a reward, and he who killed it with a second stroke for him is such and such reward less than the first one, and he who killed it with the third stroke for him is such and such a reward less than the second one. (Muslim Book 026, Number 5564)
The first thing that can be seen in the above Ahadith is that there are reports suggesting that Lady Ayesha (RA) was not aware of any orders from the Prophet (peace be upon him) about killing the salamander.
This is important because Ayesha (RA) was very close to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and used to spend a lot of time in his company.
The above point aside, the most that can be said about the above Ahadith and other similar Ahadith is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) not only as the last and final Prophet and Messenger of Allah wants all the good for us in both worlds. But also, his advice to kill the Salamander is to safeguard and protect us.
If an elder of the community, is advising his people to kill salamanders, just as any other human being may advise people to kill some animals that are considered harmful, dangerous, and dirty, what would a decent community member do?
Obviously, almost everyone would endeavor to follow that useful advice to protect themselves and loved ones.
Killing the House Lizard
The Prophet advises us:
Imagine how important to kill salamander when you can, especially when this is an order, advice and recommendation from our beloved Prophet Muhammed peace be upon him.
In other words, if we can derive from these Ahadith that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did advise his companions to kill salamanders, this advice should be seen as a religious order, recommendations, and an advice that is not only in line with the natural desire of human beings to be on the safe side, undisturbed and clean.
But also order from our Prophet Muhammed peace be upon him, the mercy for mankind, who never uttered a word out of a desire.
โBy the stars when they fade away! your fellow man (Prophet Muhammed) is neither misguided nor astray, nor does he speak of his own whims. Quran (53:1-3)
There are two things mentioned in some of the above Ahadith that might need further explanation:
Reported rewards for killing salamanders- Building on the fact, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said these above-mentioned hadiths, and given that, we consider killing salamanders as part of the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The mentioned rewards can be seen also as encouragement to take away causes of harm and disturbance not only for Muslims but also to fellow human beings (which of course is a rewarding act).
If a Muslim did not kill a salamander, we pray to Allah he does not get punished, unless if that Muslim decide with the intention to deliberately ignore one of Prophet Muhammed sunnah, which is the case regarding any order in Islam.
As for the salamander that blew AIR on fire while Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was in it, we know that salamanders do not generate fire.
Accordingly, this part of the narrated Hadith, can be seen as an illustration of the harmful nature of the animal against a human beings in a bad way.
It is also possible that there is something in the nature of salamander that associates it with harmful features such as consuming certain bad things and any waste it produces can be harmful, thus mentioning blowing Air on the fire while Prophet Ibrahim was in it.
Note:
The story of Prophet Ibrahim being thrown in the fire by the Polytheist pagans has been mentioned in the Glorious Quran.
โThey concluded, โBurn him up to avenge your gods if you must act. We ordered, โO fire! Be cool and safe for Abraham! They had sought to harm him, but We made them the worst losers. Then We delivered him, along with Lot, to the land We had showered with blessings for all peopleโ Quran (21:68-71)
Critical note:
โNo soul burdened with sin will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your returnโ Quran (6:164)
โNo soul burdened with sin will bear the burden of another. And if a sin-burdened soul cries for help with its burden, none of it will be carriedโeven by a close relative.โ Quran (35:18)
We need to clarify, explain, and emphasis that in no way any of the above-mentioned hadith Prophet Muhammed peace be upon him meant that we need to kill the salamander solely or simply because the Salamander used to blow air to the fire where Prophet Ibrahim was in.
Islam emphatically and in absolute words does not approve of the original sin or the inheritance of sin at all.
Evidence:
While the reason for killing the salamander is not the fact that it used to blow air on the fire that Prophet Ibrahim was in the fire, as stated above. The Prophet also advised us too to kill harmful reptiles and animals despite they did not blow any air or done anything before.
So, the common theme here is that those animals or reptiles are being killed for being harmful and nothing do with any original sin.
The reason main reason our beloved Prophet Muhammed peace be upon him advised us to kill the salamander is because of their harm, similarly as he advised us to kill other harmful animals such as mice, snakes, and some types of crows, as stated in the above-mentioned video.
The Salamander (wazagh) is not to be killed because of the sin of its ancestor; rather it is to be killed because it is harmful. Those that are found in houses and those that are found on farms are the same.
Regarding the reward for killing this noxious little creature, as stated in the above-mentioned Hadith.
Critical Note regarding Mastigure= name in Arabic is Dabb=ุถุจ
Do not confuse between the above-mentioned Salamanders, Geckos, Chameleon, and Mastigure= name in Arabic is Dabb=ุถุจ which Ancient Arabs used to eat which in “my personal view” akin to people who eat is crocodile. Diffrenet is crocodile haram=forbidden to eat. People in Saudi Arabia almost stopped eating Mastigure= name in Arabic is Dabb=ุถุจ
Prophet Muhammed peace be upon him did NOT like eating it as he was NOT used to eating it despite it is not forbidden to eat.
Comment to Christians:
Criticising the above-mentioned hadith about the Salamander would expose your ignorance about what the Bible states, the Bible states that harmful animals need to be killed such as the serpent. The Bible has been portraying the serpent as a helper to Satan in pushing Adam to commit sin.
Yet the Bible advice to kill the serpent and its generational offspring which according to the Bible committed sin by helping the Satan
Genesis 3:14-15
New International Version
14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, โBecause you have done this, โCursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[a] and hers;
he will crush[b] your head, and you will strike his heel.โ
Summary:
The Salamander blew Air at the Fir while Prophet Ibrahim was in it and did not blow fire.
Prophet Muhammed ordered us to kill any harmful animals and reptiles and stating that the salamander blew Air at the fire of Prophet Ibrahim does not constitute any doctrine of original sin in Islam as explained in the above-mentioned evidence section.
Allah knows best.