Is It Prohibited to Burn Insects?

Question: 3005

Is it permissible to kill insects that may be found in the house, such as ants, cockroaches and the like, by burning them? If it is not permissible, what should we do?

Summary of answer

1. If ants or cockroaches or dung-beetles cause harm, they may be killed with insecticides but not with fire. 2. The Prophet told us that rats, scorpions, crows, kites [a hawk-like bird], and mad dogs are harmful pests, and he told us to kill them whether we are in Ihram or not.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

If these insects are harmful, they may be killed with insecticides, but not with fire. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “There are five pests that may be killed whether one is in Ihram or not: rats, scorpions, crows, kites [a hawk-like bird], and mad dogs.” (Reported by Muslim, 2071) Another report adds a sixth, snakes.

Thus the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us that they are harmful pests, and that they are unlike other animals which do not do harm, and so he told us to kill them whether we are in Ihram or not.

If other creatures, such as ants or cockroaches or dung-beetles, cause harm, they may also be killed with insecticides, but not with fire.

For more details, please refer to the following answers: 105190 , 2896 , and 289055 .

And Allah knows best.

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Source:

Fataawa Islaamiyaah, Ibn Baaz, 451