General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab)
كتاب الأدب
Chapter 171: Regarding building
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came upon us when my mother and I were plastering a wall of mine. He asked: What is this, Abdullah ? I replied: It is something I am repairing. He said! The matter is quicker for you than that.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out, and on seeing a high-domed building, he said: What is it?
His companions replied to him: It belongs to so and so, one of the Ansar.
He said: he said nothing but kept the matter in mind. When its owner came and gave him a greeting among the people, he turned away from him. When he had done this several times, the man realised that he was the cause of the anger and the rebuff.
So he complained about it to his companions, saying: I swear by Allah that I cannot understand the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).
They said: He went out and saw your domed building. So the man returned to it and demolished it, levelling it to the ground. One day the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out and did not see it.
He asked: What has happened to the domed building?
They replied: Its owner complained to us about your rebuff, and when we informed him about it, he demolished it.
He said: Every building is a misfortune for its owner, except what cannot, except what cannot, meaning except that which is essential.
Chapter 172: Regarding having a room upstairs
We came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked him for some corn. He said: Go, Umar, and give them. He ascended with us a room upstairs, took a key from his apartment and opened it.
Chapter 173: Regarding cutting down lote-trees
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone cuts the lote-tree, Allah brings him headlong into Hell.
Abu Dawud was asked about the meaning of this tradition. He said: This is a brief tradition. It means that if anyone cuts uselessly, unjustly and without any right a lote-tree under the shade of which travellers and beasts take shelter, Allah will bring him into Hell headlong.
A similar report (as previous) was narrated from a man from Thaqif, from 'Urwah bin Az-Zubair, who attributed the Hadith to the Prophet (ﷺ).
I asked Hisham ibn Urwah about the cutting of a lote-tree when he was leaning against the house of Urwah. He said: Do you not see these doors and leaves? These were made of the lote-tree of Urwah which Urwah used to cut from his hand? He said: There is no harm in it.
Humayd's version adds: You have brought an innovation, O Iraqi! He said: The innovation is from you. I heard someone say at Mecca: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cursed him who cuts a lote-tree. He then mentioned the rest of the tradition to the same effect.
Chapter 175: Regarding extinguishing fires at night
Do not leave a fire burning in your houses while you are asleep.
Chapter 176: Regarding killing snakes
Salim said: ‘Abd Allah(b. ‘Umar) used to kill every snake which he found. Abu Lubabah or Zaid b. al-Khattab saw him chasing a snake. He said: He(the Prophet) prohibited house-snakes.
After that I saw it again in his house.
He should give it a warning three times. If it appears to him after that, he should kill it, for it is a devil.
give it a warning for three days; if it appears to you after that, then kill it, for it is only a devil.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked about the house-snakes. He said: When you see one of them in your dwelling, say: I adjure you by the covenant which Noah made with you, and I adjure you by the covenant which Solomon made with you not to harm us. Then if they come back, kill them.
Kill all the snakes except the little white one which looks like a silver wand.
Abu Dawud said: A man said to me: A white snake does not wind in its movement. If it is correct, that is a sign in it, if Allah wills.
Chapter 177: Regarding killing geckos
The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) ordered a gecko to be killed, and calling it a noxious little creature.
Chapter 178: Regarding killing ants
When we were on a journey with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he had gone to releive himself, we saw a Hummarah with two young ones. We took the young ones. The Hummarah came and began to spread out its wings. Then the prophet (May peace be upon him) came and said : who has pained this young by the loss of her young? Give her young ones back to her. We also saw an ant-hill which we had burned. He asked? Who has burned this? We replied : we have. He said: it is not fitting that anyone but the lord of the fire should punish with fire.
Chapter 179: Regarding killing frogs
When a physician consulted the Prophet (ﷺ) about putting frogs in medicine, he forbade him to kill them.
Chapter 160: Regarding kissing the cheek
I went in with AbuBakr when he had newly come to Medina and he found his daughter Aisha lying down afflicted with fever. AbuBakr went to her, and saying: How are you, girlie? kissed her on the cheek.
Chapter 176: Regarding killing snakes
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who leaves the snakes along through fear of their pursuit, does not belong to us. We have not made peace with them since we have fought with them.
Muhammad ibn AbuYahya said that his father told that he and his companion went to AbuSa'id al-Khudri to pay a sick visit to him. He said: Then we came out from him and met a companion of ours who wanted to go to him. We went ahead and sat in the mosque. He then came back and told us that he heard AbuSa'id al-Khudri say: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Some snakes are jinn; so when anyone sees one of them in his house, he should give it a warning three times. If it return (after that), he should kill it, for it is a devil.
what is with you? I said : Here is a snake. He said : what do you want ? I said : I shall kill it. He then pointed to a room in his house in front of his room and said : My cousin (son of my uncle) was in this room. He asked his permission to go to his wife on the occasion of the battle of Troops (Ahzab), as he was recently married. The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) gave him permission and ordered him to take his weapon with him. He came to his house and found his wife standing at the door of the house. When he pointed to her with the lance, she said; do not make haste till you see what has brought me out. He entered the house and found an ugly snake there. He pierced in the lance while it was quivering. He said : I do not know which of them died first, the man or the snake. His people then came to the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) and said: supplicate Allah to restore our companion to life for us. He said : Ask forgiveness for your Companion. Then he said : In Medina a group of Jinn have embraced Islam, so when you see one of them, pronounce a waring to it three times and if it appears to you after that, kill it after three days.