Sunan an-Nasa'i
Sunan an-Nasa'i 3193
أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ، مُوسَى بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ - هُوَ الشَّامِيُّ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَيْمُونُ بْنُ الأَصْبَغِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا شَرِيكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ أَمَرَ بِقَتْلِ الْحَيَّاتِ وَقَالَ " مَنْ خَافَ ثَأْرَهُنَّ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا " .
Abu Muhammad Musa ibn Muhammad—the Syrian—reported to us; he said: Maymun ibn al-Asbagh narrated to us; he said: Yazid ibn Harun narrated to us; he said: Sharik informed us, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Qasim ibn Abd al-Rahman, from his father, from Abd Allah, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that he commanded the killing of snakes and said: Whoever fears their vengeance is not one of us.
Translation notes
The narration reports a command to kill snakes and uses an emphatic warning about fearing their retaliation.
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ أَمَرَ بِقَتْلِ الْحَيَّاتِ وَقَالَ " مَنْ خَافَ ثَأْرَهُنَّ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا " .
The phrase ثأرهن literally refers to their vengeance or retaliation, with the precise implication left unstated.
Should this be understood as fearing retaliation from the snakes, or a more specific belief about them?