Question:
Assalamualaikumwarahmatullahi wabarakatuh SS Dato’ Seri Mufti. Hope for an explanation regarding the authenticity of the hadith mentioned about killing gecko, which has been believed to be a sunnah in our community for years.
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam. Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the many countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Introduction
(الوزغة) means gecko and is known as a creeping animal. Its body is covered in spots that looks like the skin of a person with leprosy and is also a fawahish (pest). (See: Hayat al-Hayawan al-Kubra, 2/544).
The Evidence for the Sanctioning of Killing Gecko
Gecko is among the animals that is permissible to be killed for it is a fawasiq (pest). There are numerous hadith of the Prophet PBUH that instruct us to kill geckos, one of it is a hadith narrated by Ummu Syarik R.Anha:
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَمَرَ بِقَتْلِ الْوَزَغِ وَقَالَ كَانَ يَنْفُخُ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered that the gecko should be killed and said, "It (i.e. the salamander) blew (the fire) on Abraham."
Sahih al-Bukhari (2238)
There is another hadith that details the order of killing gecko, this is as stated in a hadith narrated from Saad bin Abi Waqaz:
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَمَرَ بِقَتْلِ الْوَزَغِ وَسَمَّاهُ فُوَيْسِقًا
“Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) commanded the killing of geckos, and he called them little noxious creatures.”
Sahih Muslim (2238)
Furthermore, the reward of those who kill geckos are also mentioned in a hadith from Abu Hurairah RA:
مَنْ قَتَلَ وَزَغَةً فِي أَوَّلِ ضَرْبَةٍ فَلَهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا حَسَنَةً وَمَنْ قَتَلَهَا فِي الضَّرْبَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ فَلَهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا حَسَنَةً لِدُونِ الأُولَى وَإِنْ قَتَلَهَا فِي الضَّرْبَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ فَلَهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا حَسَنَةً لِدُونِ الثَّانِيَةِ
“He who killed a gecko 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.”
Sahih Muslim (2240)
There is also another hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah RA, where the Prophet PBUH said:
مَنْ قَتَلَ وَزَغًا فِي أَوَّلِ ضَرْبَةٍ كُتِبَتْ لَهُ مِائَةُ حَسَنَةٍ وَفِي الثَّانِيَةِ دُونَ ذَلِكَ وَفِي الثَّالِثَةِ دُونَ ذَلِكَ
“He who killed a gecko with the first stroke for him are ordained one hundred virtues, and with the second one less than that and with the third one less than that.”
Sahih Muslim (2240)
Imam al-Nawawi commented on the above hadith saying: “In another narration it is stated that one is rewarded with seventy virtues if he killed a gecko with the first stroke, for he minimizes its suffering. Gecko is classified as a pest for it has the attributes of fawahish al-Khams (the five animals classified as pests) which is harmful such as scorpion and mouse.”
Conclusion
Coming back to the above question regarding the instruction of killing gecko as a sunnah. It is stated in Mausua’h Fiqhiyah under the chapter of it is sunnah to kill pests that it is sunnah to kill gecko in any situation even if it does not harm people as imposed by the Prophet PBUH in the above hadith. (See al-Muasua’h al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah, 17/282)
As for the method of killing gecko, it is prioritized to kill it with the first hit to minimize its suffering. Imam Izzudin Ibnu Salam said that it is a form of compassion towards animals. (See Hayat al-Hayawan al-Kubra, pg. 923). This is as what has been taught by our Prophet PBUH narrated by Abi Ya’la bin A’us RA, where the Prophet PBUH said:
إِذَا قَتَلْتُمْ فَأَحْسِنُوا الْقِتْلَةَ
“So, when you kill, you must make the killing in the best manner,”
Sahih Muslim (1955)
Wallahua’lam.