RENAISSANCE AUGUST 2021

32 Monthly Renaissance August 2021 Ḥ ad ī th Studies Lizard Killing Narratives Dr Shehzad Saleem Introduction Some narratives attributed to the Prophet (sws) prescribe the killing of the lizard. A category of variants says that this act will earn reward from God. A few of these variants say that the reason for this extermination is that they are mischievous animals. Another set of variants say that the reason is because a lizard blew on the fire –which Abraham (sws) was thrown into – thereby igniting it further. In this article, the isn ā d of these narratives will be critically evaluated. Critical Analysis of the Isn ā d 1. Umm Shar ī k (rta) ﺣ ﺛ ﺪ ﻨ ٰ ^ ﺎ ﻋﺒﻴْﺪ ﷲ ﻣﻮْ ﻦ ] ﺑْ V ْ و ﺑﻦ ﺳﻶﻹمٍ ﻋ ْ ﻨ ﻪ ْ ﺧ 2 1 ﻧ ﺎ ﺑﻦ ﺟﺮﻳْﺞٍ ﻋ ْ ﻦ ﻋ ْ ﺒ ْ ﺪ ﻟْﺤﻤﻴ ﺪ ﺑﻦ ٍ ﻋ 1ْJ ْ ﺟﺒ ﻦ ﺳﻌﻴﺪﺑﻦ ﻟْﻤﺴﻴﺐﻋ ْ أم ﻳﻚٍ ر ﻦ ½ V ٰ ^ ﷲ ] ﻋ ْ ﻨ ﺎ ﻬ ٰ نرﺳﻮْ ^ ل ﷲ ]ﺻ fe ٰ ^ ﷲ ]ﻋ ْ ﻠ ﻴ ﻪ و ﺳ ﻢ ﻠ ﻘﺘْﻞ ﻟْﻮزغو s ﻣﺮ ﺎل ﻗ ﺎن ﻳﻨْﻔﺦﻋ fe ْ ﺑ ﺮ ﻴﻢ ﻫ ﻋ ْ ﻠ ﻴ ﻟﺴﻶﻹم ﻪ Umm Shar ī k reported that God’s Messenger ordered the killing of the lizard and said: “He would blow on the fire which Abraham was thrown into.” 1 1. Al-Bukh ā r ī , Al-J ā mi‘ al- ṣ a ḥīḥ , vol. 6, 1226, (no. 3180). See also: Ibid., vo;. 3, 1204, (no. 3131); Muslim, Al-J ā mi‘ al- ṣ a ḥīḥ , vol. 6, 1757, (no. 2237); Ibid; Al-Nas ā ’ ī , Al-Sunan al-kubr ā , vol. 2, 387, (no. 3868); Al- Nas ā ’ ī , Al-Sunan al-mujtab ā , vol. 5, 209, (no. 2885); Ibn M ā jah, Sunan , vol. 2, 1076, (no. 3228); Al-Bayhaq ī , Al-Sunan al-kubr ā , vol. 5, 211, (no. 9829); Ibid., vol. 9, 316, (no. 19151); Al-Bayhaq ī , Al-Sunan al- ṣ ughr ā , vol. 8, 288, (no. 3902); Al-D ā rim ī , Sunan , vol. 2, 121, (no. 2000); Ibn Ab ī