Abu Al-Ahwas Al-Jashami says: Once, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) was delivering a sermon, when suddenly he saw a snake crawling on the wall. He stopped his address and began to strike it with his staff until he killed it, and then said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Whoever kills a snake, it is as if he has killed a polytheist whose blood has become lawful to shed.

Ikrimah says: It is my understanding that Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated in a marfu’ (attributed to the Prophet) manner that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded the killing of snakes and said: Whoever leaves them out of fear of their retaliation is not from among us. Then Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Indeed, snakes are deformed forms of jinn, just as the Children of Israel were deformed into the shapes of monkeys.

Narrated by Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Some snakes are those who have been transformed from among the jinn.