Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
bukhari:4934ʿUmar b. Ḥafṣ from my father > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > al-Aswad > ʿAbdullāh

While we were with the Prophet ﷺ in a cave, Surat wal-Mursalat was revealed to him and he recited it, and I heard it directly from his mouth as soon as he recited its revelation. Suddenly a snake sprang at us, and the Prophet ﷺ said, "Kill it!" We ran to kill it but it escaped quickly. The Prophet ﷺ said. "It has escaped your evil, and you too have escaped its evil."  

البخاري:٤٩٣٤حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي غَارٍ إِذْ نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَالْمُرْسَلاَتِ فَإِنَّهُ لَيَتْلُوهَا وَإِنِّي لأَتَلَقَّاهَا مِنْ فِيهِ وَإِنَّ فَاهُ لَرَطْبٌ بِهَا إِذْ وَثَبَتْ عَلَيْنَا حَيَّةٌ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ اقْتُلُوهَا فَابْتَدَرْنَاهَا فَذَهَبَتْ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وُقِيَتْ شَرَّكُمْ كَمَا وُقِيتُمْ شَرَّهَا قَالَ عُمَرُ حَفِظْتُهُ مِنْ أَبِي فِي غَارٍ بِمِنًى  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Ṭabarānī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
bukhari:1830ʿUmar b. Ḥafṣ b. Ghiyāth from my father > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > al-Aswad > ʿAbdullāh

While we were in the company of the Prophet ﷺ in a cave at Mina, when Surat-wal-Mursalat were revealed and he recited it and I heard it (directly) from his mouth as soon as he recited its revelation. Suddenly a snake sprang at us and the Prophet ﷺ said (ordered us): "Kill it." We ran to kill it but it escaped quickly. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It has escaped your evil and you too have escaped its evil."  

البخاري:١٨٣٠حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ؓ قَالَ

بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي غَارٍ بِمِنًى إِذْ نَزَلَ عَلَيْهِ {وَالْمُرْسَلاَتِ} وَإِنَّهُ لَيَتْلُوهَا وَإِنِّي لأَتَلَقَّاهَا مِنْ فِيهِ وَإِنَّ فَاهُ لَرَطْبٌ بِهَا إِذْ وَثَبَتْ عَلَيْنَا حَيَّةٌ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ اقْتُلُوهَا فَابْتَدَرْنَاهَا فَذَهَبَتْ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وُقِيَتْ شَرَّكُمْ كَمَا وُقِيتُمْ شَرَّهَا  

bukhari:4931bQutaybah > Jarīr > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > al-Aswad

While we were with Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a cave, Surat "Wal Mursalat" was revealed to him and we received it directly from his mouth as soon as he had received the revelation. Suddenly a snake came out and Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Get at it and kill it!" We ran to kill it but it outstripped us. Allah's Apostle said, "It has escaped your evil, as you too, have escaped its."  

البخاري:٤٩٣١bحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ قَالَ قَالَ

عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بَيْنَا نَحْنُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي غَارٍ إِذْ نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَالْمُرْسَلاَتِ فَتَلَقَّيْنَاهَا مِنْ فِيهِ وَإِنَّ فَاهُ لَرَطْبٌ بِهَا إِذْ خَرَجَتْ حَيَّةٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَيْكُمُ اقْتُلُوهَا قَالَ فَابْتَدَرْنَاهَا فَسَبَقَتْنَا قَالَ فَقَالَ وُقِيَتْ شَرَّكُمْ كَمَا وُقِيتُمْ شَرَّهَا  

muslim:2234aYaḥyá b. Yaḥyá And ʾAbū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah Waʾabū Kurayb Waʾisḥāq b. Ibrāhīm Wa-al-Lafẓ Liyaḥyá > Yaḥyá Waʾisḥāq > al-Ākharān > Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > al-Aswad > ʿAbdullāh

We were with Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a cave when there was revealed to him (the Sura al-Mursalat, i. e. Sura lxxvii.:" By those sent forth to spread goodness" ) and we had just heard (it) from his lips that there appeared before us a snake. He said: Kill it. We hastened to kill it, but it slipped away from us, thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Allah saved it from your harm just as he saved you from its evil.  

مسلم:٢٢٣٤aحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَاللَّفْظُ لِيَحْيَى قَالَ يَحْيَى وَإِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي غَارٍ وَقَدْ أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَيْهِ { وَالْمُرْسَلاَتِ عُرْفًا} فَنَحْنُ نَأْخُذُهَا مِنْ فِيهِ رَطْبَةً إِذْ خَرَجَتْ عَلَيْنَا حَيَّةٌ فَقَالَ اقْتُلُوهَا فَابْتَدَرْنَاهَا لِنَقْتُلَهَا فَسَبَقَتْنَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَقَاهَا اللَّهُ شَرَّكُمْ كَمَا وَقَاكُمْ شَرَّهَا  

ahmad:4069Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > al-Aswad > ʿAbdullāh

We were with Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a cave when there was revealed to him (the Sura al-Mursalat, i. e. Sura lxxvii.:" By those sent forth to spread goodness" ) and we had just heard (it) from his lips that there appeared before us a snake. He said: Kill it. We hastened to kill it, but it slipped away from us, thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Allah saved it from your harm just as he saved you from its evil. (Using translation from Muslim 2234a)  

أحمد:٤٠٦٩حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الْأَسْوَدِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي غَارٍ وَقَدْ أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ عُرْفًا قَالَ فَنَحْنُ نَأْخُذُهَا مِنْ فِيهِ رَطْبَةً إِذْ خَرَجَتْ عَلَيْنَا حَيَّةٌ فَقَالَ اقْتُلُوهَا فَابْتَدَرْنَاهَا لِنَقْتُلَهَا فَسَبَقَتْنَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَقَاهَا اللهُ شَرَّكُمْ كَمَا وَقَاكُمْ شَرَّهَا  

ahmad:4357Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > al-Aswad > ʿAbdullāh

We were with Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a cave when there was revealed to him (the Sura al-Mursalat, i. e. Sura lxxvii.:" By those sent forth to spread goodness" ) and we had just heard (it) from his lips that there appeared before us a snake. He said: Kill it. We hastened to kill it, but it slipped away from us, thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Allah saved it from your harm just as he saved you from its evil. (Using translation from Muslim 2234a)  

أحمد:٤٣٥٧حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ الْأَسْوَدِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي غَارٍ وَقَدْ أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ عُرْفًا قَالَ فَنَحْنُ نَأْخُذُهَا مِنْ فِيهِ رَطْبَةً إِذْ خَرَجَتْ عَلَيْنَا حَيَّةٌ فَقَالَ اقْتُلُوهَا قَالَ فَابْتَدَرْنَاهَا لِنَقْتُلَهَا فَسَبَقَتْنَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَقَاهَا اللهُ شَرَّكُمْ كَمَا وَقَاكُمْ شَرَّهَا  

ibnhibban:708Muḥammad b. Maḥmūd b. ʿAdī Binasā

While we were in the company of the Prophet ﷺ in a cave at Mina, when Surat-wal-Mursalat were revealed and he recited it and I heard it (directly) from his mouth as soon as he recited its revelation. Suddenly a snake sprang at us and the Prophet ﷺ said (ordered us): "Kill it." We ran to kill it but it escaped quickly. The Prophet ﷺ said, "It has escaped your evil and you too have escaped its evil." (Using translation from Bukhārī 1830)  

ابن حبّان:٧٠٨أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَحْمُودِ بْنِ عَدِيٍّ بِنَسَا قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الْجُعْفِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ عَنِ الْأَسْوَدِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي غَارٍ فَنَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ {وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ عُرْفًا} فَإِنَّهُ لَيَتْلُوهَا وَإِنِّي لَأَتَلَقَّاهَا مِنْ فِيهِ وَإِنَّ فَاهُ لَرَطْبٌ بِهَا إِذْ وَثَبَتْ عَلَيْنَا حَيَّةٌ فقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «اقْتُلُوهَا» فَابْتَدَرْنَاهَا فَذَهَبَتْ فقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «لَقَدْ وُقِيَتْ شَرَّكُمْ كَمَا وُقِيتُمْ شَرَّهَا»  

tabarani:10148Abū Yazīd al-Qarāṭīsī > ʿAlī b. Maʿbad > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr > Zayd b. Abū Unaysah > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm b. Yazīd > al-Aswad b. Yazīd > ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd

[Machine] We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a cave when the verse {And the wind-carrying clouds} was revealed to him. He said, "I feel that it is about to rain, so I will seek shelter from it." His mouth was wet when a snake appeared and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Kill it!" But it escaped. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Verily, it spared you from its evil just as you spared it from being killed."  

الطبراني:١٠١٤٨حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو يَزِيدَ الْقَرَاطِيسِيُّ ثنا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مَعْبَدٍ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَبِي أُنَيْسَةَ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنِ الْأَسْوَدِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ

كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي غَارٍ إِذْ نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ {وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ عُرْفًا} قَالَ فَإِنِّي لَأَتَلَقَّاهَا مِنْ فِيهِ غَضَّةً فَإِنَّ فَاهُ لَرَطْبٌ إِذْ خَرَجَتْ عَلَيْنَا حَيَّةٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «اقْتُلُوهَا» فأَفْلَتَتْنَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «إِنَّهَا وُقِيَتْ شَرَّكُمْ كَمَا وُقِيتُمْ شَرَّهَا»  

tabarani:10156al-ʿAbbās b. Ḥamdān al-Aṣbahānī > Muḥammad b. ʿUthmān b. Karāmah > ʿUbaydullāh b. Mūsá > Isrāʾīl b. Jābir > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. al-Aswad from his father

[Machine] Narrated Abdullah: We were with the Prophet ﷺ in a cave, and the messengers were revealed to him while we were gathered. We used to receive revelation from him when he was in a state of wetness. Suddenly, a snake came towards us, and we hurried to kill it, but it escaped. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Your evil was repelled, and its evil was also repelled."  

الطبراني:١٠١٥٦حَدَّثَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ حَمْدَانَ الْأَصْبَهَانِيُّ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ كَرَامَةَ ثنا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُوسَى ثنا إِسْرَائِيلُ بْنُ جَابِرٌ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْأَسْوَدِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي غَارٍ فَأُنْزِلَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ عُرْفًا فَإِنَّا لَنَتَلَقَّاهَا مِنْ فِيهِ وَهِيَ رَطْبَةٌ إِذْ خَرَجَتْ عَلَيْنَا حَيَّةٌ فَابْتَدَرْنَا لِنَقْتُلَهَا فَانْفَلَتَتْ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «وُقِيَتْ شَرَّكُمْ وَوُقِيتُمْ شَرَّهَا»  

tabarani:10159Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥaḍramī > Abū Kurayb > Qabīṣah > And Rqāʾ > Manṣūr > Ibrāhīm > ʿAlqamah > ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] We were with the Prophet ﷺ in a cave when the messengers came down to him. We received them from inside the cave when a snake appeared to us. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Kill it." So we killed it. Then it went into its hole and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Indeed, it was saved from your evil just as you were saved from its evil."  

الطبراني:١٠١٥٩حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَضْرَمِيُّ ثنا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ ثنا قَبِيصَةُ عَنْ وَرْقَاءَ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي غَارٍ إِذْ نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ فَنَحْنُ نَتَلَقَّاهَا مِنْ فِيهِ إِذْ خَرَجَتْ عَلَيْنَا حَيَّةٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «اقْتُلُوهَا» فَابْتَدَرْنَاهَا ثُمَّ دَخَلَتْ فِي جُحْرِهَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «إِنَّهَا وُقِيَتْ شَرَّكُمْ كَمَا وُقِيتُمْ شَرَّهَا»  

nasai-kubra:11578Aḥmad b. Sulaymān b. ʿAbd al-Malik > Yaḥyá b. Ādam > Isrāʾīl > Manṣūr And al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > ʿAlqamah > ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a cave, and the female messengers were sent down upon him. We used to receive revelation from within the cave when a snake came out towards us, so we killed it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Your evil has been averted just as its evil was averted." Al-A'mash added in his narration: Abdullah said, "We used to receive revelation from within the cave in a moist atmosphere." Abu Abdur-Rahman disagreed with him, and said that Hafs ibn Ghiyath narrated it from Al-A'mash, from Ibrahim, from Al-Aswad.  

الكبرى للنسائي:١١٥٧٨أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ آدَمَ عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ وَالْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي غَارٍ وَأُنْزِلَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ عُرْفًا فَإِنَّا لَنَتَلَقَّاهَا مِنْ فِيهِ إِذْ خَرَجَتْ عَلَيْنَا حَيَّةٌ فَابْتَدَرْنَاهَا فَدَخَلَتْ جُحْرَهَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «وُقِيَتْ شَرَّكُمْ كَمَا وُقِيتُمْ شَرَّهَا» زَادَ الْأَعْمَشُ فِي حَدِيثِهِ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ إِنَّا لَنَتَلَقَّاهَا مِنْ فِيهِ رَطْبَةً قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ خَالَفَهُ حَفْصُ بْنُ غِيَاثٍ رَوَاهُ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الْأَسْوَدِ