Is It Permissible to Kill Bugs?

So, here’s a gray area I’m sure we’ve all wondered: Is it ok to kill bugs? I’m specifically thinking about flies…house flies…that fly around your kitchen and bother you- are you allowed to kill them?

We all know that Islam propagates fair treatment of all living things. Other then self-defense, it is not permissible to kill humans, and all animals and plants must be treated with love and kindness.

I think a lot of people tend to forget that plants are living things too. They might not have feelings, but they are still creations of Allah (swt) that praise him every time the wind blows. If you wouldn’t starve your child, than why would you starve your flowers? And yes, plants can starve, burn, and/or die. So please be kind to those silent beings as well.

We tend to be better with our treatments of animals. Whether pets or not, all animals must be treated with respect and kindness. In the Qur’an, it is said that

"It is Allah Who has provided you livestock of every kind.  You can ride some kinds and others you eat..." (40:79) This means that we are allowed to kill animals for food, however, not for fun. Also, when slaughtering the animal, you must do it in a way that the animal feels the least amount of pain as possible. (Look into the ruling for Zabiha meat for more information)

However, what about bugs? When I was little, I heard a hadith that for every bug we kill in this life, on the Day of Judgment, those bugs will kill the same way that we killed them. However, I can’t find that hadith now, so I’m not sure if it’s a legitimate one…

However, I did come across this while researching: The Messenger (S) said: ‘There are five pests that may be killed whether one is in ihram (state of consecration) or not: rats, scorpions, crows, kites [a hawk-like bird], and mad dogs.’ (Muslim). Another report adds a sixth animal: snakes.

So basically, any animal that you feel could prove as harmful, you’re allowed to kill it before it harms you. Subhanallah, this really reminded me of the ruling against hurting a human- you’re only allowed to hurt another human in the act of self-defense. At all other times, it is haram (impermissible)

So, what does this mean to the average person who might have a fly problem at home? Well, here’s what I got out of it:

Go ahead and kill the flies, but make it a quick death- don’t torture them. Also, don’t make it a habit of killing them. For example, whenever I see bugs (like a spider), I try to put it on a paper and throw it outside. That way, it’s out of my house, but atleast I didn’t kill it. However, cleanliness is half of our religion, so if you’re having a bug problem- don’t feel (too) bad about cleaning your house.

That being said, I just want to reiterate that I am NO scholar, and this is all just my opinion based off of my Islamic knowledge. if you have more info, please let me know!