What is the correct action to take upon seeing a snake in the house or mosque? Is there a connection between snakes and jinn? And should the snake be killed immediately?

Scholars differed on the ruling regarding killing snakes. Some permitted killing them absolutely, while others restricted it to issuing a warning in city homes. There are also those who specifically allowed the immediate killing of those with two white stripes and the short-tailed snake (al-Abtar).

The most preponderant view is that the Prophet, peace be upon him, initially commanded the absolute killing of snakes, then prohibited the killing of house snakes, with the exception of those with two white stripes and the short-tailed snake, based on the hadith of Ibn Umar.

It appears from the hadith concerning Medina that there were Jinn who embraced Islam there, and that the snakes appearing in homes might be among them. Therefore, it was commanded to warn them for three days before killing them. If they do not disappear, then they are not among the Muslim Jinn.

It was said that the warning to snakes is specific to Medina, and it was also said that it includes Medina and other places. The preferred view is that all house-dwelling snakes should be warned. The warning is given by saying: "I adjure you, O snake, by Allah and the Last Day, not to appear to us or harm us."

From this, it can be concluded that house snakes in Medina are not to be killed except after a three-day warning, with the exception of those with two white stripes and the short-tailed snake, which are to be killed without warning. As for snakes in the desert, they are killed immediately without dispute.