عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ لَا أَعْلَمُهُ إِلَّا رَفَعَ الْحَدِيثَ قَالَ كَانَ يَأْمُرُ بِقَتْلِ الْحَيَّاتِ وَيَقُولُ مَنْ تَرَكَهُنَّ خَشْيَةَ أَوْ مَخَافَةَ تَأْثِيرٍ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا قَالَ وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ إِنَّ الْحَيَّاتِ مَسِيخُ الْجِنِّ كَمَا مُسِخَتِ الْقِرَدَةُ مِنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ
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.