Short answer
The crow and the mouse or rat are among five harmful animals the Prophet ﷺ allowed to be killed even in the Haram. So killing them when they cause harm is permitted, without needless cruelty. Killing a crow does not bring bad luck; that is a superstition.
Killing the five named harmful animals (crow, kite, scorpion, mouse and rabid dog) is permitted everywhere, even in ihram and in the Haram. The crow meant is the type that eats carrion and attacks; the small crow that eats only grain is not included. Killing must be quick, and burning alive is not allowed.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Killing these animals is recommended (mustahabb), and the ruling extends to every animal that is harmful by nature.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ said that five animals are all harmful and may be killed even in the sacred precinct: the crow, the kite, the scorpion, the mouse and the vicious dog. The scholars explained that these animals harm people, crops and property, so the usual respect for animal life gives way to protection from harm.
What this means in practice:
- Rats and mice: you may use traps or poison to clear them from your home or business. Choose methods that kill quickly where you can, and do not leave animals to suffer for days.
- Crows: if crows attack, damage crops or spread filth, you may drive them off or kill them. There is no reward in hunting crows that cause no harm.
- No burning or torture: the Prophet ﷺ said only Allah punishes with fire, and that Allah prescribed excellence in everything, including killing.
Some cultures believe killing a crow brings bad luck, or that a cawing crow means a death is coming. Both are superstitions that Islam rejects. See superstitions. Crows also appear in the Quran: Allah sent a crow to show Adam's son how to bury his brother.
Other animals have their own pages: snakes, lizards, insects and ants.
The evidence
Sahih al-Bukhari 1829
Sahih... خمس من الدواب كلهن فاسق يقتلهن في الحرم الغراب والحدأة والعقرب والفأرة والكلب العقور ...
"Five animals are all harmful and may be killed in the Haram: the crow, the kite, the scorpion, the mouse and the vicious dog."
Crows and mice may be killed because of their harm.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3016
Sahih... وإن النار لا يعذب بها إلا الله ...
"Only Allah punishes with fire."
Burning animals alive is forbidden.
Sahih Muslim 1955
Sahih... إن الله كتب الإحسان على كل شىء فإذا قتلتم فأحسنوا القتلة ...
"Allah has prescribed excellence in everything, so when you kill, kill well."
Pest control must avoid needless cruelty.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Hajj, chapter on offences in ihram. The five animals may be killed by a muhrim with no penalty; the crow meant is the carrion crow.
- al-Majmu' (Nawawi), Kitab al-Hajj, on killing harmful animals. The Shafi'i view that killing them is recommended.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.