An-Nawawi: The Unlawfulness of Cursing One Particular Man or Animal

Imam An-Nawawi recorded in Riyad us Saliheen the following chapter:

باب تحريم لعن إنسان بعينه أو دابة

Chapter: The unlawfulness of cursing a particular man or animal

Thabit ibn Ad-Dahhak Al-Ansari reported: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

مَنْ حَلَفَ بِمِلَّةٍ غَيْرِ الْإِسْلَامِ كَاذِبًا فَهُوَ كَمَا قَالَ وَمَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ بِشَيْءٍ عُذِّبَ بِهِ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَعْنُ الْمُؤْمِنِ كَقَتْلِهِ وَمَنْ رَمَى مُؤْمِنًا بِكُفْرٍ فَهُوَ كَقَتْلِهِ

He who swears by a religion other than

Islam is like what he has professed. He who kills himself with something will be tormented with it in the fire of Hell. Cursing a believer is like killing him, and charging a believer with unbelief is like killing him.”
[Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 73]

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لَا يَنْبَغِي لِصِدِّيقٍ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَعَّانًا

It is not befitting the truthful that they invoke curses.
[Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Number 6280]

Abu Darda reported: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لَا يَكُونُ اللَّعَّانُونَ شُفَعَاءَ وَلَا شُهَدَاءَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

Those who invoke curses will not be intercessors or witnesses on the Day of Resurrection.

[Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Number 6283]

Samrah ibn Jundab reported: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لَا تَلَاعَنُوا بِلَعْنَةِ اللَّهِ وَلَا بِغَضَبِهِ وَلَا بِالنَّارِ

Do not invoke the curse of Allah, or His anger, or the Fire.
[Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Book 25, Number 1976]

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لَيْسَ الْمُؤْمِنُ بِالطَّعَّانِ وَلَا اللَّعَّانِ وَلَا الْفَاحِشِ وَلَا الْبَذِيءِ

It is not befitting the believer that he taunt others, nor that he curse others, nor that he commits indecency, nor that he abuse others.”

[Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Book 25, Number 1977]

Abu and Umm Darda reported: The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا لَعَنَ شَيْئًا صَعِدَتْ اللَّعْنَةُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَتُغْلَقُ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ دُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَهْبِطُ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ فَتُغْلَقُ أَبْوَابُهَا دُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَأْخُذُ يَمِينًا وَشِمَالًا فَإِذَا لَمْ تَجِدْ مَسَاغًا رَجَعَتْ إِلَى الَّذِي لُعِنَ فَإِنْ كَانَ لِذَلِكَ أَهْلًا وَإِلَّا رَجَعَتْ إِلَى قَائِلِهَا

Indeed, when the servant curses something, the curse rises to the heaven and the gates of heaven close. Then it turns right and left, and if it does not find a place to go, it returns to the thing that was cursed if it deserves to be cursed; otherwise, it returns to the one who uttered it.

[Sunan Abu Dawud, Book of Manners, Number 4905]

عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ قَالَ  بَيْنَمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي بَعْضِ أَسْفَارِهِ وَامْرَأَةٌ مِنْ الْأَنْصَارِ عَلَى نَاقَةٍ فَضَجِرَتْ فَلَعَنَتْهَا فَسَمِعَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ   قَالَ عِمْرَانُ فَكَأَنِّي أَرَاهَا الْآنَ تَمْشِي فِي النَّاسِ مَا يَعْرِضُ لَهَا أَحَدٌ

Imran ibn Hussein reported: We were with the Messenger of Allah during some of his travels and a woman from the Ansar was on a camel and she abused it and cursed it. When the Messenger of Allah heard that, he صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

خُذُوا مَا عَلَيْهَا وَدَعُوهَا فَإِنَّهَا مَلْعُونَةٌ

Unload the camel and set it free, for indeed it is cursed.
[Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Number 6276]

Abu Barzah Nadlah ibn Ubaid Al-Aslami reported: A young woman was riding a camel on which was the people’s luggage. When she saw the Messenger of Allah and the pass of the mountain became narrow, the young woman said to the camel, “Go ahead.” When it did not, she said, “O Allah, curse it!” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لَا تُصَاحِبْنَا نَاقَةٌ عَلَيْهَا لَعْنَةٌ

A camel that has been cursed should not accompany us.

[Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Number 6278]