All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
It is not correct to single out five places in the home as shelters for devils, because the Islamic evidence does not establish this classification in such a manner. The details are as follows:
1. Unused beds: It is established in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“One bed for the man, one bed for his wife, a third for the guest, and a fourth for the devil.”
Scholars have explained that this may refer to a bed that is unnecessary or in excess of one's needs, or that the devil literally takes shelter there.
2. Bathrooms: It is established that devils are present in places where people relieve themselves. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ instructed Muslims to say the supplication when entering the toilet:
“I seek refuge in Allah from the male and female devils.”
3. Hanging clothes: The hadith claiming that the devil wears clothes left hanging out to dry but does not wear folded clothes is not authentic. Its chain of transmission contains narrators who were abandoned or accused of fabricating hadiths.
4. Statues: We know of no authentic evidence establishing that the devil hides behind statues or takes them as a shelter.
5. Fireplaces: No hadith or report has been established indicating that fireplaces are places where devils reside.
Conclusion: What is authentically established in Islamic sources is the presence of devils in places where people relieve themselves, as well as the authentic hadith concerning an unnecessary extra bed. As for claiming that hanging clothes, statues, and fireplaces are dwellings of devils, there is no authentic evidence for this.
A Muslim should maintain the prescribed supplications and protect himself and his family through the remembrance of Allah, without excessive fear or adopting practices for which there is no evidence, such as sprinkling these places with water over which Quranic verses have been recited.
And Allah knows best.