What is the ruling on killing animals, with details? And what is the criterion for causing harm?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Noble Shaykh, what is the ruling on killing animals, with details, and what is the criterion for causing harm?
The Shaykh : What is the ruling?
The questioner : Killing animals, with details.
The Shaykh : Eating.
The questioner : Killing.
The Shaykh : Here, killing animals.
The questioner : Animals, with details, and what is the criterion for causing harm?
The Shaykh : Animals are divided into three categories, and by that I mean those that are not lawful; the lawful ones are well known, they are slaughtered and eaten. But the non-lawful ones are divided into three categories:
The first category is what the Shari'ah has commanded to be killed, the second is what the Shari'ah has forbidden to be killed, and the third is what it has remained silent about. How many are these? Three. As for what the Shari'ah has commanded to be killed, kill it. Among this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan an-Nasa'i 2881Sahih (Darussalam) These five, and whatever is like them in harm or more severe than them, are commanded to be killed because of the harm they cause.
The second is what the Shari'ah has forbidden to be killed, such as the prohibition of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from killing the ant, the bee, the hoopoe, and the woodpecker.
This is also well known. Is it killed or not? It is not killed.
The third is what the Shari'ah has remained silent about. The scholars differed on this. Some said: There is no harm in killing it, although it is not recommended to kill it; leave it. Others said: It is forbidden to kill it, because if you kill it, you have prevented the glorification of Allah from it. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Isra 17:44].
So do not kill it as long as it does not harm you and you have not been commanded to kill it. Leave it. There is no doubt that the better course is not to kill it, because you are either safe or sinful, and a sane person does not expose himself to sin. But this third category, which has not been commanded to be killed and has not been forbidden to be killed, if it attacks you and harms you, kill it. If it is of the kind that is forbidden to be killed, kill it as a defensive killing. If it is of the kind that is forbidden to be killed, how is the defensive killing done? It means by the easiest method.
For example, ants are forbidden to be killed, are they not? They are forbidden to be killed. Do not pour poison on them directly. Try to drive them away, either by recitation, because some people recite over ants and they leave, and I have been informed of this from several sources, or by something they dislike the smell of, and they leave.
We have tried that with gasoline, which you know. Pour the gasoline on them and they are done; they leave and do not come back. But the poison that kills them immediately, do not do that, because they are forbidden to be killed. And what is forbidden to be killed, if you kill it, is it a killing of what? A defensive killing. Yes, do you understand, brother questioner? Good, after that.
Noble Shaykh, what is the ruling on killing animals, with details, and what is the criterion for causing harm?
The Shaykh : What is the ruling?
The questioner : Killing animals, with details.
The Shaykh : Eating.
The questioner : Killing.
The Shaykh : Here, killing animals.
The questioner : Animals, with details, and what is the criterion for causing harm?
The Shaykh : Animals are divided into three categories, and by that I mean those that are not lawful; the lawful ones are well known, they are slaughtered and eaten. But the non-lawful ones are divided into three categories:
The first category is what the Shari'ah has commanded to be killed, the second is what the Shari'ah has forbidden to be killed, and the third is what it has remained silent about. How many are these? Three. As for what the Shari'ah has commanded to be killed, kill it. Among this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
It was narrated from Aishah that the Messenger of Allah said: "There are five kinds of vermin which may be killed out and inside the Haram: Crows, kites, vicious dogs, scorpions and mice."
خمس فواسق يقتلن في الحل والحرم : الغراب والحدأة والعقرب والفأرة والكلب العقورThe second is what the Shari'ah has forbidden to be killed, such as the prohibition of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from killing the ant, the bee, the hoopoe, and the woodpecker.
This is also well known. Is it killed or not? It is not killed.
The third is what the Shari'ah has remained silent about. The scholars differed on this. Some said: There is no harm in killing it, although it is not recommended to kill it; leave it. Others said: It is forbidden to kill it, because if you kill it, you have prevented the glorification of Allah from it. Allah the Exalted said:
The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them exalt Him. And there is not a thing except that it exalts [Allah] by His praise
تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِSo do not kill it as long as it does not harm you and you have not been commanded to kill it. Leave it. There is no doubt that the better course is not to kill it, because you are either safe or sinful, and a sane person does not expose himself to sin. But this third category, which has not been commanded to be killed and has not been forbidden to be killed, if it attacks you and harms you, kill it. If it is of the kind that is forbidden to be killed, kill it as a defensive killing. If it is of the kind that is forbidden to be killed, how is the defensive killing done? It means by the easiest method.
For example, ants are forbidden to be killed, are they not? They are forbidden to be killed. Do not pour poison on them directly. Try to drive them away, either by recitation, because some people recite over ants and they leave, and I have been informed of this from several sources, or by something they dislike the smell of, and they leave.
We have tried that with gasoline, which you know. Pour the gasoline on them and they are done; they leave and do not come back. But the poison that kills them immediately, do not do that, because they are forbidden to be killed. And what is forbidden to be killed, if you kill it, is it a killing of what? A defensive killing. Yes, do you understand, brother questioner? Good, after that.