Continuation of the explanation of the hadith: “Indeed, Allah has prescribed excellence (ihsan) in all things…”

The Shaykh : For example, if you want to kill a mouse, and killing it is recommended, then kill it in the best way: kill it in a manner that takes its soul immediately, without causing it pain. Among the ways of causing it pain is what some people do: they place a sticky substance for it to stick to, and then leave it to die of hunger and thirst. This is not permissible. If you place this sticky substance, you must repeatedly check and monitor it until you find something stuck to it, and then kill it. As for leaving the sticky substance for two or three days, with the mouse falling into it and dying of thirst or hunger, you should fear that you will enter the Fire because of that, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . The important point is that whatever is prescribed to be killed should be killed in the quickest way possible to its destruction. This includes the lizard, the lizard known as the leper lizard, also called the burusi. Kill it as well, and strive to have it die at the first strike, as that is better, greater in reward, and easier for it. Likewise, the rest of the things that are killed.
This includes those who are killed by retaliation (qisas). However, the one who is killed by retaliation is treated in the same way as the victim was treated. The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was brought a case of a woman whom a Jew came to. She had jewelry with her, so he killed her and took the jewelry. But how did he kill her? He placed her head on a stone and killed her with a second stone, crushing her head between two stones. They came to her while she still had a breath of life, and they asked her, “Who killed you? So-and-so? So-and-so? So-and-so?” until they mentioned the Jew, and she nodded her head to confirm. They took the Jew and he confessed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) ordered that his head be crushed between two stones. His head was placed on a stone and then struck with the second stone until he died, because this is retaliation. And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says: . However, his killing was obligatory due to hirabah (armed robbery and brigandage). Hirabah means that he became one who cuts off the road to people, taking their wealth and killing them. So he is killed, but he is killed with the sword. He is killed with the sword unless he mutilated the one he killed, in which case he is mutilated according to what he did. He is treated as he treated the victim.
If someone asks: What do you say about a man who commits zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) while he is married? He is stoned with small stones until he dies, and this causes him pain and suffering before he dies. Does this contradict the hadith? The answer is no, it does not contradict it, because it is interpreted in one of two ways: either “excellence in killing” is intended to mean what conforms to the Shari'ah, in which case stoning is an excellence in killing because it conforms to the Shari'ah; or it is said that this is an exception indicated by the Sunnah. In fact, it is indicated by the Qur'an, whose wording was abrogated but whose ruling remained, and it is indicated by the explicit Sunnah. The married man who has married and had intercourse with his wife, if he commits zina (may Allah protect us from that), he is brought forward, and small stones smaller than an egg, about the size of a date or slightly larger, are taken. He is struck and stoned until he dies. The face of the one being stoned is protected, meaning he is not struck with something that kills him quickly, but he is struck on his back, belly, and similar areas until he dies. Because this is the obligatory method, and the wisdom behind this is that the body which took pleasure in the forbidden desire, and the desire spread throughout his entire body, should have the punishment spread throughout his entire body. This is from the wisdom of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . The lam is for command. “Sharpen” means to make it sharp and quick to cut. “Blade” means the knife. So if you want to slaughter, slaughter with a sharp knife, meaning a honed one, such that it is closest to cutting without pain.
: “And let him have mercy on his sacrifice.” This is a command in addition to sharpening the blade, and that is by cutting with force. He places the knife on the neck and then drags it with force, so that it is faster than if he were to hesitate and repeat it two or three times. Some people, may Allah have mercy on them! Some people do it in one go, cutting the carotid arteries, the windpipe, and the esophagus, because he takes the knife with force and the knife is good and sharp, so it is easier for the sacrifice or the animal being slaughtered to die. And among the ways of easing the sacrifice is that you place your foot on its neck. Place the foot on the neck, hold the head with the left hand, and slaughter with the right hand. In that case, it is lying on its left side. Leave the legs, the two hands and two legs, let them move freely. Because if you hold them, this puts pressure on it. And if you let it move with its hands and legs, this is easier for it. There is also a benefit in this, which is the draining of the blood through this movement, because with movement and agitation, the blood drains more. And the more it drains, the better. As for what some of the common people do, where he takes its left hand and twists it around its neck, then kneels on its three legs, and holds it so that it does not move at all, this is contrary to the Sunnah. The Sunnah is that you place your foot on the neck, and then let the legs move, because that is easier for it and causes more draining or emptying of the blood.
: The point of this hadith is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . For this is from gentleness. And Allah is the One who grants success.