The Ruling on One Who Engages in the Secret Habit, the Act of the People of Lot, and Bestiality

Question:
What is the ruling on one who engages in the secret habit claiming fear of falling into unlawful sexual intercourse? What is the ruling on the act of the People of Lot? What is the ruling on bestiality? And what are the fixed punishments obligatory upon them?

Answer:
It is forbidden for a Muslim to engage in the secret habit—which is masturbation—because of the saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) in describing the believers: EXCEPT WITH THEIR SPOUSES OR THOSE THEIR RIGHT HANDS POSSESS, FOR THEY ARE NOT TO BE BLAMED. BUT WHOEVER SEEKS BEYOND THAT, IT IS THEY WHO ARE THE TRANSGRESSORS. [Al-Mu’minun: 5-7].
As for the act of the People of Lot, it is sodomy—which is approaching males—and this is among the greatest of major sins. Allah has condemned the People of Lot in many verses for this great abomination. He informed, Exalted is He, that it is an abomination that no one in the worlds had preceded them in committing. Allah punished them for it, and for their disbelief, misguidance, and their great abominations, with what Allah specified in His Book: the submerging of their land and their being pelted with stones.
We ask Allah for ourselves and for all Muslims to be saved from their actions and from what befell them.
The ruling for the one who commits sodomy is execution—whether he is a virgin or not—after this is established in the Shari'ah court. This is carried out by the one in authority over the Muslims or his deputy.
Bestiality is forbidden, and it is obligatory to impose a discretionary punishment on one who does this if it is established in the court. The discretionary punishment is left to the Shari'ah court.
A group of scholars have held that he should be executed, but the correct view is that a discretionary punishment is sufficient in this, as determined by the Shari'ah judge; because the hadith regarding his execution is not authentic.
And success is from Allah.