The Ruling on the Secret Habit and Intercourse with Certain Animals

His second question says: I discussed with a group of colleagues the ruling on what is called the secret habit, and the ruling on intercourse with certain types of animals. Please inform us, and there is no shame in religion. May Allah guide you?
Answer: There is no doubt that masturbation by hand is among the forbidden things; because masturbation contradicts the saying of Allah, Exalted and Majestic is He: [Al-Mu’minun: 5-7]. This is seeking something other than enjoyment with the wife or the slave woman, so he becomes a transgressor, meaning: an oppressor. And because doctors have stated that masturbation by hand has many harms, it is obligatory to leave that and beware of it, and to seek help in reducing the intensity of desire through other things, such as the prescribed fast. For Allah prescribed fasting for the one who is unable to marry, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So He made fasting a castration, meaning: a cutter of desire, for the one who does not find the ability to marry. And by this it is known that it is obligatory for young people to hasten to marriage and rush to it, because of the many benefits in it, among which are chastity from forbidden things, acquiring children, chaste women, and realizing the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) multiplication of nations on the Day of Resurrection with his Ummah (peace and blessings be upon him). In this, cooperation in righteousness and piety is required, and easing in mahr (bridal gifts), and likewise easing in wedding feasts, so that it is possible for young people to obtain the desired outcome of marriage.
And there is no doubt that exaggeration in mahr is among the greatest causes of delaying marriage, and likewise exaggeration in wedding feasts and the large amount of animals slaughtered and food prepared. All of this is what should be eased and reduced so that the married person does not burden himself. And likewise, the girl should hasten to that, and be satisfied with what Allah has made easy in mahr, and not be strict in mahr or wedding feasts. And likewise her mother, sisters, and guardians should ease and facilitate in this, so that cooperation in righteousness and piety is achieved. And if the opinion of everyone agrees on a small mahr and a small wedding feast, then that is better, in order to realize the public benefit, and so that they may be an example for others in easing and facilitating.
And among that also: taking some medicines that reduce the evil of desire but do not cut it off; because this helps him to leave masturbation and be safe from the evil of this secret habit. Yes.
As for what concerns a person’s intercourse with an animal, this is no doubt an abomination and a major sin among the major sins. And it has come in the hadith from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: This is a severe warning. And some scholars have held that he is killed, as if he committed zina while being a married man. But others among the scholars, among them Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), held that he is not killed but rather given a discretionary punishment and disciplined; because there is a discussion in the chain of the hadith and it is not strong in authenticity. In fact, scholars differed on its authenticity. Therefore: the correct view is that he is given a discretionary punishment and not killed. The one who commits intercourse with an animal, the correct view is that he is given a discretionary punishment, flogged, and disciplined with what the one in authority sees of discipline and imprisonment, as a deterrent for him and his like from this great sin.
As for the animal, it is killed. And perhaps the wisdom in that, and Allah knows best, is so that people do not talk that this animal was acted upon by so-and-so, so that this would be spreading the sin and making it public and declaring it. But he has to pay its value in addition to that. If it is an edible animal, it is slaughtered and eaten. And if it is not an edible animal, like a donkey or a mule, then it is slaughtered and thrown to the dogs or the beasts of prey and the like, and not eaten; because it is forbidden. And he has to pay its value to its owners; because he is the cause of its destruction, so its value is obligatory upon him to its owners. Yes.