As for us, we rely on the statement of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "Whoever has intercourse with an animal, kill him, and kill the animal." He did not distinguish between whether it is an animal whose meat is consumed or not, nor between whether it is his property or someone else's. If it is said: "The hadith is weak, and they did not act upon it regarding the killing of the perpetrator (the human), so in the case of an animal that has committed no crime, it is even more so (not to be killed)." We say: It was not acted upon in the killing of the perpetrator according to one of the two narrations for two reasons: First, it is a legal punishment (hadd), and legal punishments are averted by doubts, and this (the animal) is a destruction of property, so doubt does not affect it. Second, it involves the destruction of a human, who is the most sacred of creations, so it is not permissible to rush to destroy him except with evidence of extreme strength, whereas such a requirement does not apply to the destruction of property or any animal other than him. When this is established, if the animal belongs to the perpetrator, it is considered a loss; if it belongs to someone else, the perpetrator is liable for its value to the owner, because he is the cause of its destruction, so he guarantees it, just as if he set a trap for it and it was destroyed by it. Furthermore, if it is an animal whose meat is eaten, is it permissible to eat it? There are two views. Al-Shafi'i also has two views on this: One is that it is permissible to eat it, due to the statement of Allah the Exalted: "Lawful to you are the animals of grazing livestock" (6). Also, it is an animal of a species that is permissible to eat, and it was slaughtered by one who is among those permitted to perform dhabh (ritual slaughter), so its consumption is lawful, just as if this act had not been committed against it, though it is disliked to eat it due to the doubt of prohibition. The second view is that it is not permissible to eat it, due to what was reported from Ibn Abbas, that it was said to him: "What is the matter with the animal?" He said: "I do not think he said that, except that he disliked eating it after that act had been performed upon it." And because it is an animal that must be killed as a right of Allah the Exalted, so it is not permissible to eat it, like other animals that are killed. There is disagreement regarding the reason for its killing; it is said: It is only killed so that its owner is not shamed and reminded of it upon seeing it. Ibn Batta reported with his chain of transmission from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he said: "Whoever you find with an animal, kill him, and kill the animal." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is the matter with the animal?" He said: "Do not say 'this and that' (7)." It is also said: So it does not give birth to a deformed creature. It is also said: So it is not eaten. Ibn Abbas alluded to this in his reasoning. And it