His statement, “the wolf, elephant, leopard, dog, and pig”: all of these are well-known animals.

His statement, “the jackal”: it is well known and is called al-wāwī in colloquial speech. Thus, when they wish to rebuke someone, they say to him, “You are a wāwī.”

His statement, “the weasel”: it is a well-known animal.

His statement, “the cat”: that is, the domestic cat.

His statement, “the mongoose and the monkey”: all of these are examples of animals that have fangs with which they prey. It is not a condition that they prey upon people or livestock; they may prey upon small creatures. We all know that all of them prey upon and eat animals smaller than themselves.

His statement, “the bear”: it is well known. It apparently is a sluggish animal; hence, a dull-witted person is likened to it, and one says, “So-and-so is a bear.”

Thus, animals fall into six categories: first, domestic donkeys; second, predatory beasts that have fangs with which they prey; third, birds that possess talons with which they hunt; fourth, animals that eat carrion; fifth, animals considered repulsive; and sixth, animals born from a lawful-to-eat animal and another animal, such as the mule.

Third: his statement, “any bird that possesses talons with which it hunts”: talons are that by which things are seized—that is, wounded and torn apart. What is meant is the claws with which they prey, for these birds mentioned by the author have claws