His statement, “with intent,” is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the omitted subject, and its governing expression is the verbal noun “releasing.”

We say that the subject is omitted, rather than concealed, because the verbal noun is invariable and therefore cannot contain a pronoun.

His statement, “with intent”: does it mean intending the release, or intending the hunt? It includes both meanings: that is, he releases them intending to release them and intending the hunt. Thus, when he sees game, he shoots an arrow; when he sees game, he releases the dog; and when he sees game, he releases the falcon—for intent is indispensable.

His statement: “If the dog or another animal sets off on its own, it is not lawful, unless he rebukes it and it increases its pursuit of the quarry, in which case it becomes lawful”: if, for example, the dog or falcon sets off on its own, the game is not lawful. This is due to Allah’s statement:

“And those hunting animals which you have trained, teaching them from what Allah has taught you—so eat of what they catch for you.”

If we say that mukallibīn means urging them on, this indicates that there must be an intention to release the hunting animal. It is also due to the Prophet’s saying to ʿAdī ibn Ḥātim, may Allah be pleased with him: “If you release your dog” (1).

An example of this is a man walking with a hunting dog who does not notice the game until the dog is already running after it. He did not release it—but how can the game become lawful? We say: rebuke it; that is, urge it on toward the game. If it increases its pursuit of it