Thus, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—made it clear that when a wrong concerns property, the wronged person himself will seek redress from the wrongdoer; he did not assign that claim to his heirs. This is because the heirs’ position in this world differs from his: whatever can be recovered in this world belongs to the heirs, while whatever cannot be recovered in this world will be claimed in the Hereafter by the wronged person himself. And Allah knows best.

He was asked:

Two buffaloes entered some people’s crops, and they hamstrung them, causing their deaths, although it may have been possible to drive them away without doing so. What are they liable for? What duties do livestock owners have to safeguard their animals, and crop owners to safeguard their crops?

He replied:

They may drive animals out of their crops only by the least harmful means necessary. If it was possible to remove the two buffaloes without hamstringing them, yet they hamstrung them, they must receive a discretionary punishment sufficient to deter them from such conduct, for unjustifiably torturing animals and violating other people’s property. They must also compensate the owner for the two animals.

Crop owners must safeguard their crops during the day, and livestock owners must safeguard their livestock at night, as the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—stated.