throughout the rest of the body; for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whatever causes the blood to gush forth and over which the name of Allah is pronounced—eat of it.” Only the severing of the two jugular veins makes the blood gush in this manner. Hence, the indispensable condition for the lawfulness of a slaughtered or sacrificed animal is that both jugular veins be cut. As for the ḥulqūm—the windpipe through which air passes—and the marīʾ—the esophagus through which food passes—severing them as well brings greater perfection to the act of slaughter, though it is not an absolute requirement.

Killing (qatl), by contrast, applies to creatures that are not lawful to eat: those we have been commanded to kill and those whose killing is merely permitted. Among the creatures we are expressly ordered to kill are the mouse, the scorpion, the snake, and the vicious dog; these and every other harmful creature may be killed.

The scholars state a maxim: “Whatever is naturally harmful may be killed according to the Law.” That is, anything whose very nature is to cause harm may lawfully be put to death. As for a creature that is not inherently harmful but happens to inflict harm, you too may kill it—yet this license is qualified. If, for example, ants in your house begin to burrow and damage the structure, you may kill them, even though killing them is originally prohibited; once they cause harm, you may kill them. The same rule applies to any other creature that is not by nature harmful yet produces harm: kill it if the harm cannot be averted except through killing.

So, if you intend to kill a mouse—its killing being recommended—then execute it well: dispatch its life instantly and do not torture it. One form of torture is what some people do when