How should we interpret the hadith "You may kill the five types of animals wherever you encounter them"?

"You may kill the five types of animals wherever you encounter them. They are mice, scorpions, crows, kites, and predatory dogs."
- Can you explain this hadith for me?

Dear Brother / Sister,

There is such a hadith in the Bukhari and Muslim hadith sources:

"Five kinds of animals are harmful and could be killed in the Haram (Sanctuary) region. They are: the mouse, the scorpion, the crow, the kite, and the predatory dog." (In another narration, one can kill them even in the state of Ihram.) (Bukhari, Badul-Khalq, 16; Muslim, Hajj, 9: 66-72)

The key words mentioned in the hadith are:

Fasiq: The literal meaning of fasiq is deviating, digressing. A fasiq person is the one who violates the limit established by Allah’s commands and prohibitions.

The reason why those animals are named harmful /fasiq is that they stray from the way of the majority of animals by harming humans and other animals. (Compare Nawawi, Sharhu Muslim, the explanation of the hadith in question)

Al-Kalb al-Aqur (in the original text of the hadith) means the predatory dog. As far as we know, in all narrations, this title is used related to dogs. This shows that the command to kill is not about normal dogs and that the dog is not sentenced to this punishment just because it is a dog.

Indeed, Imam Nawawi adds these views when he explains that hadith:

“According to the majority of scholars, the expression “al-Kalb al-Aqur” (predatory dog) is valid for all predatory animals. This is because the word al-aqur, which is mentioned as the dog’s attribute, means predatory. Therefore, the expression ‘predatory dog’ refers to all such animals like lions, tigers, wolves which are generally predators. (See Nawawi, Sharhu Muslim, the explanation of the related hadith).

The Prophet’s (PBUH) malediction against Abu Lahab’s son, Utba, is widely known:

“O My Lord! Afflict him with a dog among your dogs!” And one night a lion came and found Utba among the caravan and tore him to pieces. (see Ibn Battal, Sharhu'l-Bukhari-al-Maktabatush-Shamila, VIII/80).

Imam Malik says: It is permitted for a person in Ihram (performing Hajj/Pilgrimage) to kill animals/pests that pester him/her. However, it is not permitted for him/her to kill those that do not pester him/her. (al-Maktabatush-Shamila, , IV/252). According to Imam Malik, what is meant by “predatory dog” in the hadith is any kind of predatory animals that attack and tear humans into pieces such as the lion, the tiger, the hyena, and the wolf. (Ibn Qudama, ash-Sharhu'l-Kabir, al-Maktabatush-Shamila, III/302). Actually, according to Malikis, all animals that attack and harm humans such as the violent wolf are “predatory dogs” and it is permitted to kill them. However, it is by no means permitted to kill those which do not harm humans. (Ibn Qudama, ibid.- al-Maktabatush-Shamila, IV/14).

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