What is the definition of a 'vicious dog' (al-Kalb al-'Aqur) whose killing is permitted in Ihram?
Chapter on What the Muhrim Must Avoid and What is Permissible for Him
Al-Mughni
Book of Hajj
Primary text
According to Malik, the vicious dog refers to those that attack people and encroach upon them, such as lions, tigers, leopards, and wolves. This ruling extends to permit killing all predatory beasts that pose harm to people in their persons or property, including birds of prey like the goshawk, eagle, falcon, and peregrine falcon, as well as harmful insects such as wasps, bugs, mosquitoes, fleas, and flies. The general permission for killing implies that the explicit mention of certain creatures serves as a basis for analogy, extending the ruling to similar harmful creatures; for example, the mention of the kite implies birds of prey, and the mention of the mouse implies harmful insects.
Supporting text
The People of Opinion restrict killing to those explicitly mentioned in the text, plus the wolf by analogy. The stronger view is that the explicit mention of certain species provides a basis to include others sharing the same harmful nature or classification (e.g., birds of prey or insects).