The Imam and Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy upon him) stated:

When you want to kill a rat, and killing it is recommended, do well in killing it. Kill it with that which will cause its soul to leave right on the spot. Do not harm it. From the ways of harming it is that which some people do when they put something down to catch it by way of sticking it (ex. using glue or a mouse trap). The rat is stuck to it (i.e. the trap); then the person leaves the rat to die from hunger and thirst.

This is not permissible. If you lay down the sticky trap, it’s a must that you keep going back to the trap and looking at it so that if you find something in it, you kill it (immediately). As for you leaving this trap with the rodent in it for two or three days, and it dies of thirst or hunger, then indeed it is feared for you that you will enter the Hellfire because of that action (i.e. leaving it to die in such a manner). This is due to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) saying:

“A woman entered the Hellfire because of a cat. She tied the cat up until it died. She didn’t feed it, nor did she leave it to roam to eat from the vermin of the earth.”

Source: Sharh Riyaadus Saaliheen Li-Shaykh Ibn Al-‘Uthaymeen, 4/596

Translated by: Abu Yusuf Khaleefah
18th of Dhul Hijjah, 1435 (12th of October, 2014)
Masjid Nur Allah, LeFrak City, Corona, NYC

Original Arabic

ﺭﺣﻤﺔ ﺍﻻﺳﻼﻡ ﺑﺎﻟﺤﻴﻮﺍﻥ ﺍﻟﻀﺎﺭ

ﻭﺍﻟﻘﺬﺭ ﻓﻜﻴﻒ ﺑﺎﻹﻧﺴﺎﻥ ؟
ﻗﺎﻝ ﺍﻟﺸﻴﺦ ﺍﺑﻦ ﻋﺜﻴﻤﻴﻦ ﺭﺣﻤﻪ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ
،ﺇﺫﺍ ﺃﺭﺩﺕ ﺃﻥ ﺗﻘﺘﻞ ﻓﺄﺭﺓ ، ﻭﻗﺘﻠﻬﺎ ﻣﺴﺘﺤﺐ ، ﻓﺄﺣﺴﻦ ﺍﻟﻘﺘﻠﺔ
ﺍﻗﺘﻠﻬﺎ ﺑﻤﺎ ﻳﺰﻫﻖ ﺭﻭﺣﻬﺎ ﺣﺎﻻ ، ﻭﻻ ﺗﺆﺫﻫﺎ
ﻭﻣﻦ ﺃﺫﻳﺘﻬﺎ : ﻣﺎ ﻳﻔﻌﻠﻪ ﺑﻌﺾ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﺣﻴﺚ ﻳﻀﻊ ﻟﻬﺎ ﺷﻴﺌﺎ ﻻﺻﻘﺎ
ﺗﻠﺘﺼﻖ ﺑﻪ ، ﺛﻢ ﻳﺪﻋﻬﺎ ﺗﻤﻮﺕ ﺟﻮﻋﺎ ﻭﻋﻄﺸﺎ ، ﻭﻫﺬﺍ ﻻ ﻳﺠﻮﺯ ،
ﻓﺈﺫﺍ ﻭﺿﻌﺖ ﻫﺬﺍ ﺍﻟﻼﺻﻖ ﻓﻼ ﺑﺪ ﺃﻥ ﺗﻜﺮﺭ ﻣﺮﺍﺟﻌﺘﻪ ﻭﻣﺮﺍﻗﺒﺘﻪ
ﺣﺘﻰ ﺇﺫﺍ ﻭﺟﺪﺕ ﻓﻴﻪ ﺷﻴﺌﺎ ﻻﺻﻘﺎ ﻗﺘﻠﺘﻪ .
ﺃﻣﺎ ﺃﻥ ﺗﺘﺮﻙ ﻫﺬﺍ ﺍﻟﻼﺻﻖ ﻳﻮﻣﻴﻦ ﺃﻭ ﺛﻼﺛﺔ ﻭﺗﻘﻊ ﻓﻴﻪ ﺍﻟﻔﺄﺭﺓ
ﻭﺗﻤﻮﺕ ﻋﻄﺸﺎً ﺃﻭ ﺟﻮﻋﺎً ﻓﺈﻧﻪ ﻳﺨﺸﻰ ﻋﻠﻴﻚ ﺃﻥ ﺗﺪﺧﻞ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺭ
ﺑﺬﻟﻚ ،
ﻷﻥ ﺍﻟﻨﺒﻲ ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ ﻗﺎﻝ : ‏(ﺩﺧﻠﺖ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺭ ﺍﻣﺮﺃﺓ ﻓﻲ
ﻫﺮﺓ ﺣﺒﺴﺘﻬﺎ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻣﺎﺗﺖ ﻻ ﻫﻲ ﺃﻃﻌﻤﺘﻬﺎ ﻭﻻ ﻫﻲ ﺃﺭﺳﻠﺘﻬﺎ ﺗﺄﻛﻞ
ﻣﻦ ﺧﺸﺎﺵ ﺍﻷﺭﺽ) ‏

‏ﺷﺮﺡ ﺭﻳﺎﺽ ﺍﻟﺼﺎﻟﺤﻴﻦ ٤/٥٩٦ ‏