Burning a Living Thing Alive
Hadith:
Companion Abdullah ibn Mas'ud has related that "[Once our blessed Prophet Sallalaho Alaihi Wasallam saw a ant hole which we had set fire to and asked "Who burnt it?". We said that we had done it. Thereupon our blessed Prophet Sallalaho Alaihi Wasallam said that "Only he who created fire and no one else has the right to burn (living things) in tire". This hadith has also been quoted in Bukhari.
These hadith show that burning alive of living things, whether man or beast or any halal animal like some birds or haram ones like mouse, cat, dog etc. is not allowed: even dangerous animal poisonous creatures like snakes, scorpions, wasps, may not be burned. Bedbugs too should not be killed with hot water. This act is a major sin.
However if there is no other way of escaping a dangerous creature like snake etc. then it is permitted.
