1. Identify the incident: killing, legally relevant indication, partial injury, loss of ability to escape, or damage to an egg.
2. Establish value under the Abu Hanifah–Abu Yusuf appraisal method, using the appropriate place and two upright assessors.
3. Identify whether the cited rule is value-based or Muhammad’s equivalent-animal position.
4. Determine the available form of payment: qualified hady, food, fasts and any fractional remainder.
This sequence prevents guessing a fixed penalty merely from an animal’s name.