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Islam maintains a moderate position in its view of animals. It did not exaggerate in raising its status, as did some other religions that raised the status of some animals to the status of a god, such as those who worship cows and mice in India, and neither did it degrade the status of animals nor strip its rights, as did some countries and cultures that allowed the violation of animal rights.


Rather, Islam recognized many rights to animals and warned severely of any infringement to those rights. Islam explained the wisdom and objectives of their creation in this universe, and that in their creation is a great blessing for us, because of what we benefit from them. Allah; the Almighty says explaining His bounties upon us: { He has created the heavens and the earth with truth. High is He, Exalted above all that they associate as partners with Him. (3) He has created man from Nutfah (mixed drops of male and female sexual discharge), then behold, this same (man) becomes an open opponent. (4) And the cattle, He has created them for you; in them there is warmth (warm clothing), and numerous benefits, and of them you eat. (5) And wherein is beauty for you, when you bring them home in the evening, and as you lead them forth to pasture in the morning. (6) And they carry your loads to a land that you could not reach except with great trouble to yourselves. Truly, your Lord is full of Kindness, Most Merciful. (7) And (He has created) horses, mules and donkeys, for you to ride and as an adornment. And He creates (other)


things of which you have no knowledge. (8) And upon Allâh is the responsibility to explain the Straight Path. But there are ways that turn aside (such as Paganism, Judaism and Christianity). And had He willed, He would have guided you all (mankind). (9) He it is Who sends down water (rain) from the sky; from it you drink and from it (grows) the vegetation on which you send your cattle to pasture. (10) With it He causes to grow for you the crops, the olives, the date-palms, the grapes, and every kind of fruit. Verily! In this is indeed an evident proof and a manifest sign for people who give thought. (11) And He has subjected to you the night and the day, and the sun and the moon; and the stars are subjected by His Command. Surely, in this are proofs for people who understand. (12) And whatsoever He has created for you on the earth of varying colours [and qualities from vegetation and fruits (botanical life) and from animals (zoological life)] Verily! In this is a sign for people who remember. (13) And He it is Who has subjected the sea (to you), that you eat thereof fresh tender meat (i.e. fish), and that you bring forth out of it ornaments to wear. And you see the ships ploughing through it, that you may seek (thus) of His Bounty (by transporting the goods from place to place) and that you may be grateful. (14) And He has affixed into the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you; and rivers and roads, that you may guide yourselves. (15) And landmarks (signposts during the day) and by the stars (during the night), they (mankind) guide themselves. (16) Is then He, Who creates as one who creates not? Will you not then remember? (17) And if you would count the favours of Allâh, never could you be able to count them. Truly! Allâh is Ghafûr


(Oft-Forgiving), Rahîm (Most Merciful). (18) And Allâh knows what you conceal and what you reveal. (19) Those whom they (the polytheists) invoke besides Allâh have not created anything, but are themselves created. (20) (They are) dead, not alive; and they know not when they will be raised up. (21) Your God is One God (Allâh, none has the right to be worshipped but He). But for those who believe not in the Hereafter, their hearts deny (the faith in the Oneness of Allâh), and they are proud. (22) }


(An-Nahl 16:3-22)2


One of the aspects of Islam’s honoring of animals is that the names of some chapters of the Glorious Qur’ân are {The chapter of the Cow, The Cattle, The Bee, The Ant, The Spider, The Elephant).


One of the illustrious companions (of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to be nicknamed as: “Abu Huraira” (the one who has


the cat). The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم called him several times with this


nickname saying: “Aba Hir” (Oh, the owner of the cat).


2http://www.islamland.com/books/view/translation_of_the_meanings_of_the_noble_quran_in_the_english_language_1432798922


1- The right to walk in the paths:


Imam Abu Isehâq Ash-Shirâzi was once walking on a road in the company of some of his disciples, and when they saw a dog, a disciple of Imam Abu Isehâq scared it away but the Imam prevented him saying: “Don't you know that the road is shared between me and it?!”


2- The right to talk to it politely:


‘Imrân bin Al-Husâin (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that: “While the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) was on a journey,


there was a woman of the Ansâr 3 riding a camel, and she felt bored from the camel (because the camel was slow in walking), where upon she cursed it. The Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) heard


this and said, “Take off all what is on its back and release it (as punishment for the woman who cursed it), for it has been cursed (thus because the woman cursed it).”


(Sahîh Muslim)


3- The right of not being sexually harassed:


Ibn ‘Abbâs (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “May the curse of Allah be upon whoever


has sexual intercourse with an animal”.


(Al-Hâkim)


3 The inhabitants of Medina.


It is worth mentioning here that the “Independent” and “Dailymail” newspapers published on the 9th June 2016 one article that stating that the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that there is nothing wrong with sexual exploitation of pets by their owners as long as there is no penetration.


4- The right of caring for it and protecting it from getting lost:


‘Ali bin Abi Tâlib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I saw ‘Ûmar ibn Al-Khattâb (may Allah be pleased with him) jogging, I said: “Oh leader of the believers, where are you going?” He said: “A camel from the camels of charity got strayed and run away and I am searching for it” I said: “(With such act you are doing now) You have made the responsibility (of governing the Muslim nation) to become heavier on any Caliph who will come after you (after they will hear how carful you are for the Muslims money and the money of the charity)” He said: “Oh father of Al-Hâsan, do not blame me, for by the One (i.e. Allah) Who sent Muhammad with the Prophethood, were a young goat to be taken (stolen or encounter any harm) on bank of the Euphrates river, ‘Ûmar would be held accountable because of it on the Day of Resurrection”


(Ibn Al-Jâwzi: Manâqib pp:161)


Dawud bin ‘Ali said: “‘Ûmar may Allah be pleased with him said: “If a lost sheep under my care were to die on the banks of the Euphrates, I would expect Allah the Exalted to question me about it on the Day of Resurrection.”


(Abu Nu‘âim: Al-Hîlya 1/53)


5- The right of not be burdened with works beyond its capability:


Abu ‘Uthmân Athâqafi narrated: “(The Caliph) ‘Ûmar bin ‘Abd Al-‘Azîz had a worker who was working with a mule, everyday the worker was bringing to him one dirham as gain from the work. He came one day with one and half dirham, about which ‘Ûmar asked: “What happened today (i.e. from where you got this extra half dirham)?” He said: “The market was good today and there were a lot business and work.” He said: “So you have exhausted the mule today, hence, make it rest for three days.”


(reported by Abu Nu‘âim in Hîlyatu As-Sâlihîn)


It is reported in the Book “Ihyâ’ Ulûm Ad-Deen” that Abu Ad-Dardâ’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said while he was dying to a camel of his: “Oh you camel, do not complain from me to your Lord (Allah in the Day of Judgment). Indeed, I have never burdened you with any work beyond your capability”


The Caliph ‘Ûmar bin Abd Al-‘Azîz (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote to the governor of Egypt: “It has reached me that in Egypt are camels used for transporting goods, and that they are been loaded with thousand (1000) pound of weight, hence, when this my letter reached you, I don’t want any camel to be loaded with more than six hundred (600) pound”


(Sîratu ‘Ûmar bin Abd Al-‘Azîz according to the report of Imam Mâlik bin Ânas and his companions) by Abu Muhâmmad Al-Mâsri pp:141.


6- The right of not taken as a chair:


Mu‘âdh bin Ânas Al-Jûhani (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Once the Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) passed by a people


who were sitting on their animals, he said: “Ride them while they are in a good health and leave them in a good health, and do not take them as chairs for your conversations on the ways and markets, for might a riding animal be better than its rider, and glorifying Allah more than him”


(Âhmad, and authenticated by Al-Albâni in Sahîha 21)


The Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Don’t take the backs of your animals


as pulpits, for Allah has made them subject to you only to convey you to (far) towns (and places) which you could not have reached without great hardship, and He made the ground for you (to fulfil your needs), so conduct your business on it.”


(Hadîth Sahîh, reported by Abu Dawud)


7- The right of not being psychologically tortured: Abd Allah bin Mas‘ûd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Once we were on a journey with the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم), and he


went to answer the call of nature. During his absence, we saw a bird with its two young ones, and we took its two young ones. The mother bird was circling above us in the air, beating its wings in grief. In the meantime, the Prophet


صلى الله عليه وسلم) ) came back and said: ‘Who grieved this for its young


ones? Return its young ones to it.’ He also saw an ant village that we had burnt. He asked: ‘Who has burnt this?’ We replied: ‘We.’ He said: ‘It does not befit anybody to punish with the fire except the Lord of the fire.’.”


(Hadîth Sahîh, reported by Al-Bukhâri in “Al-Âdab Al-Mûfrad”)


8- The right of not being physically tortured: Jâbir bin Abd Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) passed by a donkey which has been


branded4 on its face and he said: “May Allah curse who branded it.”


(Sahîh Ibn Hibbân)


Jâbir bin Abd Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) prohibited beating the animal on the


face, and branding on the face.”


(Sahîh Muslim)


Ibn ‘Ûmar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) cursed the one who mutilate5 an animal.”


(Sahîh Al-Bukhâri)


4 A brand made by a hot metal with which the owner identifies his donkey. 5 i.e. by cutting some of its limbs such as nose, ears while it is still alive or even when it is dead except for using as food.


The Prophet said: “The merciful people are shown mercy by Ar-Rahmân (the Most Merciful, Allah), therefore, show mercy to those who are on earth and the One Who is in the heaven shall show mercy to you.”


(Sahîh, reported by Abu Dawud)


9- The right of not being used as a shooting target:


Sa‘eed ibn Al-Jubair (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Ibn ‘Ûmar happened to pass by some young men of Quraysh tribe, who had tied a bird and were shooting arrows at it. They had agreed with the owner of the bird that each arrow that they miss, it will get into his possession. As soon as they saw Ibn ‘Ûmar, they scattered away. Thereupon, Ibn ‘Ûmar said: “Who has done this? May Allah curse who did this. Verily, Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم) ) has invoked curse upon whoever takes anything that


has a soul as a shooting target.”


(Sahîh Muslim)


10- The right of not being killed without a reason: Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah ( (صلى الله عليه وسلم


said: "‘There is no person who kills a sparrow or anything larger for no just reason, but Allah, the Almighty and Sublime, will bring him to account regarding this.’ It was said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, what does ‘just reason’ mean?’ He said: ‘That he slaughters it and eat it, and not just cut off its head and throw it away (i.e. he killed it for playing).’."


(An-Nasâ’i & Al-Hâkim)


11- The right of leniency with it, giving it food and water: The Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “‘Once a man suffered


from thirst while he was walking on a journey. He found a well, and went down into it and drank water from it. On coming out of it, he saw a dog panting and licking the ground because of excessive thirst, so he said, ‘This dog is suffering from the same state of thirst as I did.’ He climbed down into the well, filled his shoe with water, and caught it in his mouth as he climbed up. Then he gave the dog to drink. Allah appreciated his (good) deed, so He forgave him.’ It was said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Is there a reward for us in serving (the) animals?!’ The Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:


‘Yes, there is a reward for serving any living being.”


(Sahîh Al-Bukhâri)


The Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: "A woman entered the


(Hell) Fire because of a cat which she had tied, neither giving it food nor setting it free to eat from the vermin of the earth, until it died."


(Sahîh Al-Bukhâri)


Sahl bin Al-Handhalîa reported: “Once the Prophet ( (صلى الله عليه وسلم


passed by a camel whose belly was sticking to its back (because of hunger), whereupon he said: ‘Fear Allah in regard to these animals who cannot talk (to complain about their hunger or thirst). Ride them while they are fit, and eat them when they are fit.’.”


(Abu Dawud)


Abd Allah bin Jâ‘far bin Abi Tâlib reported: “Once the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) entered a garden of a man from the Ansâr


(the inhabitants of Medina), and he saw there a camel. When the camel saw the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم), it started weeping


tenderly producing yearning sound and its eyes flowed. The Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) came to it and wiped its head, so it calmed


down and stopped weeping. The Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) then said:


‘Who is the owner of this camel? Whose Camel is this?’ A young man from the Ansâr came and said: ‘This is mine, O Messenger of Allah.’ The Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: ‘Do you not


fear Allah regarding this animal that Allah has put in your possession? Verily, it has complained to me that you keep it hungry and load it heavily which fatigues it.’.”


(Abu Dawud)


The Messenger of Allah ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: "No Muslim plants a tree


or sows seeds, and then a bird, a human or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charity for him."


(Sahîh Al-Bukhâri)


It’s been reported that ‘Udâi bin Hâtim was cutting the bread into small pieces and giving it to the ants, saying: “They are our neighbours and have right over us.”


(Reported by An-Nâwawi in Tahdhîb Al-Asmâ’)


12- The right of loyalty towards it:


‘Umrân bin Al-Hasîn reported: “A woman from the Ansâr (the inhabitants of Medina) and Al-‘Adbâ’ (the she-camel of the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم)) have been captivated (when the


polytheists raided the pasturing animals of Medina). The two hands of the woman had been tied with ropes. The people (who captured the woman) used to leave their camels in front of their houses for rest at night. One night the woman could to untie her hands from the ropes and hasted towards the camels. Whenever she got near any camel, the camel started to make noise, so she left it until she got near Al-‘Adbâ’. It did not make any noise; it was docile and experienced. She rode upon its back and drove it away and she went off. When they (the polytheists) learned about it, they chased her, but they couldn’t catch her. The woman vowed to Allah, that if He saved her on this camel, she would sacrifice this camel (giving its meat to the poor people). As she reached Medina, the people saw her and they said: ‘Here is Al-‘Adbâ’, the she-camel of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) ).’ Then the woman told them that she had vowed that if


Allah saved her on its back, she would sacrifice it. The people went to the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) and informed him of what


happened. Whereupon the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: ‘Subhân


Allah (Glory be to Allah)!! How bad is such a reward she wants to reward it!! She vowed to Allah that if He saved her on its back, she would sacrifice it!! A vow to do an act of disobedience (towards Allah), must not be fulfilled, nor a vow to do something over which one has no right or authority!!”


(Sahîh Muslim)


Al-Mîswar bin Makhrama reported: “Al-Qaswâ’ (the she-camel of the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم)) knelt down while the Prophet


was on its back. The people said to it: ‘Go on, go on.’ But it didn’t respond to them, so they said twice: ‘Al-Qaswâ’ has become stubborn and refused to walk! (such phrase is


considered as insulting towards the she-camel, like if they say that it become disobedient or has a defect)’ But the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه وسلم) answered them (defending the fame of the she-


camel): ‘Al-Qaswâ’ has not become stubborn, and that is not a characteristic of hers; rather, she has been restrained by He Who restrained the elephant (the elephant of Abraha Al-Ashram who came to destroy the Ka‘ba, and Allah made it to kneel down and to not move).”


(Sahîh Al-Bukhâri)


1- Male chick culling:


Every year 200 million male chicks are killed at a day old, after coming out of the egg. The reason for this is that in capitalist countries the male chicks are considered as an economic burden without any anticipated benefit from them. Because males cannot produce eggs, and they are not used for meat because they do not grow fast enough, so they are considered as useless in egg industry and meat industry, due to this they are exterminated in an inhumane manner such as the following:


1- Maceration: The chicks are minced alive in an industrial macerator.


2- Suffocation: The chicks are placed in large numbers alive in plastic bag that will be closed tight until they die from suffocation.


3- Gases or gas mixtures: Carbon dioxide is used to induce unconsciousness and then death.


4- Cervical dislocation: By breaking the chick's neck.


5- Electrocution: An electric current is passed through the chick's body until it is dead.


2- Eating animals whilst they are alive (Served alive):


In Japan eating sea animals whilst they are a live is known as “Ikizukuri” which means “prepared alive”, where a fish is sliced without killing it, then it is served to customers whilst its heart still beats and its mouth still opens and closes. In China,


“Yin Yang fish” dish is considered as the most popular fish dishes, where a fish is a deep-fried whilst it is still alive, without frying its head, then it is served alive to customers whilst its head still moves. In Denmark, “Noma” restaurant serves its customers with dishes of food with a live black ant on them as starters. In Japan, a frog’s belly is open and cleaned of its intestines whilst it is still alive, it is then cut into pieces alive and served to customers whilst the head is a live and shaking. In the year 2012 in Florida, USA, eating competition was held for eating live crickets, immediately after the competition, the winner died out of suffocation (Asphyxia).


3- Skinning live animals for fur:


There is a video in circulation in the social media that exposes one of the fur farms in China, whereby this farm skinning the animals whilst they are alive for their fur.


4- Docking6 the tails and Cropping7 the ears of some breeds of dogs:


Most of the owners of some dog breeds such as Dobermann, Pit Bull and Boxer, are docking their dogs’ tails and cropping their ears whilst they are puppies. Tail docking occurs in one of two ways:


1- Constricting the blood supply to the tail with a rubber ligature for a few days until the tail falls off.


2- Cutting the tail with surgical scissors or a scalpel.


6 Docking is the removal of portions of an animal's tail.


7 Cropping is the removal of part or all of the pinnae or auricles, the external visible flap of the ear, of an animal; it sometimes involves taping to make the ears pointy.


Tail docking is done mostly for cosmetic purposes, and this makes animal rights activists call for the criminalization of such terrible practice.


At the international level, 25 European countries that have ratified the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals8, have banned docking and cropping because they consider the practices unnecessary, painful, cruel or mutilation. However, some countries that ratified the convention made exceptions for tail docking, and those countries are: (France, Germany, Luxembourg, Denmark, Czech Republic, Portugal).


5- Devocalization (Debarking):


Devocalization is a surgical procedure performed on dogs and cats, where tissue is removed from the animal’s vocal cords to permanently reduce the volume of its vocalizations, to prevent it from disturbing its colleagues or neighbours. Such a practice is banned from all the European countries that have ratified the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals. However, in United States, this practice is legal in all the states, and it is banned only in Massachusetts by state law in 2010 and in Warwick, Rhode Island, by city ordinance in 2011. Legislation to ban devocalization of dogs and cats in New York State is underway.


8 The treaty was signed in 1987 and became effective on 1 May 1992.


6- Declawing (Onychectomy):


Declawing is an operation to remove an animal's claws surgically by means of the amputation of all or part of the distal phalanges, or end bones, of the animal's toes. Because the claw develops from germinal tissue within the third phalanx, amputation of the bone is necessary to fully remove the claw. The reason behind declawing is to prevent damage to household possessions by scratching.


In the United States of America, statistics indicate that 25% of domestic cats have been declawed, due to either the desire of cats’ owners, or some privately-owned apartment buildings in the U.S. ban cats unless they have been declawed.


7- Zoosadism:


Zoosadism is pleasure derived from cruelty to animals, either by burning, booting, squashing, or killing them. Zoosadism is part of the Macdonald triad, a set of three behaviours that are considered a precursor to sociopathic behaviour, those three behaviours are: 1. Arson or fire-setting, 2. Cruelty to animals, 3. Enuresis.


Zoosadism towards insects is also exhibited by some. The classic example of this is the person who amuses himself by pulling off a fly's wings or burning it. The Roman historian Suetonius, in his The Twelve Caesars, claimed that the Emperor Domitian amused himself by catching flies and impaling them with needles.


8- Spain and Bullfighting (Blood sport):


Bullfighting is also known as Blood sport, where a large number of bulls be released in the streets that lead to the bullring. The bulls run behind the people trying to gore them. Many people get injured putting their life in danger. After the bulls reach the bullring, only one bull will be released inside to be confronted by one toreador. The toreador tries to plant sharp arrows in the body of the bull, one arrow after the other, enjoying the sight of blood dripping from the body of the bull and the excruciating pains that he causes


them to the bull. After the toreador finishes planting all his arrows and the bull becomes exhausted and covered with blood, the toreador withdraws his sword to stab and kill the bull without any mercy or compassion. After the killing of the bull, four mules enter the bullring to pull the bull outside where the butcher is waiting, who in turn cuts its flesh and directs it for sale.


9- Animal fighting competitions:


They are betting competitions, such as cockfighting, dog fighting, insect fighting and ram fighting. They are the most brutal combat competitions where one animal fights another fiercely to death. These competitions have been expanded as an investment field in some countries to make profits from them, for example, some farms who are specialized in breeding fighting roosters, injecting the roosters with banned steroids in order to strength their bodies abnormally for competitions. Worse than this, is that they remove the rear natural spur of the rooster and tie in its place a metal spur (called gaffs) or knives,9 in order to make as much as possible damages to the body of the opposite rooster in the competition.


10- Whaling in Denmark:


9 A cockspur is a bracelet (often made of leather) with a curved, sharp spike which is attached to the leg of the bird.


Whaling is the activity of hunting whales, each summer around 800 whales and dolphins are slaughtered in Faroe Islands, Denmark. Animal welfare organizations criticize the slaughter as being cruel and unnecessary, and due to this, the Faroese people try to improve the slaughtering methods in order to make them more humane.



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