According to Islamic teachings,
birds and animals are communities like us human beings; just and kind treatment
of animals is an obligation upon us. Kind treatment of animals is among the
good deeds worthy of ultimate Divine rewards of forgiveness and salvation in
the life to come. Likewise, cruel treatment of living beings entails consequences for the human soul. Explicit guidance of the Holy Prophet (sa) on
the treatment of birds and animals leaves one with no doubt about the
implications of our deeds vis-a-vis these living beings. Consider the following
teachings of the Holy Prophet (sa).
According to Prophetic traditions, Allah
(swt) thanked a man and forgave him for giving water to a panting dog eating
moist earth in its thirst. The Ahadith also confirm that ‘there is a
reward for your kind treatment of every living being.’ The Holy Prophet (sa)
also stated: ‘If any Muslim plants a tree or sows a crop, and then a bird, or a
human being, or an animal eats of it, then it is sacred charity to his credit.’
Further, the Holy Prophet (sa) relates:
‘A woman entered Hellfire because of a cat that she kept tied up, neither
feeding it nor letting it go to eat of the vermin of the earth.’
He also narrates, “one of the
prophets stopped to rest under a tree, and an ant stung him. The prophet had
his baggage removed from beneath the tree and ordered that fire be set to the ants’
abode. But then God inspired him with the thought, ‘Why not just one ant?’ ”
The Holy Prophet (sa) also states: ‘A
prostitute was forgiven because she passed by a dog panting at a well, and observing
that thirst was about to kill the dog, she removed her slipper, fastened it to her
veil, and drew out some water for the dog. And so she was forgiven because of that.’
In response to a question on the cruel treatment of animals by human beings, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius profoundly explains Islamic ethics on this vital issue.
Read the Response Below:
