The Islamic values that the Quran and Hadith have taught us are those of respectfulness, generosity, and kindness towards all the livings.
In this essay, the most poignant tales of Islamic history are covered which are intended to drive home the point so glaringly obvious about how absolutely imperative it is to treat animals with kindness.
These acts and deeds, and words of the Prophet Muhammad towards animals, are an adumbration for all ages of Muslims’ religious and moral obligation towards animals.
From these accounts, we can separate the abiding connection of compassion to animals from other Islamic excellences of justice and mercy, testifying to the highly valued and cherished charities among Allah’s creations.
The Role of Compassion for Animals in Islam
Compassion to animals is one of the Islamic great moral lessons, which is highlighted in all Islamic teachings and traditions.
It is said that how one treats animals reflects on them and their religion. Some of the most important values of compassion towards animals in Islam are as follows:
- Compassion and Mercy: Islam also emphasizes the fact that every living being has been created by Allah and must be treated compassionately and mercifully.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has declared, “Whoever is kind to the creatures of God is kind to himself.”
- Prophetic Traditions: There are several Hadiths (words of the Prophet) that have mercy towards animals as the main ingredient.
Prophet Muhammad, for example, narrated two stories: one regarding a man for whom Allah pardoned him since he had offered a hungry dog a drink, and another regarding a woman for whom he punished her for cruelty to a cat.
- Animal Rights: Islam bestows rights on animals, and human beings are accountable for granting these rights.
They are to feed them, provide them with water, and treat them with kindness, and not ill-treat and overwork them.
- Prohibition of Cruelty: Cruelty towards animals is prohibited in Islam. It refers to unjustified harm, ill-treatment, and neglect.
The Prophet Muhammad emphasized the point that animals should never be utilized as a source of entertainment or recreational activity.
- Slaughter: Islam has placed some restrictions on the slaughter of animals for consumption to make sure that the practice is carried out humanely.
The Halal method of slaughtering requires respect for the animal and the instant gratification of the act so that harm will be avoided.
- Stewardship of the Environment: This compassion to animals is also due to the overall Islamic ethic of stewardship of nature. Muslims are required to balance nature and keep every life intact.
By increasing the level of compassion to animals, Islam generates responsibility and compassion to all animals, and this makes a more just and moral society.
What Does the Quran Say about Kindness to Animals?
The Quran, though not specific in most of the laws that touch on animals, forms the foundation of charity and kindness to all of Allah’s creations, including animals.
A few of the most important teachings of the Quran on compassion to animals are:
- All Creatures as Societies: The Quran recognizes animals, similar to human beings, as societies.
In Surah Al-An’am (6:38), the Quran says: “There is no creature on earth or bird that flies on its wings except [that they are] communities like you.” The verse at issue demands attention to the inherent dignity and social reality of animals.
- Stewardship and Accountability: Man has been placed in trust with the world, as well as its animal husbandry.
Stewardship is a divine responsibility assigned to man by Allah, as mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:30), where man has been addressed as vicegerents on earth.
- Signs of Allah’s creation: The Quran also mentions animals, used primarily as pointers to Allah’s creation, and the human being is cautioned to consider his own position and the norm of nature.
Animals, for example, in Surah An-Nahl (16:5-8) are explained as a source of warmth, food, and transportation, and their usage and purpose concerning gratitude and maintenance are stated.
- Forbidden to Excess and Harm: Although the Quran has legalized the utilization of animals as a means of labor and as a component of food, it is forbidden to indulge in excess and harm.
Surah Al-A’raf (7:31) forbids wastage on our part and teaches us humility, which can also be used to treat animals.
- Compassion and Mercy: Quranic compassion and mercy include all animals in general throughout the Quran.
Believers have been reminded again and again throughout the Quran of Allah’s mercy and asked to be as merciful as possible to all life in their conduct.
While the Quran gives only a generalized code of ethics, the Hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad are more specific concerning some of the beliefs and perceptions about animals, in which Islamic principles of mercy and kindness are highlighted.
Who was the Prophet Blessed with the Boon of Communication with Animals?
The Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) of Islam was particularly blessed by Allah with the boon of communicating with animals.
This special grant is quoted in the Quran in the following words:
It says in Surah An-Naml (27:16): “And Solomon inherited David. He said, ‘O people, we have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given from all things. Indeed, this is evident bounty.”
Prophet Sulaiman’s dialogue with animals is also established through a chain of Quranic reports
- Valley of the Ants: In the Quran, Surah An-Naml (27:18-19), Sulaiman is said to have met and chanced upon an ant abusing her colony: “Until, when they came to a valley of ants, an ant said, ‘O ants, enter your dwellings that you not be crushed by Solomon and his soldiers while they perceive not.’ So [Solomon] smiled, amused at her speech, and said, ‘My Lord, enable me to be grateful for your favor which you have bestowed upon me and my parents and to do righteousness of which you approve. And admit me by your mercy into [the ranks of] your righteous servants.'”
- Hoopoe Bird: Quran also informs us that Sulaiman encountered a hoopoe bird who had informed him about the Queen of Sheba (Bilqis) and her kingdom (Surah An-Naml 27:20-28).
This blessing of Allah was part of Sulaiman’s kingship and prophethood and had certain miraculous capabilities, such as the power to control wind, jinn, and all the arts in terms of knowledge.
These were given to him as presents for his fulfillment of his mission as a righteous king and prophet.
That Prophet Sulaiman can converse and be communicated with by animals again affirms the value of all animals as creatures of Allah and the Islamic ideal of compassion and respect for animals, as animals themselves are societies who sing praises to their Creator.
Muslim Narratives that Demonstrate the Importance of Being Kind to Animals
1. The Man Who Showed Mercy on a Dry Dog
One of the most heart-wrenching yet most widely-quoted hadith on showing mercy on animals in Islam is the story of a man who was forgiven by Allah of all his sins as he was being kind to a dry dog.
According to Abu Huraira, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“A man, walking, became extremely thirsty. He noticed a well, entered, drank, and came out. He noticed a dog whose tongue was hanging from its mouth licking the wet ground because of extreme thirst.”.
The friend, assuming, ‘This dog is as thirsty as I am.’ Went to the well again, filled his shoe with water, took it in his mouth (as he was going up) and provided the dog with water. Allah rewarded him for that act and forgave him for the sin.
The friends questioned, “O Messenger of Allah, shall we be rewarded for serving animals?”
He answered, “There is a reward in serving any living creature.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
There are certain things to be learned from this touching tale:
- Compassion Knows No Species: The man sympathized with the suffering of the dog as with his own and was kind regardless of species.
- Testing the Kindness: He took this one step further and descended for the second time into the well and, clutching the shoe like a pail, to prove that in some cases, kindness is at a cost.
- Dividend from Allah for Mercy: Allah was impressed with this demonstration of mercy that He forgave the man all his sins, showing the spiritual significance of being merciful towards animals.
- Universal Application: By the pronouncement of service to all beings as a reward, the Prophet established a universal principle of mercy in Islam.
This story is a touching reminder that it is not only virtuous in Islam to be kind to animals but could even be rewarded by God with forgiveness and spiritual enlightenment.
The story reminds us that being kind to animals is an indication of the kindness of the heart and faith, and of Allah seeing and blessing even what is apparently a little act of kindness to His creatures.
2. The Woman Who Was Punished for Cruelty to a Cat
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has stated: “A woman was punished because of a cat she had chained until it died. She went to Hellfire because of it.
She did not feed it, nor provide it with something to drink when she chained it, nor set it free so that it could hunt from the vermin of the earth.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
This severe warning implies that ill treatment and cruelty to animals will have awful spiritual consequences.
3. The Prophet’s Forgiveness by the Harlot
The Prophet narrated in another heart-rending account: “A prostitute saw a dog going round a well repeatedly on hot days, and drinking water with its tongue out of heat.”.
She poured it into water in her shoe, and Allah forgave her for having done something good.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
This is a continuation of the last story of the dog dried up in the way that it illustrates God’s forgiveness is well within reach, regardless of what one has done previously, through mercy shown to animals.
4. The Prophet’s Concern about a Bird’s Torture
The friends had taken baby birds out of their nest, and the mother bird was flying around angrily.
When the Prophet came to know about this, he instructed them, “Who has troubled this bird by removing its young ones from it? Return them to it.” (Abu Dawud)
This hadith shows how sensitive the Prophet was towards the discomfort of animals and how one should not estrange animal families.
5. The Camel That Complained
The Prophet once went to a garden when a camel approached him and lowered its head in front of him, shedding tears from its eyes.
The Prophet asked about the camel’s owner and told him: “Don’t you fear Allah concerning this animal which Allah entrusted to your care? It complained to me that you starve it and burden it heavily and exhaust it.” (Abu Dawud)
This story highlights the animal’s right to dignity and working conditions fit for a human being.
6. The Prohibition of Animal Fighting by the Prophet
Procurating animals to fight one another to satisfy people’s amusement or entertainment was prohibited by the Prophet because he stated, “Allah has cursed the one who does this.” (Tirmidhi)
We learn from this lesson that animals cannot be subjected to a topic cruel means for of enjoyment.
7. The Prophet’s Principle of Humanitarian Slaughter
The Prophet has stated: “Surely Allah has enjoined good manners in all things. So if you slay, slay well; and slaughter well.
Sharpen each of you his knife and be gracious to one whom you slaughter.” (Sahih Muslim)
This lesson ensures that even where animals are being eaten as food, their suffering should be alleviated.
Cumulatively, these stories form an Islamic ethics of animal well-being that is profound in its origins, and compassion for animals is certainly not secondary but a priority within Islam’s ethics and spirituality.
They instruct us that how we treat animals tells us a lot about ourselves, impacts our spiritual condition, and is recorded and witnessed by Allah.
