Animals in Islam

According to Islam, animals are conscious of God. According to the Quran, they praise him, even if this praise is not expressed in human language. Baiting animals for entertainment or gambling is prohibited.

Quran

 * They ask thee what is lawful to them (as food). Say: lawful unto you are (all) things good and pure: and what ye have taught your trained hunting animals (to catch) in the manner directed to you by God: eat what they catch for you, but pronounce the name of God over it: and fear God; for God is swift in taking account.
 * Surah V. 4, (3rd edition, 1938), Abdullah Yusuf Ali.


 * There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but (forms part of) communities like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, and they (all) shall be gathered to their Lord in the end.
 * Surah VI. 38, (3rd edition, 1938), Abdullah Yusuf Ali.


 * And cattle He has created for you (men): from them ye derive warmth, and numerous benefits, and of their (meat) ye eat. And ye have a sense of pride and beauty in them as ye drive them home in the evening, and as ye lead them forth to pasture in the morning. And they carry your heavy loads to lands that ye could not (otherwise) reach except with souls distressed: for your Lord is indeed Most Kind, Most Merciful. And (He has created) horses, mules, and donkeys, for you to ride and use for show; and He has created (other) things of which ye have no knowledge.
 * Surah XVI. 5-8, (3rd edition, 1938), Abdullah Yusuf Ali.

Hadith

 * Narrated 'Adi bin Hatim: I asked the Prophet (about the hunting dogs) and he replied, "If you let loose (with Allah's name) your tamed dog after a game and it hunts it, you may eat it, but if the dog eats of (that game) then do not eat it because the dog has hunted it for itself." I further said, "Sometimes I send my dog for hunting and find another dog with it. He said, "Do not eat the game for you have mentioned Allah's name only on sending your dog and not the other dog."
 * Sahih Bukhari 1:4:175


 * Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said, "Five kinds of animals are harmful and could be killed in the Haram (Sanctuary). These are: the crow, the kite, the scorpion, the mouse and the rabid dog."
 * Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book of Prilgrims Hunting Penalty, Hadith 55. Translated by Muhammad Muhsin Khan in The Translation of the Meanings Of Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1971.


 * Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever keeps a dog, one qirât of the reward of his good deeds is deducted daily, unless the dog is used for guarding a farm or cattle." Abu Huraira (in another narration) said from the Prophet, "unless it is used for guarding sheep or farms, or for hunting." Narrated Abu Hazim from Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "A dog for guarding cattle or for hunting."
 * Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book of Agriculture, Hadith 515. Translated by Muhammad Muhsin Khan in The Translation of the Meanings Of Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1971. Quoted in Animals in Islamic Tradition and Muslim Cultures,, p. 130.


 * Once Gabriel promised the Prophet (that he would visit him, but Gabriel did not come) and later on he said, "We, angels, do not enter a house which contains a picture or a dog."
 * Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 4, Book of Beginning of Creation, Hadith 450. Translated by Muhammad Muhsin Khan in The Translation of the Meanings Of Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1971.


 * Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "A prostitute was forgiven by Allah, because, passing by a panting dog near a well and seeing that the dog was about to die of thirst, she took off her shoe, and tying it with her head-cover she drew out some water for it. So, Allah forgave her because of that."
 * Sahih al-Bukhari Vol. 4, Book of Beginning of Creation, Hadith 538, The Translation of the Meanings Of Sahih Al-Bukhari, Muhammad Muhsin Khan, 1971


 * Narrated Nafi: Ibn 'Umar used to kill all kinds of snakes until Abu Lubaba Al-Badri told him that the Prophet had forbidden the killing of harmless snakes living in houses and called Jinan. So Ibn 'Umar gave up killing them.
 * Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 5, Book of Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (Maghaazi), Hadith 352


 * Narrated 'Adi bin Hatim: I asked the Prophet, "I send off (for a game) my trained hunting dogs; what is your verdict concerning the game they hunt?" He said, "If you send off your trained hunting dogs and mention the Name of Allah, then, if they catch some game, eat (thereof). And if you hit the game with a mi'rad (a hunting tool) and it wounds it, you can eat (it)."
 * Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 9, Book of Oneness of Allah, Hadith 494. Translated by Muhammad Muhsin Khan in The Translation of the Meanings Of Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1971.


 * Two are the things which I remember Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) having said: Verily Allah has enjoined goodness to everything; so when you kill, kill in a good way and when you slaughter, slaughter in a good way. So every one of you should sharpen his knife, and let the slaughtered animal die comfortably.
 * Sahih Muslim, Vol. 5, Book of Hunting, Slaughter and what may be Eaten, Hadith 4810. Translated by Abdul Hamid Siddiqui. Quoted in Animals in Islamic Tradition and Muslim Cultures,, p. 26.


 * An ant had bitten a Prophet (one amongst the earlier Prophets) and he ordered that the colony of the ants should be burnt. And Allah revealed to him: "Because of an ant's bite you have burnt a community from amongst the communities which sings My glory."
 * Sahih Muslim, Vol. 5, Book of Greetings, Hadith 5567. Translated by Abdul Hamid Siddiqui, 1976. Quoted in Animals in Islamic Tradition and Muslim Cultures,, p. 21.


 * Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) during a journey. He went to ease himself. We saw a bird with her two young ones and we captured her young ones. The bird came and began to spread its wings. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came 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 is not proper to punish with fire except the Lord of fire.
 * Sunan Abu Dawood Vol. 3, Book of Jihad (Kitab Al-Jihad), Hadith 2669. Translated by Ahmad Hasan.


 * Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As: There was a bedouin called AbuTha'labah. He said: Apostle of Allah, I have trained dogs, so tell me your opinion about (eating) the animal they hunt. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If you have trained dogs, then eat what they catch for you. He asked: Whether it is slaughtered or not? He replied: Yes. He asked: Does it apply even if it eats any of it? He replied: Even if it eats any of it. He again asked: Apostle of Allah, tell me your opinion about my bow (i.e. the game hunted by arrow). He said: Eat what your bow returns to you, whether it is slaughtered or not. He asked: If it goes out of my sight? He replied: Even if it goes out of your sight, provided it has no stench, or you find a mark on it other than the mark of your arrow. He asked: Tell me about the use of the vessels of the Magians when we are forced to use them. He replied: Wash them and eat in them.
 * Sunan Abu Dawud 16:2851.


 * Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If anyone has sexual intercourse with an animal, kill him and kill it along with him. I (Ikrimah) said: I asked him (Ibn Abbas): What offence can be attributed to the animal? He replied: I think he (the Prophet) disapproved of its flesh being eaten when such a thing had been done to it.
 * Sunan Abu Dawood, Vol. 5, Book of Prescribed Punishments (Kitab Al-Hudud), Hadith 4449. Translated by Ahmad Hasan, 1984. Quoted in Animals in Islamic Tradition and Muslim Cultures,, p. 21.


 * The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited to kill four creatures: ants, bees, hoopoes, and sparrow-hawks.
 * Sunan Abu Dawood, Vol. 5, Book of General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab), Hadith 5247. Translated by Ahmad Hasan, 1984.


 * Narrated 'Abdullah bin Rafi': "I said to : 'Why were you given the Abu Hurairah?' He said: 'Do you not fear me?'" He said: "Indeed, I am in awe of you.' He said: 'I used to tend the sheep of my people, and I had a small kitten; so I used to place it in a tree at night, and during the day I would take it and play with it. So they named me Abu Hurairah.'"
 * Jami` at-Tirmidhi Vol. 6, Book of Al-Manaqib (Virtues), Hadith 3840.


 * The Messenger of Allah passed by some people who were shooting arrows at a ram. He denounced that and said: "Do not disfigure animals (by using them as targets)."
 * , Vol. 5, Book of ad-Dahaya (Sacrifices), Hadith 4445.


 * I heard the Messenger of Allah say: Whoever kills a small bird for no reason, it will beseech Allah on the Day of Resurrection saying: O Lord, so and so killed me for no reason. And he did not kill me for any beneficial purpose."
 * Sunan an-Nasa'i, Vol. 5, Book of ad-Dahaya (Sacrifices), Hadith 4451.


 * Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Umar ibn al- Khattab told people to kill snakes in the Haram. Malik said, about the "wild dogs" which people were told to kill in the Haram, that any animals that wounded, attacked, or terrorised men, such as lions, leopards, Iynxes and wolves, were counted as "wild dogs." However, someone who was in ihram should not kill beasts of prey that did not attack (people), such as hyenas, foxes, cats and anything else like them, and if he did then he had to pay a forfeit for it. Similarly, someone in ihram should not kill any predatory birds except the kinds that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, specified, namely crows and kites. If someone in ihram killed any other kind of bird he had to pay a forfeit for it.
 * Muwatta Imam Malik, Book 20, Hadith 92. Translated by Aisha Bewley.


 * Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that Sad ibn Abi Waqqas had said, when asked about a trained dog killing game, "Eat, even if only one piece of it remains."
 * Al-Muwatta 25:7.


 * Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla (client) of Abu Bakr from Abu Salih as-Samman from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A man was walking on a road when he became very thirsty. He found a well and went into it and drank and came out. There was a dog panting and eating earth out of thirst. The man said, 'This dog has become as thirsty as I was.' He went down into the well and filled his shoe and then held it in his mouth until he climbed out and gave the dog water to drink. Allah thanked him for it and forgave him [for his sins]." They said, "Messenger of Allah, do we have a reward for taking care of beasts?" He said, "There is a reward for [compassion shown to] every one with a moist liver [that is, for every living thing]."
 * Muwatta Imam Malik, Book of The Description of the Prophet, Hadith 23. Translated by Aisha Bewley. Quoted in Animals in Islamic Tradition and Muslim Cultures,, p. 19.


 * The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "A woman was punished on account of a cat which she held captive till it died. Hence, she entered the Hell-Fire due to (her mistreatment of) the cat. She did not feed it or give it water while she held it captive, nor did she let it out so that it may eat the things that creep on the earth."
 * , Book 8, Hadith 222. Translated by Muhammad bin Ismail Al-Sanani.