Muslims have a strong regard for the care of wildlife. This is due to the attention that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraged the wellbeing and good-treatment of other creatures of God. Muslims believe that an ill-treated animal will testify against its abuser before God. This article provides a deeper insight into the Islamic attitude towards wildlife. The early Islamic society cared a great deal not only for the natural environment, but also due to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Muslims also extended their care and protection to the animal world. Human beings according to the teachings of Islam are God’s vice-regents on earth, and for this reason they must also demonstrate guardianship to all of God’s creatures. During the last few decades, agriculture and animal-rearing has become commercialized and industrialised. The breeding and slaughtering of farm animals in Muslim countries has become an unethical money-making business. In addition, the halal label has lost its real meaning due to focus on maximum productivity and minimal compassion towards animals. The consumption of meat products has increased manifolds in recent years which has led to significant increase in public health issues. Moreover, it is having harmful effects on the environment and on animal health as well. Long before the emergence of the animal rights movement, Islam asked human beings to treat animals with kindness and respect. Allah’s mercy reaches all His creations including human beings.
In the Holy Quran, Allah mentions the purpose behind the existence of those creatures. He insists on the protection of animal welfare and explicitly prohibits all kind of cruelty towards them. Only under strict conditions God allows us to consume animal meat. The Holy Quran inform us about animal communities, which are similar to ours. This can only draw us to compassion towards them. There is not a moving (living) creature on earth, nor a bird that flies with its two wings, but are communities like you. We have neglected nothing in the Book, then unto their Lord they all shall be gathered (Quran 6:38). In this verse Allah, the Almighty, explains us that animals are members of different communities, like we are. An animal is a son, a brother and or a father of his or her fellow creature. This verse invites us to respect animals the same way we respect human beings. Allah clarify us about the purpose of the existence of His creations: And Verily! In the cattle there is indeed a lesson for you. We give you to drink (milk) of that which is in their bellies. And there are, in them, numerous (other) benefits for you (meat, wool, furr, transport), and of them you eat. And on them, and on ships you are carried. (Quran 23:21-22) And the cattle, He has created them for you; in them there is warmth (warm clothing), and numerous benefits (drink, meat) , and of them you eat. (Quran 16:5) These verses clearly demonstrates that animals have been created for human benefits. We can have animals at our disposal for our subsistence, for our clothing and also for travelling. That is why we have to thank God for all these bounties. Also, the consumption of animal flesh is only allowed if the soul of the animal has left the body with the utmost respect. Allah tells us how to consume animal meat and which kind of animal meat is permissible. Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maytatah (the dead animals – cattle-beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and the meat of that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah, or has been slaughtered for idols, etc., or on which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering, and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns – and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal – unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death) – and that which is sacrificed (slaughtered) on An-Nusub (stone altars)…(Surah Al-Ma’idah verse 3).
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gave many examples to demonstrate the importance and gravity of this custodianship. There are many such examples from the teachings of Islam, for instance, when a Muslim plants or sows something, that an animal or bird feeds itself from, it is noted as a charitable act in the eyes of God; anyone who treats well his horse will be protected against poverty; the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) forbade Muslims from tying an animal and using it as a target, cutting an animal’s feet muscles or letting a tied animal die; the Prophet cursed whomsoever mutilated an animal, or struck animals on their faces. According to Aisha bint Abu Bakr (R.A), our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), was like a walking Quran on earth. He has shown us the Path by giving us the exemple of mercy and compassion towards animals. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has mentioned: “Allah is gracious and He likes meekness in all things.” Therefor Allah recommends us to be meek with all creatures: human beings, animals and also with plants. Islam strictly forbids all type of abuse and inhumane treatments of Allah’s creation. According to Ibn ‘Abbâs (may Allah be satisfied with him), the Messanger (peace be upom him) once saw a donkey hot branded on the muzzle and said: “May Allah curse the one who marked this animal.” (reported by Sahih Muslim). Abu Masud (may Allah be satisfied with him) said: “During our journey with the Messanger of Allah (saws), we were confronted with a bird and its two offsprings. At that moment the Prophet (peace be upon him) was abscent for a while. We took the two chicks. When Prophet Muhammad came back he saw the mother bird flapping around us and said, “Who has upset this bird by taking away her children? Give them back to her.” Abu Masud also said:“The Prophet (peace be upon him) saw a colony of ants which we’ve burned. He asked, “Who is responsible for this act?” We answered, “We are”. The Prophet replied, “No one is allowed to punish with fire except the Creator who made it” (Reported by Abû Dâwûd and Ahmad) In Islam, hunting is authorised but the killing of an animal without any reason is considered to be a crime therefore it is a huge sin. According to Ibn ‘Omar (may Allah be satisfied with him) the Messenger of Allah said: “There is not a single person that kills an animal unlawfully, even if it is a bird, without being interrogated by Allah the Glorious.” They asked: “which way to kill is legitimate?” So he replied: “ Cut the throat for the consumption and don’t kill to throw away.” (Reported by Nassâ’i and Hâkim) Amongst those who were cursed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) are the one that use anything in which there is a soul as targets for fun. The goodness to animals is not just conditioned for human profit. It is at the first place a religious law which applies to every Muslim. According to Abu Huraira (may Allah be satisfied with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “ A man walking on the road got thirsty. He found a well, so he went down and drank of it. After climbing back, he saw a dog panting and licking the wet ground because he was very thirsty.
The man realised that this dog suffers from thirst the same way I did. He went back down and filled his shoe with water, then held it with his teeth to climb out the well. The dog drank of it and Allah praised and forgave his sins. Prophet’s Companions asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Do we get a reward for our good deeds towards animals?”. He replied, “There is a reward for the one who do good to any living creature.” Alternatively, if a man hurts an animal or if a man doesn’t behave correctly towards an animal, the animal will give an account to God the Greatest, as mentionned in the following authentic hadith reported by Imam Muslim. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “ A woman was chastened and thrown in hell because she starved a cat to death. The woman neither gave her water nor food. The cat was not free to nourrish herself with little animals of the Earth (as reported by Bukhâri and Muslim). Al-Bukhari contains an account of the Prophet himself wiping with his own cloth the face of his horse, and stating that is a good deed for anyone to give even a grain of barley to a horse. It is also forbidden to separate a beast from its progeny or to burn a nest of ants without an adequate reason. Perron reports from Addamiri that the famed scholar, Chibli, was forgiven his sins not for his efforts in scholarship, rather due to him having shown kindness by warming up a cat that was suffering from the cold in a Baghdad street. Caliph Omar, one of the most distinguished of the Prophet’s companions, demonstrated exceptional compassion towards animals. In fact, he would deal strongly with those who overloaded their ‘beasts of burden’. He would go to the extent of concealing himself from view so as to check whether people were treating their animals well. On one occasion he passed his hand over the wound of a camel intending to help heal the beast, saying, “I fear God may seek retributions from me for the pain you suffer”.
Many observers from the non-Muslim world appeared astonished at the excessive care and provision that the Muslims would provide for animals that may otherwise be seen as a menace. For example, Volney mentions the substantial number of hideous dogs wandering in the streets Cairo and the kites hovering over houses uttering mournful noises. He pointed out that Muslims neither kill, though both dogs and kites are considered to have impurities. On the contrary, devout Muslims went to the extent of establishing bread and water foundations for dogs. Benevolence is commended by the Prophet (peace be upon him) as the first of all virtues; a benevolence which is indeed extended to all animals. In the hadith, it is said that it is forbidden to kill birds without reason, most particularly if doing so is merely a leisurely pursuit. The victim, i.e., the bird, will cry to God “this person killed me, and did it for no useful purpose”. Islamic law commands that a Muslim should avoid every form of cruelty towards animals, especially within the task of ritual slaughter. For instance, it is stressed that never should a knife be sharpened in front of the beast to be slaughtered, and that no beast should ever be killed in front of others. Any person observing these rules will find reward in paradise. In medieval times, states Le Bon, the land of Islam was a paradise for animals. Dogs, cats, birds, and all others of the animal world were universally cared for. Birds flew freely inside mosques, and even built their nests in the vicinity of the Mosque. Wild birds crossed the fields without ever being disturbed, and never would a child attack a bird’s nest.
In Cairo, there exists a Mosque where cats, at a certain hour of the day, came to fetch their food that a charitable hand had provided for these animals. In conclusion one cites a beautifully touching incident in the life of the grammarian Abu’l Hassan Tahir B. Ahmad B. Babashadh, recorded by Ibn Khalikan, which demonstrates an animal’s ability to provide a moral example to a Muslim, and the Muslims ability to accept this: ‘Being one day on the roof of the Mosque at old Cairo with some other persons, eating a collation, a cat went over to them and they gave it a bit of meat. The animal took it into its mouth and went off, but soon returned again, on which they threw another morsel to it. This is carried off also, and it kept going and coming a great number of times, at each of which it received from them another bit. Struck with this singularity, and knowing that no single cat could eat all that they had given, they suspected something extraordinary, and followed the animal. Then they saw it clamber over a wall on the roof and go down into an empty place like an abandoned room. There, they found another cat, but blind, eating of the food which had been brought to it and set before it by its companion. They were so much struck with this, and Ibn Babashadh said: “Since God has caused this speechless animal to be served and fed by another cat, and not withheld from its nourishment, how could He let a human being such as I perish of hunger?” He immediately broke off all the ties which bound him to the world; he gave up his place, renounced his salary and shut himself up in a chamber, where he pursued his studies in the full confidence that God would provide for him. His friends then took care of him and supported him till he died.’ In short, let us remember that Allah will not show mercy to him who does not show mercy to his creatures.
(The authors write on Islamic topics exclusively for “Kashmir Horizon”. Their views are personal)