Animal Welfare in Islam
In Islam, mistreating an animal is considered a sin. The Quran and guidance from the Prophet Muhammad, as recorded in hadith, give many examples and directives about how Muslims should treat animals.
◕ Animal Communities
The Quran describes that animals form communities, just as humans do: "There is not an animal that lives on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but they form communities like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, and they all shall be gathered to their Lord in the end" (Quran 6:38).
The Quran further describes animals, and all living things, as muslim - in the sense that they live in the way that Allah created them to live, and obey Allah's laws in the natural world. Although animals do not have free will, they follow their natural, God-given instincts - and in that sense they "submit to God's will," which is Islam. “Seest thou not that it is Allah Whose praise all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the birds (of the air) with wings outspread? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise, and Allah knows well all that they do.” (Quran 24:41)
These verses remind us that animals are living creatures with feelings and connections to the larger spiritual and physical world. We must consider their lives as worthwhile and cherished. "And the earth, He has assigned it to all living creatures" (Quran 55:10).
◕ Kindness to Animals
It is forbidden in Islam to treat an animal cruelly, or to kill it except as needed for food. The Prophet Muhammad often chastised his Companions who mistreated animals, and spoke to them about the need for mercy and kindness. Here are several examples of hadith which instruct Muslims about how to treat animals.
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Reward for mercy:
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It is related from Abu Umama that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever is merciful even to a sparrow, Allah will be merciful to him on the Day of Judgment."
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Animals are like humans:
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“A good deed done to an animal is like a good deed done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as cruelty to a human being."
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Animals cannot speak up for themselves:
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It is related from Sahl ibn Al-Handhaliyya that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, once passed by a camel that was so emaciated that its back had almost reached its stomach. He said, "Fear Allah in these beasts who cannot speak." (Abu Dawud)
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Mental cruelty also forbidden:
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It is related from AbdulRahman bin Abdullah that a group of Companions were once on a journey with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he left them for a while. During his absence, they saw a bird with its two young, and they took the young ones from the nest. The mother bird was circling above in the air, beating its wings in grief, when the Prophet came back. He said, "Who has hurt the feelings of this bird by taking its young? Return them to her." (Muslim)
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Forgiveness of sins:
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It is related from Abu Hurayra, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that a prostitute once saw a dog on a very hot day going round and round a well, lolling its tongue because of its thirst. She drew some water for it using her shoe, and for this action all her sins were forgiven her. (Muslim)
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Mistreatment is a sin:
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It is related from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah, once saw a donkey which had been branded on its face and he said, "May Allah curse the one who branded it." (Muslim)
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Give rest to beasts of burden:
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It is related from Abu Hurayra that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do not use the backs of your animals as chairs. Allah has made them subject to you, so that by them you can reach places that you would not otherwise be able to reach except with great fatigue." (Abu Dawud)
◔ Pets ◔
A Muslim who chooses to keep a pet takes on the responsbility of the animal's care and well-being. They must be provided with appropriate food, water, and shelter. The Prophet Muhammad described the punishment of a person who neglected to care for a pet:
It is related from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A woman was once punished after death because of a cat which she had kept confined until it died, and because of this she entered the Fire. She had neither given it food or drink while confining it, nor had she let it free to eat the creatures of the earth." (Muslim)
![صورة: once upon a time there was a little boy, the little boy was hungry, so he went to the grocery, but he found out that he had no money, so he stole a loaf of bread, but the owner of the grocery store caught him ... the owner of the grocery knew that the boy was hungry and he wanted to let him go, but he want to teach him a lesson not to steal anymore ... what should he do ?!!
[1] he tell him to apologise and not to do this again, forgive him and give him a job ??
or
[2] bring his own son and beat him as atonement for the little boy's mistake ??](https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/p480x480/1012763_660367697311233_866409449_n.jpg)
![صورة: In the time of Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab, Muslim society suffered from superstitions, pagan practices, heretical innovations and apostatical leanings. The concept of pure and uncompromising Tawhid got mixed up with polytheism. so he started to advise the people and called them according to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (Sallalahu Alayhee Was-Sallam).
However as ignorant people just have enmity and hatred because of jealousy, along with the fact that bid’ah was so firmly entrenched in their hearts, or they were ignorant and were blindly imitating the people of whims and desires.
So instead of accepting the call of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhaab which was based upon the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Messenger (Sallalahu Alayhee Was-Sallam), which included the prohibition and the impermissibility of worshipping others besides Allah or the permissibility of supplicating to others, they totally opposed him.
Now we find Shia' and other ignorant people call Ahlu-Sunnah as a Wahabis, this is in fact because of their hatred to the true path of Islam and Tawhid, and for the hate of the man who called them to stop all Shirk and innovations they do.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab said describing himself:
"I tell you that – praise be to Allaah – my belief and my religion, according to which I worship Allah, is the way of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, which was the way of the Imaams of the Muslims, such as the four Imaams and their followers until the Day of Resurrection.
But I explain to people that they must devote their worship sincerely to Allaah (ikhlaas).
I forbid them to call upon the Prophets and the dead among the righteous and others, and from associating them with Allaah in any act of worship that should be done for Allaah alone, such as offering sacrifices, making vows, putting one’s trust, prostrating and other actions which are due to Allaah and in which no one should be associated with Him, not any angel who is close to Him or any Prophet who was sent.
This is the Message which was proclaimed by all the Messengers, from the first of them to the last of them, and this is the way of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah.
I hold a high position in my village and people listen to me. Some of the leaders denounced that because it goes against the customs they grew up with.
I also obliged those who are under me to perform regular prayer, pay zakaah and fulfil other Islamic duties, and I forbade them to deal with ribaa, drink intoxicants and other kinds of forbidden things.
The leaders could not criticize that or find fault with it, because it is something that is liked by the common folk, so they directed their criticism and enmity against that which I enjoin of Tawheed and that which I forbid of shirk, and they confused the common folk by saying that this goes against what everyone is doing, and they caused a great deal of fitnah…"
[al-Durar al-Sunniyyah, (1/64-65, 79-80).]
Download "The Book of Tawheed" by Shaykh Muhammad Abdul-Wahhaab www.islamhouse.com/d/files/en/ih_books/single/en_Kitab_At-Tawheed.pdf](https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/p480x480/1000187_487582771320701_1706969310_n.jpg)
![صورة: ◕ Jesus:_ a Muslim Prophet from the Bible
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■ Jesus said that he is a Prophet.
⇨ Matthew 13:57
Jesus referring to himself said "...a Prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house"
⇨ Mark 6:4
Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor."
⇨ Luke 13:33
"In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day--for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!"
⇨ John 4:44
"Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country."
■ All people considered Jesus as a prophet
⇨ Matt. 21:11
"And the multitude said, this is Jesus, the Prophet of Nazareth of Galilee"
⇨ Luke 24:19
"What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people."
⇨ John 6:14
After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world."
⇨ John 7:40
"On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet."
◕ Jesus lived as a Muslim
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■ Submitted to the will of God
⇨ Luke 22:42
"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."
⇨ John 5:30
By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
■ Fasted forty days and forty nights
⇨ Matthew 4:2
After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
■ He prayed on his forehead to One God
⇨ Matthew 26:39
" Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed "
■ He greeted his disciples eith the greeting of Islam peace be unto you (as-salaamu alaikum)
⇨ Luke 24:36
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
⇨ John 20:21
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
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And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "O children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of God to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad." But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, "This is obvious magic." (Quran 3:59)
You Shall Know The Truth And The Truth Shall Set You Free](https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/p480x480/999020_660378737310129_1196475931_n.jpg)
