Animal Rights in Islam
11 hadiths
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade striking the face and branding on the face
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a donkey that had been branded on the face passed by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) so he said: “May Allah curse the one who branded it.” Another narration by Imām Muslim reads: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade striking the face and branding on the face."
Fear Allah regarding these dumb animals. Ride them when they are fit, and eat them when they are fit
Sahl ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) passed by a camel whose stomach touched to its back, so he said: “Fear Allah regarding these dumb animals. Ride them when they are fit (for riding), and eat them when they are fit (for eating).”
It is not impure. It is one of those who roam around among you
Kabshah bint Ka‘b ibn Mālik, who was married to the son of Abu Qatādah, reported: Abu Qatādah came in so I poured out some water for him to use for ablution. A cat came to drink from it, so he tilted the vessel for it until it drank. Kabshah continued: He saw me looking at him and said: "Do you find it strange, O daughter of my brother?" I said: 'Yes.' He said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'It is not impure. It is one of those who roam around among you.'"
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) forbade using (live) animals as targets
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) forbade using (live) animals as targets.
No one should punish with fire except the Lord of fire
Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were on a journey with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he went to relieve himself. We then saw a Hummarah (a type of bird) with its two chicks. We took its chicks, and the bird came back and began to flap its wings. Upon seeing it, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came and said: "Who has distressed it by taking its baby? Return its baby." He then saw an ant colony that we had burned, and he said: "Who burned this?" We said: We did. He said: "No one should punish with fire except the Lord of fire."
Once a dog was moving around a well, and it was about to die from thirst. When a prostitute from Children of Israel saw it, she removed her shoe, filled it with water, and gave it to the dog to drink. She was forgiven for that
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "While a man was walking on a road, he became very thirsty. He found a well and went down in it and drank. When he came out, there was a dog panting and eating moist earth out of thirst. The man said: 'This dog is so thirsty just as I was.' So, he went down into the well, filled his shoe with water and held it in his mouth until he climbed out. Then, he gave the dog water to drink. Allah accepted his deed and, thus, forgave him." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, are we rewarded for taking care of animals?" He said: "There is a reward for (quenching the thirst of) every living creature." Another narration reads: "Allah accepted his deed and, thus, forgave him and admitted him into Paradise." Another narration reads: "Once a dog was moving around a well, and it was about to die from thirst. When a prostitute from Children of Israel saw it, she removed her shoe, filled it with water, and gave it to the dog to drink. She was forgiven for that."
Who has done this? May Allah curse whoever has done this. Verily, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) invoked curse upon whoever makes any living creature a target of shooting
Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr reported that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) once passed by some young men of the Quraysh who had tied a bird and made it a target at which they were shooting arrows. Every arrow that they missed became the possession of the owner of the bird. When they saw Ibn ‘Umar, they dispersed. Thereupon, Ibn ‘Umar said: "Who has done this? May Allah curse whoever has done this. Verily, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) invoked curse upon whoever makes any living creature a target (of his marksmanship, archery, etc.)"
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade killing an animal by tying it up and taking aim at it
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade killing an animal by tying it up and taking aim at it.
غدوت إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بعبد الله بن أبي طلحة
عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال: غَدَوتُ إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بعبد الله بن أبي طلحة، ليُحنِّكَه، فوافيتُه في يده المِيْسَمُ يَسِمُ إبلَ الصدقة.
Do you not fear Allah regarding this animal which Allah has placed in your possession? It is complaining to me that you starve it and put it to toil
Abu Ja‘far ‘Abdullāh ibn Ja‘far (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made me ride behind him one day and confided something to me which I shall never disclose to anyone. What the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) liked most to screen himself from others while answering the call of nature was an elevation or a date-palm orchard. Once he entered an orchard belonging to an Ansāri man and found a camel therein. When it saw him, it began to groan and its eyes shed tears. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) approached it and patted it on the hump and behind its ears until it calmed down. Then, he asked: "Who is the owner of this camel? To whom does it belong?" An Ansāri youth stepped forward and said: "It is mine, O Messenger of Allah," He said: "Do you not fear Allah regarding this animal which Allah has placed in your possession? It is complaining to me that you starve it and put it to toil."
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw a donkey that had been branded on the face. He disapproved of it
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw a donkey that had been branded on the face. He disapproved of it. Thereupon, Al-‘Abbās said: "By Allah, I shall not brand (the animal) but on the part most distant from the face." Al-‘Abbās then commanded that his donkey should be branded on its hips. He was the first to brand an animal on the hips.