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full of hopes
09-13-2010, 08:07 AM
Bismillah Arrahman Arraheem

Mistreating animals is considered a sin in Islam. A Muslim is responsible for the care of animals so much so that an ill-treated animal will testify against the one who abused it on the Day of Judgment. Islam forbids branding animals and killing them in vain, such as for sport. The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم forbade people to capture birds, burn anthills, and whip animals. Even in slaughtering animals for food, Islam requires that the slaughtering be done according to Islamic procedure, which is humane and aims to cause the animals as little suffering as possible. As humans, we have a responsibility towards every living creature.
Have you ever gone to any Pet Shops ? Poor, helpless animals imprisoned in tiny cages without even enough space to turn around.Their sad, pleading eyes haunting. I wondered if the pet shop owner ever thought about what it would be like to be paralyzed, as he has incarcerated birds in little cages. And for what beneficial purpose? Weren’t birds meant to fly? Maybe only a fellow animal lover would really understand, yet the importance of kindness to animals is something every Muslim should understand as a part of his worldview. It is such a serious matter that in Islam, it is understood that one could gain Heaven or Hell due to one’s treatment of animals.

Where are the people of the Sunnah? Has Allah plucked the mercy from the hearts of people to make them so cold that they lack an ounce of sympathy for one of Allah’s beautiful creatures though they see it so helpless and pitiful? Where are the Abu Hurayrahs of today?”

Abu Hurayrah was a close Companion of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم and has narrated more hadiths, or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, صلى الله عليه و سلم than any other Companion. He was known for being very sympathetic and loving towards animals so much so that although his name was `Abdur-Rahman, he was known as Abu Hurayrah, meaning “father of the kitten.” He was called so because of a small cat that he used to feed and care for and carry with him everywhere he went.

Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) taught mercy to all of God’s creation.There are many reports of his love for cats resulting in their historical acceptance among Muslims. Cats were very common among the people during the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم , and he said, “They (cats) are not impure and they intermingle with you.”1 The cat is such a clean animal that according to authentic narrations one may make ablution for Prayer with the same water that a cat drank from. Yet, it is known that some people nowadays have opposed the traditions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم by taking up the evil practices of torturing and poisoning cats. In Islam, punishment for such acts is severe. Both Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported a hadith regarding a woman who locked up a cat, refusing to feed it and not releasing it so that it could feed itself. The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم said that her punishment on the Day of Judgment will be torture and Hell.

Many Muslims have misunderstood Islam’s teachings regarding dogs, and this misunderstanding has led to the mistreatment of these animals. The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said, “Purifying a container that a dog has licked (in order for human’s to use it) is done by
1.] washing it seven times,
2.] the first washing being with dirt.
3.] However, according to some scholars, a dog’s fur is considered pure
4.] Nonetheless, Muslims are discouraged from keeping dogs inside their homes, as the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم has
been reported as saying that angels do not enter into a house that has a dog.

However, just because one does not keep a dog inside the home and doesn’t drink after it, that does not give one the right to neglect it, mistreat it, or kill it. The usefulness of this creature of God is indisputable. No other animal can compete with it in its loyalty to its caregiver, its abilities as a guard, and its talent for hunting. In fact, the Qur’an narrates in Surat Al-Kahf, or “The Cave,” the story of some pious youths who took refuge in a cave from the persecution and violence of the unbelievers. That these righteous people had a dog with them, and the fact that Allah mentions the dog and counts the dog among them, indicates that dogs are permitted to live among people. [And you would have thought them awake, whereas they were asleep. And We turned them on their right and on their left sides, and their dog stretching forth his two forelegs at the entrance (of the cave as a guard)] (Al-Kahf 18:18).

So dogs may be used for hunting, as the Qur’an also states: [They ask you about what is lawful for them (as food); Say: Lawful unto you are (all) things good and pure: and those beasts and birds of prey which you have trained as hounds, training and teaching them (to catch) in a manner as directed to you by Allah; so eat what they catch for you, but pronounce the name of Allah over it and fear Allah, for Allah is swift in reckoning] (Al-Ma’idah 5:4).

In two separate hadiths narrated by Abu Hurayrah (the cat-loving Companion), the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم told his Companions of the virtue of saving the life of a dog by giving it water and quenching its thirst: one referred to was a man who was blessed by Allah for giving water to a thirsty dog. The other was a prostitute, who filled her shoe with water and gave it to a dog that was lolling its tongue in thirst. For this deed she was granted the ultimate reward: eternal Paradise.

Islam asks people to reflect upon this and be aware of each person’s duty toward God’s creatures, which He has put on earth for our use, not for our abuse. When the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم was asked if God rewarded acts of charity to the animals, he replied, “Yes, there is a reward for acts of charity to every beast alive.”
By Hediyah Al-Amin
American teacher of Islamic Studies and Islamic Culture
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Tyrion
09-13-2010, 09:16 AM
:sl:

Nice post sis. :) I've always had a great deal of respect for all members of the animal kingdom, and it's always pained me to see them being mistreated and abused. Sadly, it seems that some of us seem to forget the importance of treating animals with kindness, while others can go too far and start to love animals more than they do people. :p

On a bit of a side note, this post reminded me of a conversation I was having earlier about cats. I've recently been entertaining the idea of someday having a feline companion, but I know that I'd never be able to have any sort of pet for the simple reason that they just don't live as long as people. :p I know it's a rather pathetic reason, but I just don't want to have to go through the feelings of loss if I can avoid it.

Oh, and another random thing your post reminded me of was how the other day in my Arabic class we learned the word for dog, and immediately after class I listened to Surat Al-kahf just to see if I could catch it in the recitation. :p
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Ğħαrєєвαħ
09-13-2010, 09:50 AM
Aslaamu`Alaaykum^MashaAllaah

I love animals, they are soo kool MashaAllaah, but i hate when people abuse,hurt them. I have seen many vids where they did some awful things and its really really sad how they could do that, they have no hearts, if they do they are made out of rubbish/rocks etc :-\.

I loved your post very beneficial , Jazakallahu Khaayr for sharing sis

Wa`Alaaykum Salaam
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abdussattar
09-13-2010, 01:45 PM
I too love cats but I'm sacred of them when they run here and there.

I don't like people pelting dongs with stones...
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Woodrow
09-13-2010, 02:33 PM
Sadly I have seen too much mistreatment of animals here in the USA. It is our duty to be the caretakers of what Allaah(swt) has given us and animals are part of what we are to protect. Needless killing of any animal is the disdain of a gift from Allaah(swt) and when we mistreat even the lowest of animals we have defiled a beautiful gift from Allaah(swt).

Every now and then my wife and myself get some backlash from well intentioned Brothers and Sisters for our small efforts to protect and reintroduce wolves to the Dakotas. The wolves here are almost extinct, thanks to stupid farmers that do not understand the role a wolf plays in the ecology of the Dakotas. Because of the reduction of wolves the other native animals now suffer. The herds of elk, moose, bison and antelope have not been helped by the elimination of wolves but now suffer from inbreeding, over population and the spread of disease by exposure to diseased animals. All of this was prevented by having a healthy wolf population in the past. The American wolf unlike the Siberian, European or Asiatic wolf is not an aggressive animal. I have walked among wild wolf packs with no need of any fear of being attack. It has only been within the past 100 years that the first USA attack upon a human by a wolf has been authenticated, and this was the result of human encroachment into lands not intended for human habitation. Treat animals with respect and do not mistreat them and there is no need to fear them. We need to be protectors of the wild life, not destroyers. Enjoy they beauty in the wild and do not attempt to enslave them as pets.
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full of hopes
09-17-2010, 05:18 AM
It is really good and important to remind all of our love for animals because we see how many muslims enemies argue about this.. so this shows the truth.
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