Thursday, 26 December 2013

Treating Animals with Kindness


Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "A woman was punished in Hell because of a cat which she had confined until it died. She did not give it to eat or to drink when it was confined, nor did she free it so that it might eat the vermin of the earth."
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: I happened to pass by some lads of the Quraish who had tied a bird at which they have been shooting arrows. Every arrow that they missed came into the possession of the owner of the bird. No sooner had they seen Ibn 'Umar, they dispersed. Thereupon, Ibn 'Umar said: "Who has done this? May Allah curse him who has done so. Verily, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has cursed anyone who makes a live thing the target (of one's marksmanship)."
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saw an ass which had been branded on the face. He disapproved of it. Upon this Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said, "By Allah, I shall not brand (the animal) but on a part at a distance from the face." Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) then commanded branding on the hips; he was the first person to brand the animals on hips.

Commentary

It is compulsory for Muslims to treat animals with love and kindness. They should be given full care with respect to food and comfort. Being harsh to them is unlawful. It’s also considered a sin to pin down a living being to make it a target. One who does it is a cursed person. We learn from Hadith that if an animal is to be branded for identification, it should not be branded on the face.

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