Human Attitude Towards Animals

Islam means “submission to the will of God”. Islam states that Allah sent messengers and prophets throughout the ages with the message of Unity of God and accountability in the Hereafter. Muslims accept the Qur’an, as the word of God revealed to his last prophet Muhammad (Pbuh). Islam makes it an article of faith to believe in all the earlier prophets, starting with Adam. All prophets honoured, believed and followed the path of Prophet Mohammad( PBUH) which was a pathway towards Jannatul-firdous

 So it’s the duty of every Muslim to follow set of  Islamic laws  which were taught to us by  Prophet Muhammad. Islam is a standard of living that promotes freedom from strife, dignity, esteem, tolerance, justice and mercy and all of these qualities are tempered with serenity that comes from submission to God. Perhaps the greatest of these qualities is mercy.  It is one of the paramount themes throughout the holy Quran. God said ‘WAMMA ARSALNAKA ILA REHMATAL LILALAMEEN’ that Prophet Muhammad was a mercy for all of the creation not just for his family, friends or the Arab nation, and not for human beings alone.  Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) was the quintessence of mercy. He showed compassion to all those around him, family, children, orphans, friends, strangers and even enemies like Jews of the time. 

For all time Prophet treated the environment and animals including insects with respect and mercy.  He taught his followers that animals should be treated with gravity and due care and respect. Prophet Muhammad would not only preach but by practice show that causing pain to voiceless creatures was unacceptable anyone harming them would be answerable before Allah. Islam the religion of peace expects humankind to treat all living creatures – birds, sea creatures, and insects with respect and dignity.  

Prophet forbade the practice of docking of horses, branding of animals by heat and of keeping horses saddled unnecessarily.   If the Prophet saw, any animal over-burdened or ill fed he would speak mildly “Fear God in your treatment of animals.” The Prophet told his companions of a serf who was sanctified by Allah for saving the life of a dog by giving it water to drink and quenching its thirst. To catch birds and imprison them in cages without any special purpose is considered abominable in Islam. No advantages and no urgency of human needs would justify the kind of calculated violence that is being done these days against animals, especially through international trade of livestock and meat. One of the sayings of the holy Prophet Muhammad tells us: “If you must kill, kill without torture.”  While pronouncing this dictum, he did not name any animal as an exception — not even any noxious or venomous creature, such as scorpions and snakes or venomous insects. A Hadees forbids the disfiguration of the body of an animal. As we know that all living creatures were put on this earth by God for our benefit not for harm.  They are not at the equivalence as human beings but neither should they be treated cruelly.  It is humankind’s responsibility to see that they have food, water, and shelter.  Living creatures must not be overburdened, abused, or tormented and doing so will surely result in God’s wrath.  A true believer in deity demonstrates his or her belief by respecting the entire creation of Almighty God. Prophet Muhammad’s character and actions are a glowing example of respect for all that exists. 

But the present humankind doesn’t follow, obey & fear God in treating the animals with reverence, benevolence, dignity and mercy. As it can be seen in the present scenario that every man including broods start throwing and pelting stones to the animals, mostly stray animals like dogs, cattle, cats & slay the tiny creatures like  insects. So, the official procedure which were taught to us by Prophet Mohammad are not followed. Aren’t they living creatures? Truly it’s all because of misguidance and the non-teaching of the Quran. Parents of such broods even don’t stop them from doing this unlawful act. Why don’t they remind their children about the advices which were given to humankind by our Prophets, Imams like Imam Ali i.e., Animals Are Our Teachers. 

Imam Hazrat Ali gives this piece of advice: “Be like a honey bee: anything it eats is clean, anything it drops is sweet and the branch it sits upon does not break”.

Prophet Muhammad said that Animals are members of Communities and the Family of God. The Holy Prophet Muhammad puts it in these words: “All creatures are like a family of God and he loves the most those who are the most beneficent to His family. Holy Qur’an quotes “There is not an animal on earth, nor a bird that flies on its wings, but they are communities like you.” (Qur’an 6:38). Moreover the Prophet used to say “Whoever is kind to the creatures of God, is kind to himself.” According to the learned commentators of the Qur’an, animals all live a life, individual and social, like members of a human commune. In other words, they are like communities in their own right and not in relation to human species or its values. Animals have a sufficient degree of psychic endowment to understand and follow God’s messages – a faculty which is higher than instinct and intuition . There are numerous legends about the Muslim saints and other holy men who could talk to animals like King Solomon. 

Also in today’s world, human problems – physical, mental or spiritual are of our own creation and our wounds self-inflicted. By no stretch of imagination can we blame animals for any of our troubles and make them suffer for it. The experiments on animals, and much more, is being done to satisfy human needs, most of which are non-essential, fanciful, wasteful and for which alternative, humane products are easily available. To kill animals to satisfy the human hunger is a contradiction within the Islamic tradition. Let us hope a day will dawn when the great religious teachings may at last begin to bear fruit; when we shall see the start of a new era, when man accords to animals the respect and status they have long deserved and for so long have been denied.

So remember. “SERVING THE ANIMALS IS SERVING THE GOD”

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