Being Kind to Animals

Question :

Doctor T.J. "Adbul-Hadi Askiys submitted a question regarding the transport of animals from Australia to the Middle East, and the poor conditions to which they are subjected during transport, requesting that His Eminence, Shaikh Abdul-'Aziz bin 'Abdullah bin Baz answer the question; and His Eminence, the Shaikh's answer was as follows:

Answer:

From 'Abdul-'Aziz bin 'Abdullah bin Baz to the honored brother, Dr. T.J. 'Abdul-Hadi Askiys may Allah grant us and him success.

May the Peace, Mercy and Blessings of Allah be upon you; as for what follows:

I have studied the contents of your letter regarding the replyvwhich you requested from us about the matter of transporting animals from your city in Australia to the Middle East. This included the poor conditions to which they are subjected during transport, the state of the ships on which they are transported, and the results of crowding and such like.

We call upon Allah to keep us and you and our Muslim brothers upon His Straight Path. We thank you for your concern about this important matter, and we are happy to answer your question in the light of the Noble Book and the purified Sunnah which encourage complete kindness towards animals. This includes those whose meat is eaten and those whose meat is not eaten. And, there are a number of authentic Hadiths concerning the promise (of punishment) for one who torments them, whether it is as a result of starving them or neglect at the time of transporting them, or at other times.

As for the encouragement to behave with complete kindness towards animals and others, it is in the Words of Allah, Most High:
and do good. Truly, Allah loves Al-Muhsinin (the good-doers )".

And the Words of Him, Most High:
"Verily, Allah enjoins Al-'Adl (i.e. justice and worshipping none but Allah Alone Islamic Monotheism) and Al-Ihsan [i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allah, totally for Allah's sake and in accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet in a perfect manner].

And, the saying of the Prophetas narrated by Muslim and the compilers of the Sunan:
"Verily, Allah has enjoined Ihsan upon all things, so if you kill, then kill well and if you slaughter, then perform your slaughtering well. Each of you should make his knife sharp in order to soothe his sacrificial animal."

And in another narration:
"then perform your sacrifice well, and each of you should make his knife sharp in order to soothe his sacrificial animal."

Regarding helping an animal in distress, authentic reports. mention that the one who helps such animal would receive a great reward, and forgiveness of his sins, and he has also been praised for his good deed.

It is reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that Allah's Messenger said:
"While on a journey, a man was suffering from intense thirst, then he found a well. He climbed down into it and drank (water) and then came out and saw a dog lolling its tongue on account of thirst, and he was eating the moistened earth. The man said: "This dog has suffered from thirst as I was suffering from it." He climbed down into the well, filled his shoe with water, then held it in his mouth until he climbed up and let the dog drink it. So Allah appreciated this act of his and pardoned him."

They (the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them) said: "O Messenger of Allah! Is there a reward for us in (helping) animals?"

He said:
"There is a reward (in helping) every living creature."

It is also reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: "The Messenger of Allah said:
"A dog was moving around a well on a hot day, its tongue panting and almost dying of thirst, when a prostitute from the children of Isra'il saw it. She drew water for it in her shoe and gave it to the dog to drink and she was pardoned (for this act of hers).

Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih.

Just as Islam encourages kindness and orders it for those who deserve it, it forbids that which is opposed to it, such as injustice and transgression, for Allah, Most High says:
"and transgress not. Verily, Allah does not like the transgres- sors.

And He, Most High says:
"And whoever among you does wrong (i.e. sets up rivals to Allah).

We shall make him taste a great torment.

In Sahih Muslim, it is reported that Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, passed by some people who had tied up a bird at which they had been shooting arrows. As soon as they saw Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, they ran away from it. Thereupon Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Who has done this? Verily Allah's Messenger ﷺ cursed the one who did this."

It is also reported in Sahih Muslim, on the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: "The Messenger of Allah forbade tying up animals until they die." And in another narration from the Prophet ﷺ, it is reported that he said:
"Do not use any living thing for target practice."

It is reported on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Prophet ﷺ forbade the killing of four animals:
" Narrated by Abu Dawud with an authentic chain of narrators.

The bee, the ant, the hoopoe and the shrike."

In Sahih Muslim, it is reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"A woman was punished for a cat which she locked up until it died. Because of it, she entered the Hell-fire; she did not feed it or give it a drink, instead she locked it up, and she did not allow it to eat from the insects and small creatures of the earth."

It is reported on the authority of Abu Waqid, may Allah be pleased with him, in Abu Dawud's Sunan that he said: "The Messenger of Allah said:
"Anything that was cut from an animal while it was living is dead meat.

And At-Tirmithi reported it:
"Whatever is cut from a living thing is (considered) dead.

It is reported on the authority of Abu Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: "We were with the Messenger of Allah on a journey and he went out to answer the call of nature and we saw a Humarah with two young ones. So we took the two young ones and the Humarah began to fly above our heads. Then the Prophet came and said:
"Who separated this bird from its young? Return its young to it !

He saw an ants' nest which we had burnt and he said:
"Who burnt this?"

We said: "We did." He said:
"It is not fitting that anyone should punish with fire except the Lord of the Fire."

It is reported on the authority of Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

"Anyone who kills a sparrow or anything bigger without giving it its right will be asked about it by Allah, the Almighty, the All- Powerful."

They said: "O Messenger of Allah! And what is its right?" He said:
"That he slaughters it and eats it, and that he does not cut off its head or use it for target practice."

Narrated by An-Nasa'i and Al-Hakim, who authenticated it.

Based upon this, it is required to abandon these things out of mercy towards these animals and others.

It is reported on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, that the Prophet ﷺ passed by a donkey whose face had been branded and he said:
Allah has cursed whoever branded it."

In another narration by Muslim: "The Messenger of Allah forbade striking the face and branding the face." And this includes humans and animals.

These evidences, and others bearing the same meaning, prove that it is forbidden to torture animals of all kinds, even those things which the Islamic Law has permitted to be killed, such as the five harmful things (the crow, the scorpion, the rat, the kite, the dog and the voracious predator). And the snake according to the narration of Al-Bukhari.

The literal meanings, as well as those understood from all of this, demonstrate the care which Islam gives to animals, whether it be by doing something of benefit, preventing some harm from them.

It is an obligation, in case of those animals whose care has been encouraged and whose punishment has been warned against- no matter in what circumstances we come into contact with them to give a high priority to them and take great concern. regarding them. Especially the cases of the grazing animals mentioned. This is because they command respect based upon their value as food and wealth. There are some rulings in the Islamic Law relating this that pertain to acts of obedience and acts which bring one closer to Allah on the one hand, and on the other hand, because they are subjected to all kinds of hardships when being transported, moved in large quantities, and over long distances, which might result in packing them so tight that it causes death to the weakest of them. Hunger, thirst and the spread of diseases and other harmful conditions may also result which require urgent inspection and serious study on the part of those responsible to provide a comfortable and comprehensive means of moving and transporting them. This includes provid- ing food and water and other such things, such as ventilation, treatment, separating the weak from the strong and dangerous, and the sick from the healthy, at all points of the journey until they reach the market, as much as is possible. And these days, this is something entirely possible for investment organizations, the individuals, and the importing and exporting companies. It is an obligation upon the owner and those under whose authority they may be (such as the importers, exporters etc.) to spend on them in a reasonable manner..

Among those things which are regrettable and reprehensible. and these are things that have been explained and warned. against are the methods used today to slaughter animals whose meat may be eaten in most countries of the outside world. The measures used to facilitate slaughtering, may include punishing them with electric shocks to the brain, in order to stun them, then passing hooks through them which lift them and hang them upside down while they are still alive, while an electric conveyor belt carries them until they reach the place of the person who slaughters them. This occurs in some slaughter- houses and canning factories.

Then plucking the feathers of chickens and birds while they are still alive, or plunging them into extremely hot water while they are alive, or inflicting hot steam on them to remove the feathers, claiming that these methods are more merciful for the animal to be slaughtered.

All of this contain elements that are known to contradict the evidences obligating that they be treated well, and contradicting the Islamic Law's requirement of mercy towards them. Every action that conflicts with Islamic Law is considered transgression and injustice, for which the doer will be held accountable.

This is based upon what we have previously mentioned, as well as the authentic Hadith:
"Verily, Allah recompenses the hornless sheep from the horned sheep."

So how about one who understands injustice and its evil consequences? Based on the evidences of the Islamic Law and the things necessitated by that, the scholars of Islamic Jurisprudence have categorized what is obligatory and preferred, or forbidden and disliked, in the case of animals in general, and animals for slaughter that are permissible to eat in particular.

We should mention a number of those things relating to the matter of kindness towards them when slaughtering them, these include the following which are preferred:
1. Providing water for the animals destined to be slaughtered, in accordance with the aforementioned Hadith:
"Verily, Allah has enjoined Ihsan upon everything."

2. That the instrument of slaughter should be sharp, and good, and that the slaughterer pass it over the place of slaughter with strength and speed. The place of slaughter for the camel is the upper part of the larynx, and the throat for other animals that it is possible to slaughter.

3. To slaughter the camel standing, with its left foreleg tied, facing towards the Qiblah, if it is possible.

4. Animals other than the camel should be slaughtered while they are lying down on their left sides, if that is easier for the slaughterer. He should place his foot on the upper side of its neck, without binding its forelegs or its hind legs, and without twisting or contorting any part of it, or breaking any bones before its soul leaves its body and it ceases moving. It is also disliked to dislocate its neck or to slaughter it while another animal is watching.

The above-mentioned are some of the things which are preferred when slaughtering animals, out of mercy to them and kindness towards them, and it is disliked to contradict them by doing things in which there is no kindness, such as pulling it by its legs.

It has been narrated by 'Abdur-Razzaq in Mawaf form that Ibn "Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, saw a man pulling a sheep by its legs in order to slaughter it, and he said to him: "Woe to you! Take it to its death in a kind manner."

It is disliked to sharpen the knife while the animal is watching at the time of slaughtering. This is according to the narration confirmed in Imam Ahmad's Musnad, on the authority of Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, in which it is stated that the Messenger of Allah said that the knife be sharpened. and concealed from the animals. And the narration confirmed in the Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabir and Al-Mu'jam Al-Awsat by At-Tabarani -and all of the men in its chain of narration are trustworthy- on the authority of 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, who said: "The Messenger of Allah passed by a man who had placed his foot on the upper side of a sheep while he was sharpening his knife and it was observing him with its eyes. He said:
"Would you not do this before? Do you wish to kill it twice?"

As for animals whose slaughter is not possible, such as wild game like the runaway camel whose slaughter is not possible - it is permissible to shoot it with an arrow or something else that will cause its blood to flow, other than with a weapon made of bone or nail, after mentioning Allah's Name. When it is killed by an arrow, it is permissible to eat it, because its death in that case falls under the ruling of an animal whose slaughter is ordained according to the manner prescribed by the Islamic Law. This is the case as long as it is not possible that it died from other than the arrow, or due to something else.

This is what we have mentioned as advice regarding your request; it is not a comprehensive list of what has been reported and authenticated regarding animals of all kinds. Islam is the religion of mercy, the Law of Ihsan, the complete way of life and the Path which leads to Allah and the Abode of His Generosity.

Therefore it is an obligation to call (the people) to (worship) Him and to make Him the Judge in their affairs, and to strive to spread the word about Him among those who do not know Him, and to inform the masses of the Muslims about that which they are ignorant regarding its (i.e., Islam's) rulings and its objectives, seeking Allah's Face.

The objectives of Islamic Legislation are the utmost in fairness and wisdom. It does not prohibit (eating) every beneficial animal, as opposed to what the Buddhists believe, nor does it permit (eat) every harmful animal, as opposed to the belief of those who eat every obnoxious thing such as the pig and predatory animals and other things which fall under the same ruling as them. There is no injustice, nor is there neglect of the sanctity of anything sacred, including lives, property and honor.

We thank Allah for His blessings, the greatest of which is Islam, and we call upon Him to support His religion and elevate His Word, and not to make us a Fitnah for the disbelieving people because of our deficiencies.

May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, Muhammad, the conveyor of the Message in the clearest manner, and upon his family, and those who follow his guidance until the Day of Judgement. May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.