Our Prophet-May Allah commend and salute him- declared: “Allah divided the compassion into a hundred portions He kept the ninety nine of them near Himself and descended one of them to the earth. Because of this portion, creatures feel compassion to each other. Even a horse lifts its leg for not to touch to its young. ” (1)
To feel compassion for the creatures of Allah, having pity for animals and avoid torture them are of the commands of Islam. Abdullah-May Alllah be well pleased with him- informed: “We were on campaign together with The Messenger of Allah. I went to the further side to relieve nature and I saw a sparrow with two young. I took one of them, the bird opened its wings and started to jump and scourge The Prophet came and declared:
-Who bother it like that by taking its youth. Give its young to it.
Again The Prophet saw an ant's nest that we had burnt.
He said: “Who burnt this?”
“We did” we said.
He declared: “No one can torment with the fire other than Allah who is the Master of it”. (2)
According to the general commands of the verses like “Allah dos not like attackers” “Allah does not like oppressors” , it is prohibited in religion to attack and do injustice either to people or to other livings. An animal can be trained but it is forbidden to beat on the face and to stamp by branding (3) According to narrative of Jabir, a donkey which was branded on the face was passed by near The Prophet-May Allah commend and salute him-. When The Prophet saw it he said: “Haven't you heard that I cursed the ones who stamp the animals on the face and hit them on the face” (4)
As Ibn-i Abbas communicated, when The Messenger of Allah saw a donkey which was stamped by branding on the face, he blamed this deed and said “I swear it, I would stamp it only on behind of the face”. He ordered of stamping a donkey belonged to him by branding it on the hip. So the branding on the hip started in that time, until then animals had been stamped on the face. There are narratives that Hadrat Prophet had stamped the camels of alms on the back and the ears of the ships. (5)
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(1) Buhari, Muslim, et-Tâc.
(2) Ebu Davud.
(3) Muslim, Ebu Davud.
(4) Ebu Davud.
(5) Muslim.
According to the narrative of Sehl Ibn el-Hanzaliyyen, when Hadrat Prophet passed by a very thin camel because of hunger, he said: “Be afraid of Allah about those poor animals. Ride on them kindly and eat them beautifully -do not torture them.-” When he himself went into the garden of a man from Ansar (Helpers), a camel there started to moan and tears started to drop from its eyes. The Prophet-May Allah commends and salutes him- went near of the animal and patted its ears and back of the neck:
-Who is the owner of this camel, whose is it?
A young man from Ansar (Helpers) came and:
-It's mine, O! The Messenger of Allah. The Prophet said:
-Are you not afraid of Allah about the animal that He gave to you? It complained me about that you left it hungry and tire it with continuous work. (1)
As the Prophet-May Allah commend and salute him-prohibited to curse and swear at the animals, he also banned to incite them each other and make them fight. (2) According to a hadith mentioned in Buhari and Muslim: A woman who imprisoned a cat and caused its death went into the fire of hell because of this. She neither gave it food or water nor let it go to eat the foods around. (3)
As Abu Hureyre communicated, The Messenger of Allah declared: “A man, walking on the way was thirsty and found a well, he went down into well and drank water. When he went out of it he saw a dog that which was breathing heavily from thirsts. He said to himself, the thirst came to me also came to it. Again he went into the well and watered the dog. Allah forgave him in return of this behavior. The Companions of The Prophet asked:
-O The Apostle of Allah, do we acquire merit from doing kindness to animals?
-Yes, he said. You acquire merits in Allah's side from the goodness to every creature with wet lungs (live creatures) (4)
According to the narrative of Muslim, the person who watered the dog which breathed heavily and its tongue hang down from thirst, and who was forgiven, a harlot. (5) That means Allah forgives the people who have a pity for its creatures. But the ones who do harm them are punished with their deeds.
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(1) Ebu Davud.
(2) Buhari, Ebu Davud, Muvatta.
(3) Buhâri, Muslim.
(4) Buhari, Muslim, Muvatta.
(5) Muslim