بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
"Reciting Salawath on our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is an activity that will be accepted by Allah, even if we don't have Ikhlas (piety)".
Dear’s Assalamu Alaikum (var). Well n wish the same from you. I am here with a topic Islam and Animals. Ma friend Mr. Yusuf asked me to write the topics about “Why Islam restricts to have dogs in home” & “Effects of Dog”. First I felt uncomfortable with this topic as most probably now a days people using the dog as a pet animal. But after referring the Quran and Hadis I am back with the Topic. Also hereby am posting the notes on “Animals in Islamic Thought”
Do check the same and kindly leave your comments about the topic.
Kindly Excuse if me or ma words hurts any of you.
May Allah forgive all our Mistakes.
Lots of Love & Regards
HASEEM
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Animals in Islamic Thought
The Qur'an assigns an inferior status to animals in comparison with humans and has a tendency towards anthropocentrism. It nevertheless strongly enjoins Muslims to treat animals with compassion and not to abuse them. The animals, together with all the creation, are believed to praise God, even if this praise is not expressed in human language.
The Qur'an explicitly allows the eating of the meat of the animals. Although some Sufis have practiced vegetarianism, but to date, there has been no serious discourse on the possibility of vegetarianism interpretations. Certain animals can be eaten under the condition that they are slaughtered in a specified way. Prohibitions include swine, carrion, and animals slaughtered in the name of someone other than God.
In Muslim culture some animals such as hyenas, bats, geckos, snakes, and other reptiles as well as insects are considered to be ugly, dangerous, vicious, and powerful. Sometimes, the stances on them are ambivalent.
Animals in the pre-Islamic
Arab Bedouin, like other people, attributed the qualities and the faults of humans to animals (e.g. generosity was attributed to the cock, perfidy to the lizard, and stupidity to the bustard and boldness to the lion).
Based on the facts that the name of certain tribes bears the names of animals, survivals of animal cults, prohibitions of certain foods and other indications, W. R. Smith argued for practice of totemism by certain tribes of
Qur'an
Although over two hundred verses in the Qur'an deal with animals and six suras (chapters) of the Qur'an are named after the animals, animal life is not a predominant theme in the Qur'an. The Arabic term for the "animal" (i.e. haywan) in its only one appearance in the Qur'an means "the true life" and refers to the life in the next world rather than to "animal". On the other hand, the Qur'an uses the term dābba which is not typically used in medieval Arabic works on zoology.
The Qur'an explicitly allows the eating of the meat of the animals. Although some Sufis have practiced vegetarianism, but to date, there has been no serious discourse on the possibility of vegetarianism interpretations.
The Qur'an applies the word "Muslim" not only to humans but also to animals and the inanimate world. "The divine will manifests itself in the form of laws both in human society and in the world of nature. In Islamic terminology, for example, a bee is a Muslim precisely because it lives and dies obeying the "shariah" that God has prescribed for the community of bees, just as a person is a Muslim by virtue of the fact that he or she submits to the revealed shariah ordained for humans in the Quran and Sunna.
Although the Qur'an considers humans to occupy the highest place, it nevertheless strongly enjoins Muslims to treat animals with compassion and not to abuse them. The Qur'an states that all creation praises God, even if this praise is not expressed in human language. In verse Qur'an 6:38, the Qur'an applies the term "ummah", generally used to mean "a human religious community", for genera of animals. Encyclopedia of the Quran states that this verse has been "far reaching in its moral and ecological implications."
There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but (forms part of) communities like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, and they (all) shall be gathered to their Lord in the end. Qur'an 6:38
Sunnah
Sunnah refers to the traditional biographies of Muhammad (pbuh) wherein the examples of his conduct and sayings attributed to him have been recorded.
Treatment of animals
It is forbidden to cage animals, to beat them unnecessarily, to brand them on the face, or to allow them to fight each other for human entertainment. "They must not be mutilated while they are alive."
The historian Montgomery Watt states that Muhammad's kindness to animals was remarkable for the social context of his upbringing. He cites an instance of Muhammad (pbuh) posting sentries to ensure that a bitch with newborn puppies was not disturbed by his army traveling to
Views regarding particular animals
Dogs
The majority of Muslim jurists consider dogs to be unclean (Jurists, particularly from the Maliki school of thought disagree).
Islam usually cast the dog in a negative light by emphasizing its impurity. The stories of the seven sleepers of
According to one tradition attributed to Muhammad (pbuh), black dogs are evil or even devils, in animal form. This report reflects the pre-Islamic Arab mythology and the vast majority of Muslim jurists viewed it to be falsely attributed to Muhammad.
A tradition attributed to Muhammad (pbuh) commands Muslims not trade or deal in dogs According to El Fadl, this shows the cultural biases against dogs as a source of moral danger.
In Hadith literature, it is reported from Muhammad (pbuh) that he issued advice to kill the sinful (fawasiq) animal even within the holy area (haram) of
According to one story, Muhammad (pbuh) is said to have informed a prostitute who had seen a thirsty dog hanging about a well and given it water to drink that all her sins were forgiven.
Another tradition attributed to Muhammad (pbuh) states that the company of dogs voids a portion of a Muslim’s good deeds.
Dogs, outside the legal discourse, were often portrayed in the literature as a symbol of highly esteemed virtues such as self-sacrifice and loyalty or on the other hand as an oppressive instrument in the hands of despotic and unjust rulers.
It is said that angels do not enter a house which contains a dog. Though dogs are not allowed for pets, they are allowed to be kept if used for work, such as guarding your house or farm, or when used for hunting purposes.
Camel and Cat
Muhammad (pbuh)'s camel, Qaswa, was very dear to him. Cats were especially loved by Muhammad (pbuh), he himself is said to have had least one cat called Muezza. It is said he loved cats so much that "he would do without his cloak rather than disturb one that was sleeping on it."
Muhammad (pbuh) is reported as having reprimanded some men who were sitting idly on their camels in a marketplace, saying "either ride them or leave them alone". He is also reported to have said: "There is no man who kills a sparrow or anything smaller, without its deserving it, but Allah will question him about it [on the judgment day]," and "Whoever is kind to the creatures of God is kind to himself."
Hyenas - Bats - Geckos - Reptiles and Insects
In Muslim culture some animals such as hyenas, bats, geckos, snakes, and other reptiles as well as insects are considered to be ugly, dangerous, vicious, and powerful. Sometimes, the stances on them are ambivalent. In Hadith literature, it is reported from Muhammad (pbuh) that he issued advice to kill the sinful (fawasiq) animal even within the holy area (haram) of
Pigs
According to many verses of the Quran, (Qur'an 2:173, Qur'an 6:145) the consumption of pork is forbidden.
Conversation with Animals
In many Shi'ite accounts of Muhammad (pbuh) he is said to have conversed nonchalantly with camels, birds and other species. In one account, a camel is said to have come to Muhammad (pbuh) and complained that despite service to his owner, the animal was about to be killed. Muhammad (pbuh) summoned the owner and ordered the man to spare the camel.
Hunting and slaughter
Muslims are required to sharpen the blade when slaughtering animals. Muhammad (pbuh) is reported to have said:” For [charity shown to] each creature which has a wet heart (i.e. is alive), there is a reward." Muhammad (pbuh) opposed recreational hunting saying: "whoever shoots at a living creature for sport is cursed." He is also reported to have said: "There is no man who kills [even] a sparrow or anything smaller, without its deserving it, but Allah will question him about it [on the judgment day]," and "Whoever is kind to the creatures of God is kind to himself."
The Islamic method of slaughter has been classed as inhumane by government-funded animal welfare authorities in the
Dogs in Islam
Traditionally, dogs have been seen as impure, and the Islamic legal tradition has developed several injunctions that warn Muslims against most contact with dogs. Unfortunately, many Muslims have used this view to justify the abuse and neglect of dogs, even though cruelty contradicts the Qur'an's view that all animals form "communities like you." We are pleased to present several articles examining the place of dogs in Islam.
- It is NOT haraam to own a dog, though it is not hygienic to keep a dog in the house.
- It is NOT haraam to touch a dog or any other animal. If the saliva of a dog touches you or any part of your clothing, then it is required of you to wash the body part touched and the item of clothing touched by the dog’s mouth or snout.
- It is incumbent upon all Muslims who own animals, whether for farming or work purposes or as pets, to provide adequate shelter, food, water, and, when needed, veterinary care for their animals. Arrangements must be made, if one is going to be away from home, to have one’s animals taken care of as well.
- It is haraam to keep a dog or any other animal on a short lead for long periods without food, water, and shelter. Dogs need exercise and are social creatures that form organized “family” structures in nature. Dog owners therefore need to spend time daily with their dogs.
- It is cruel, and therefore haraam, to keep any animal in a cage so small that it cannot behave in a natural way.
- Fireworks cause untold suffering to most domestic animals because of their acute sense of hearing.
- It is haraam to participate in any blood “sport,” like dog fighting and trophy hunting.
No animal has been cursed in any way. Animals are referred to in many instances in the Qu’ran. In Surah Kahf, mention is made of the companions of the Cave and their dog.
We would love for Allah to bestow His mercy upon us, so let’s show mercy and compassion to all His creation. This will also give non-Muslims a true reflection of Islam, aiding da’wah.
There are many Muslims who care well for their animals, and this article is aimed at those who are misinformed.
The appeal goes out to those Muslims: Please do not abuse or neglect any animal. This gives a distorted picture to others who are not Muslim.
1 comment:
thanx for ur effort brother...dat was a good one....n last some points bout having a dog in house cleared all ma doubts...thanx again....
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