animals rights in islam eng

7/30/2019 Animals Rights in Islam Eng

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in Islam

Te Rights o

Animals


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Be like a bee; anything he eats

is clean, anything he drops is

sweet and any branch he sits

upon does not break.

Ali, 4th Caliph

Te Quran has over two hundred versesthat deal with animals, along with sixchapters that are named ater animals. From

the Quran, the teachings o the ProphetMuhammad and the narrations o therighteous leaders that came ater him, acomprehensive legislative system regardinganimals has been created.

Te above nar ration shows us how someo the greatest men ever to walk upon theearth took lessons rom the animal kingdom.Te guid eline s and rule s were draw n upin a time when the rights o animals wereabused, where animals were made to ghtone another or un, and they were huntedor sport.

We are told in the Quran how animalshave been created as communities in theirown right, with the ability to communicatewit h one anothe r. Te ol low ing ver seillustrates that as indeed the human race isa community o needs, be they physical ormental, so the animal kingdom has certainneeds too.

And there is no creature on [or within] the earthor bird that ies with its wings except [that theyare] communities like you

(Quran 6:38)

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It is He who has made you

successors upon the earth...

Quran 35:39

Islam has the view that man hasauthority over the animal kingdom,

yet it is an authority that comeswith responsibility;

Te Quran tells us o the duty o animals,that they unction in their roles and do asthey have been commanded to perec tly, oryou will nd the bee producing honey, andincapable o producing milk, and in doing soulls the commands o God and worshipsHim alone.

Te seven heavens and the earth andwhatever is in them exalt Him. And thereis not a thing except that it exalts [Allah] by

His praise, but you do not understand their[way of ] exalting

Quran 17:44

Tis verse shows u s how thing s cre atedin the natural environment ollow thecommands o God, and in doing so enactworship o God.

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Te verses rom the c reator in this respect are many, andreiterate how we must not only provide or animals, butlook ater the environment in such a way that protects bothanimals and plants. In destroying orests and polluting lakes,mankind earns a great sin.

God tells us what happens to those who abuse this powerand responsibility:

Islamic teachings discuss animalconsciousness, and that they suer rompain and pleasure, but unlike humansthey do not have the ability to rationalise.Indeed a Dutch team o scientistsdiscovered the release o endorphins inanimals, caused by stress and pain.

It is because o this that humane treatmentis obligatory, and an example o that is themanner in which we must co-habit with the

animal kingdom. We must allow them toeat, and provide or those animals withinour custody;

Ten let mankind look at his ood - How Wepoured down water in torrents, then We brokeopen the earth, splitting [it with sprouts], andcaused to grow within it grain and grapes andherbage and olives and palm trees and gardenso dense shrubbery and ruit and grass [as]enjoyment [i.e., provision] or you and yourgrazing livestock.

Quran 80:24-32

We have certainly

created man in the

best o stature; Then

We return him to the

lowest o the low

Quran 95:4-5

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Who has done this? Verily

Allahs Messenger (may peacebe upon him) has invoked

curse upon him who does this.

Muslim

Te view o animals within Islam attains the perect balance,or although we have the authority over animals, we mustensure the health and well-being o every living creature thatexists alongside us.

Animals have in part, been created to serve mankind. ouse their bodies or work, to drink their milk, to use theirmeat or sustenance, and to use the ur that is necessary, isall sanctioned within Islam as long as it is done so withinstrict guidelines.

And indeed, or you in

livestock is a lesson.

We gave you drink

rom that which is

in their bellies, and

or you in them are

numerous benefts,

and rom them you eat.

And upon them and on

ships you are carried.

Quran 23:21-22

Treatment of Animals

Said Ibn Jubair reported that Ibn Umar happened to pass bya party o men who had tied a hen and were shooting arrowsat it. As soon as they saw Ibn Umar, they scattered rom it.

Tereupon Ibn Umar said:

other than gratication or tradition is simply

prohibited in Islam, or the Prophet said:

Do not set up living creatures as a target.

Muslim

Hisham Ibn Zaid has narrated that whenAnas saw some boys shooting at a tied hen,he said:

Te Prophet has orbidden the shooting o tiedor confned animals.

Bukhari

o kill animals to satisy the human thirst

or trophies, completely goes against Islamictradition. o kill animals or their ur and touse those in unnecessary areas such as foorcoverings, or to kill animals to keep theirheads upon walls is a cruelty to animals.o undertake unnecessary exper imentationor cosmetics or toiletries is against humanetreatment o animals and is a disgrace.

Blood sports have ound the headlineswithin certain countries in the last ew years,and are a problem within many countries.o hunt or amusement, to aim a weaponat an animal or un, to cause injury or no

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Animals as Food

Where there is a need to slaughter an animal, and the mostcommon need or that in modern times is or ood, then manyguidelines have been set up to do so, or even this must bedone in the most humane o manners.

Te animals that can be eaten are clearly dened, alongwith the prohibit ion on eating m any types o meat. Temanner in which to slaughter animals that are allowed to be

eaten has been clearly prescribed and is lengthy. One suchexample o a guideline rom the Prophet was where a man hadput his leg on the neck o a sheep and had begun to sharpenhis knie whilst the sheep looked on.

Te Prophet asked:

Why not beore now? Do you want to kill her twice?

At-Tabarani

Further Ali (the 4th Caliph) said:

Do not slaughter sheep in the presence o other sheep, or any animalin the presence o other animals

Tis indicates the sense o mental care needed in this task,so or a greater reason the actual slaughter too has its rules,or the blade must be so sharp that oxygen ails to reach thebrain within a ew seconds, making the ollowing processpainless or the animal.

Prophet Muhammad saw a butcher grabbing a sheep by itsleg as it tried to escape. He said,

O butcher! Take it gently.

Abdur-Razzaq

Also, Umar saw a butcher was grabbing a sheep by its legand said,

Take it to die gently.Abdur-Razzaq

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Domestic Animals

Pets have a certain place within theaith and the domestication o certainanimals is permitted. Cats are allowedto stay amongst the amily as ProphetMuhammad said:

Oten when looking at the Muslimcommunity, there is a perception aboutthe hatred o dogs. We nd with therulings that dogs should generally be keptoutside the house, yet that does not giveone the right to neglect it, or mistreat it.

They (cats) are not

impure and they

intermingle with you.

Abu Dawood

Te useulnes s o this creatu re o God isindisputable. No other animal can competewith it in terms o its loyalty to its caregiver,its abilities as a guard, and its talent orhunting. Troughout history you willnd much evidence o dogs being used ashunting companions, bringing back oodneeded to sustain a amily, or indeed toact as a guard in many dierent manners.Indeed they have been used in their loyalservice o man or many years, and nowwith modern training a s s eeing dogs orthe blind, they are also used in this area ohelping humans.

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Summary

Islam permits the use o animals, theuse o their strength and the use o theirmeat and skin where necessary. It isbinding upon mankind to treat animalsin a humane manner, and to treat those

within one s custody or outside one scustody with care, humility and respectto not only their physical, but also theirmental well being.

Mistreatment o any part o nature, beit the animal kingdom or the destructiono the earth itsel is a major sin, andcondemned in Islam. An interestingactor is that these guidelines andcomprehensive principles have existedor over 1400 years, unchanged, and anintegral part o our way o lie.

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in Islam

Te Rights o

Animals

animals rights in islam eng

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