ANIMALS IN ISLAM AND THEIR RIGHTS
In Islam we are
taught that...
-God Almighty has
created/ made, mankind, animals and all the universe.
-Man is the
Vicegerent of GOD/khalifah and is placed in charge of all the
creatures like animals
-This
status gives man a great responsibility/accountability and he should
be caring for what
is placed under
his control.
- Man was created directly from
dust/sand,Animals were created separately,
This means that:
Darwin Theory is a theory/a
myth and is not correct!
Evolution of man from animals
is not a true fact and is not accepted in Islam
But some "evolution"
did occurs in the same species: in both:man and animals.
Muslims believe in the
unique separate creation of each species.
- Each animal
should be treated with gentlness and respect,love and care.(RIFQ)
-The Holy Book: AL
QUR'AN and the Sayings/AHADITH and the behaviour of the final
prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) contain a lot of details on ANIMALS and how
to treat them?
- Several chapters in
the Holy Book AL QUR'AN are named/titled after the animals or
some insects,for example: the COW(biggest chapter),The Cattle,The Ant,The
Bees,The Spider, The Elephant ... and many other animals which
were mentioned include :sheep, goat, camel, horse, donkey, fish, birds,frog,monkey,whale
and so on..
-Every kind
of animal is a COMMUNITY like us,according to the Qur'an.
("THERE IS NO ANIMAL ON
EARTH,NOR BIRD WHICH FLIES ON WINGS,BUT THEY ARE
COMMUNITIES LIKE YOU!
WE HAVE NEGLECTED NOTHING IN THE
BOOK,THEN TO THEIR LORD THEY WILL BE GATHERED!") Chapter
6/verse 38
COMMUNITY means that
each kind of animal(& insect), has its own unique way of eating,
sleeping, reproduction, language, recreation, social life, feelings, needs
(culture
and habits...) which
should be studied, respected ,protected then fully
facilitated!
(Communities of
:horse,sheep,cow,birds,whale,seal,monkey,dog,fish,chicken,bear,donkey,spider,bees,
elephant,cat,butterfly
etc....)
-Every animal
praises God the Creator...!(each has his/her own way of serving
and praising
God(prayer)..but we do not understand it,as mentioned in the
QUR'AN).
-Animals have got
souls.
-Animals will be raised
on the Day of Judgment, man will be questioned by
God, if he/she has
mistreated any animal in their life and justice will be
given to every animal
and punishment for the wrong doer...!
-Many animals go to
Heaven!
-In Islam, Muslims are
ordered to give each animal:
his/her RIGHTS:
-natural food(no animal protein to
the vegeterian animals which we do eat,no Genetically modified food...) and to
protect them from any filthy harmful food/chemicals...
-water( natural/safe)
- natural
conception/pregnancy,offsprings ,motherhood and breast feeding
-security/shelter and
safety and protection from wild carniverous animals
-protection from
cold/rain/drought...
-To be used for what
GOD has created it( its natural function):for example not to ride a cow..but
ride a horse.
-to be treated when affected
by any illness.(vet)
-to live among its own
community/society.
-freedom to some
extent: access to sun air space and opportunity for: flying jumping and
playing(recreation).
-Healthy living:no bad
unnatural diet,no hormones and antibiotics no dangerous chemicals.
-right for
its "complaint and be heard"!
-right to have justice
especially on the Day of Judgment
-right for a gentle
humane care and welfare.
THE 5 FREEDOMS OF THE
FARM ANIMAL WELFARE COUNCIL ARE GRANTED AND GUARANTEED TO EVERY
ANIMAL IN ISLAM:
Freedom from hunger and
thirst,freedom from discomfort,freedom from pain injury and disease,freedom to
express normal behaviour,freedom from fear and distress
(these RIGHTS and
Freedoms, are based on some verses in the Holy BOOK AL QUR'AN
and some AHADITH/Sayings and stories which
occured with the prophet Muhammad,peace be upon him/see later)
(also if you look and
search the internet,you will find :
Under ANIMAL CARE AND
WELFARE IN ISLAM: 1,090,000 sites/studies
Under ANIMAL RIGHTS IN
ISLAM : 4,610,000 sites/studies .
This is true mainly in
domestic animals and the animals which we are allowed to
eat and consume.(but
other wild animals to be protected in their own communities)
-Any cruelty/harsh
treatment or infliction of pain to any animal is forbidden in Islam
and is a SIN and is punishable,as in:
fox hunting,bull fighting,
cock fighting, factory farming, caging/imprisoning, painful unnecessary
vivisection/ most animal experiments,cloning,stunning before
slaughter,hitting,deprivation from food or water,carrying heavy weight,misuse
and abuse(e.g use as target to hit/shoot at),branding , docking of dogs
tails,maternal deprivation, the cruel seal hunting,exposure to
cold/rain/hot weather...etc
-Keeping every kind of
animal alive/protection of the species, is recommended in Islam, as
done in Noah's Ark before!(Preservationof the species).
-A person can go to
Heaven/Paradise even for just providing food/drink to a
needy animal!
A person
can go to Hell just because of cruelty or food deprivation to an
animal ! (as stated by the prophet Muhammad,peace be upon him).
-There is a reward in
offering food or water to any animal,as the prophet said!
-The prophet
MUHAMMAD(peace be upon him)/the teacher: here is some STORIES in
brief from his life:
* was angry one day when he
discovered a mother bird distressed
and agitated
because someone had taken her babies and he said: "who has distressed
this mother by
taking her babies! give her back her babies..!"
*Was angry when a cat was locked
inside the house and died from starvation?
He said the owner is in hell!
*defended a weak camel who was
suffering and in tears and complaining ... he told the owner:fear
Allah with this animal..do not make him hungry or suffer..!
*Cursed who use the animal as a
target to shoot at.
*prohibited the hitting of the
animal especially on the face!
*prohibited to provoke fight between
animals,as in cock fighting.
*opposed the use the animal for
different function,like riding the cow...
*opposed the harsh cruel pulling of
a sheep from the ears..
* treated a sick dog...
*opened the door for a cat,who was
scratching it, while he was in prayer..
*opposed the burning of a colony of
aunts..(burning any animal or man are forbidden)
*changed the direction of the army
one day to a different road ,when he saw on his way a dog in
labour/ giving birth , and tried to avoid disturbing her...!
* gave many
Sayings/Ahadith ,ordering us to treat each animal gently,with utmost care
and welfare...as the way to Heaven..!
We should not forget also that
the prophet Muhammad himself was a shepherd and he looked very
well after the sheeps..with best care and welfare(organic natural
farming);
etc......etc.....
-The Khalifah (president) Omar Bin
Khattab, used to say:
" I
will be worried if I will be punished on the Day of Judgment when the animals
complain to GOD that they could not walk properly on the roads during
their lives
because Khalifah Omar
did not fix/smooth the road for them!"
-In early Islam:A
charitable trust (WAQF) was established in order to look after
animals,especially
those homeless, injured or disabled animals...!
-Abu Hourayrah one of
the most famous companions of the prophet
Muhammad(peace be upon
him) and narrators of Hadith/prophet's sayings,used to look after
kitten/hourayrah..this is why he was called Abu Hourayrah(the father of
kittens).
-Treating a sick animal
is a duty on every muslim and is highly rewarded!
- Killing an
animal for food, should be done quickly, painlessly and
without any suffering (
as it happens in Religious slaughter, without
the use of any
stunning )/please see separate scientific religious articles on
stunning.
It is an order by the prophet
Muhammad,when someone is killing an animal(domestic/wild),to do it
PAINLESSLY and without causing any pain or torture to the
animal before final death..
-pork/porcine substance and
carniverous animals are prohibited to eat.
-Cats can be kept inside the
house as a domestic pet,but not dogs...as they are NAJIS/unclean,cause
some diseases,bites and injuries and deaths,noise/complaints/court
cases and many other marietal/family problems.
However a person can go to Heaven
for providing water to a thirsty deprived dog...according to the prophet
Muhammad(peace be upon him)....
( ALL THESE ARE THE BELIEFS OF 1400
MILLION MUSLIMS IN THE WORLD!)
Now there is a great need to establish here in the UK/west :
Islamic organisations for animal care and welfare
and Islamic animal rights organisations which are based on the rich sources of the
Holy Islamic Scriptures:
Because: many
Muslims/and most non Muslims, do not know or are not aware of the fascinating
Rights and the welfare of the animals in Islam ...and because animals today are
suffering a lot of CRUELTY and ABUSE in our society!
British muslims(about two
million), should join also the many animal welfare organisations
who are campaigning sincerely for the welfare and care of the animals,and
should join in many of their campaigns and activities like:
The Royal Society for the Protection
of Animals(RSPCA)
Farm Animal Welfare Council
Compassion in world farming
International fund for Animal
welfare
etc.........
DR A.MAJID KATME
(MBBCh,DPM)
Muslim Spokesman
on Halal meat/Religious slaughter(DHABH)
Muslim Campaigner for animal care
and welfare
Spokesman:Islamic
Medical Association/UK
Tel: 0208 345
6220 M: 07944 240 622
Address: 31 North
Circular Road Palmers Green London N13 5EG UK
E-mail: akatme@hotmail.com
NB: I am available for
interview/talk or any query.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PUBLISH IT IN
ANY SHAPE OR FORM OR TO PUT ON THE WEBSITES.