God explains in the Holy Qur’an that all parts of nature, animate and inanimate, worship and obey him absolutely. The living creatures of nature (apart from humans and jinn) all live in a pure state of Islam, be they birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects or even the tiny creatures, such as microbes. All these creatures should be treated with respect according to the Sunnah example of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and give him peace).
If we look at Islamic sources of knowledge and observe the animals of the world we can clearly see that God gave the animals we are familiar with a form of awareness and consciousness that enables them to feel good and bad emotions, learn, remember, imagine and even love. In many ways the higher animals are similar to the Children of Adam but in certain crucial ways they are different.
Merciful God (who gave the Children of Adam and jinn a form of free will and an exalted spiritual status that is even above the Angels) made the animals to always be in a state of complete submission to Himself (as is the cosmos itself). They worship Him and obey Him and live and die for Him.
Animals will do nothing that God does not wish them to (such as the elephant of the tyrant Abrahah who refused to enter Makkah and destroy the Holy Ka’bah even when prodded with spears) and thus we should never get angry at animals as they are only as God made them. Many animal species have forms of non-verbal communication that can be subtle and complex, whilst some (such as dolphins and whales) even speak verbally (in their own ways).
The fact that the blessed Prophet Suleiman (may God bless him and give him peace) was able to speak to the animals in a special way (along with many Walis (friends of God ) shows that there is also a type of speech of the animals that occurs at a level beyond the ordinary within the sphere of the the unseen (al Ghaib).
Such may be the type of miraculous communication recorded in the Hadith narrated in Fatah-al-Bari in which Ahban bin Aus (raa) said, I was amongst my sheep when suddenly a wolf caught a sheep and I shouted at it. The wolf sat on its tail and addressed me asking;
‘who will look after this sheep when you will be busy and not able to look after it? do you forbid me the provision that God has provided for me?
Abhan continued;
‘I clapped my hands and said ‘By God, I have never seen anything more curious and wonderful than this!’ to which the wolf replied ‘there is something more curious and wonderful than this; that is, Gods Apostle (may God bless him and give him peace) in those palm trees inviting the people to come to God.
After this Ahban went to the trees and there he found the Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace). There he told him what happened and at his hand he accepted Islam.
In Nawawi’s Bustan al Arifeen it is recorded that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (ra) narrated a Hadith about a great early Muslim called Abu Muslim al-Khawlani (ra). He was a special devout man whom it is clear that God had favoured in many ways.
One time the false prophet Al-Aswad ibn Qays al-Anasi the liar of the Yemen had tried to burn him for refusing to recant his Islam yet he had emerged from the flames unscathed and because of this he earned the love of Umar and Abu Bakr (may God bless them).
In Ahmed ibn Hanbal’s Hadith it is recorded that one time Abu Muslim was in Byzantine territory on a mission. He was concerned about the arrival of a party of warriors, making his Wudhu (the minor ritual wash) in a river he discussed this matter with himself when a crow landed near to him, informing him of the party and telling him of the date upon which they would arrive. When asked who it was the crow replied that he was one who gladdened the hearts of the believers.
Animals are not endowed with the same faculties as human beings, nor with free will, yet the view of some modernist Muslims that animals do not ‘think’ is misguided. If we look at the Qur’an and Hadith along with a great corpus of scientific evidence we can see that such an attitude is wrong and that animals do certainly think even if it may be in ways slightly different from our own.
All creatures are the creation of God be they human, jinn, mammal, bird, reptile, lizard, fish, insect or other unknown creatures and Islam enjoins kindness and proper treatment for them according to their nature and requirements. The Seal of the Prophets Muhammad (may God bless him and give him peace) said;
The creatures are the family of God –
Thus He is most dear to God of all people
who treats them kindly.
(Bayhaqi in al-Sha’b Narrated by Abu Hurayrahh)
The Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) encouraged the Muslims to be kind to animals as well as humans and he prohibited the killing of animals for sport and ordered the Muslims to slaughter meat animals with kindness and compassion.
Zabiha is the pure Islamic method of humanely slaughtering an animal by reciting the Bismillah and cutting the throat with a knife so sharp that no pain is felt. There are a number of further Islamic rules to ensure animal welfare prior to and during the slaughter
When one of the companions carried some chicks from the nest of a wild bird, causing the mother bird great anguish, the Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and give him peace) became very angry and he ordered that the chicks be placed back in the nest.
The Holy Prophet was an exemplar of kindness to all creatures. He taught people that both humans and animals had the right to be treated mercifully, humanely and saved from oppression. One time the Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) saw a camel that was emaciated with neglect. He warned the people to;
Fear God in your treatment of the animals
Ride them properly and feed them properly
(Abu Da’ud, Sunan).
It is recorded by al-Tirmidhi that another time the Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) saw a man laid a goat upon its side to slaughter it. As Islam enjoins that the knife has to be sharp enough to avoid causing the animal pain during slaughter the man was sharpening it.
The Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) disliked that by sharpening the knife in front of the goat and after having laid it down the man was causing it unnecessary worry. He strongly reminded the man that he should sharpen his knife in advance (so that he did not cause the animal worry and so that the slaughter may be quick and painless.
What then will we say to him about our modern slaughter houses, where the animals can smell fear and blood even before they arrive and in which killing has become mechanized and inhumane, Halal only in the recitation of the Bismillah and the draining of the blood, but not in the spirit of how the animal must be treated considerately? Better the meat slaughtered in the field and in the humane way of the Prophet’s Sunnah.
A true Muslim is a symbol of love and affection to all feeling beings and the Companion Abdullah ibn Omar (raa) reported that the Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) once explained that;
Those who are kind and affectionate
to God’s creatures,
He bestows His kindness and affection upon them.
Therefore show kindness
to the dwellers of the earth
so that God
may show mercy and kindness to you.
(Mishkaat).
The Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) was the example, sent by God, for Muslims to emulate in matters related to spirituality, politics and morality. He taught us kindness to animals and informed us how it was possible to go to hell for cruelty to just one animal. He himself was greatly merciful to the creatures around him and if he saw anyone mistreating a domestic or wild animal he would cause them to desist.
Personally the Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) showed dedication to the welfare of animals and he would rise to open the door for a cat that used to sleep in his home. One time he discovered a sick rooster and nursed it back to health, something of which those modern Muslims with a utilitarian attitude towards animals should take note. We need not be vegetarians though, either out of consideration for health or for animal welfare.
The Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) only ate meat in moderation and some of the Companions started to live as vegetarians (abstaining completely from eating meat), but the Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) explained that it was not necessary and people should understand that it is the happy and natural way for sheep and certain other types of animals to be eaten by Children of Adam – after having lived a happy life and having been kindly and well looked after.
It would, however, be cruel to allow all of the food animals (sheep and cattle) to live into extended old age, during which most of them would suffer from various age related illnesses or to set them into the wilds where they would be eaten by wild beasts who would kill them far less humanely than is the way of Halal slaughter performed by good hearted humans.
Abstention from meat is permitted in Islam, but a superior way to this is the emulation of the way of the Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace).
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and give him peace) showed respect and mercy to animals and they would come to him in love and he ordered kindness and mercy to them from the believers. Our Creator God Almighty gave the animals rights that we must respect of face His wrath, just as the Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) warned that he saw a woman who was thrown into the hell fire for her cruelty to a cat or that a herdsman who selfishly failed to give his cattle or sheep enough water when they needed it is would be trampled by them on the Day of Judgement.
The Shafi’i scholar Sheikh ‘Izz al-Din Ibn Abdul Salam Sulami (ra) wrote in his Qawaa’id al-Akham fii Masaalih al-Anaam the following; that domestic animals (even aged ones) should be looked after appropriately even if past working age or if they are too ill to work, that domestic animals should not be overburdened and they should be protected from harm, that animals should only be killed humanely and with mercy and the young of an animal may bot be killed in its sight, and that animals should be given appropriate shelters that are cleaned appropriately etc.
An Indian Hanafi scholar of the 20th century CE Ashraf Ali Thanwi (ra) lists the basic rights of animals as follows (paraphrased);
Do not keep captive any animal for no reason.
Do not kill any animal merely for sport.
Make proper arrangements for your domestic animals in regards their needs of food, drink, rest etc and take care of them, avoiding over-working them or mistreating them.
Animals that are to be killed must be killed quickly and humanely.
Ashraf Ali Thanwi (ra) was known to be so merciful towards the animals that he would even take great care when disposing of his Wudhu (ablutions) water outside so as to not kill the harmless insects that live upon the ground.
Animal rights are an Islamic fact and we would do well to follow the example of the Holy Prophet (may God bless him and give him peace) and his companions and Walis in regards giving animals their rights or we may find that we end up being punished for our failings in the hereafter.
One day the great Sufi Abu Yazid Bistami (ra) was walking along a narrow way with his disciples, when a dog approached, coming the other way. Abu Yazid moved to the side to kindly allow the dog to pass, but one of his disciples inwardly disapproved of this act of mercy and secretly he thought to himself that;
‘God Almighty honoured humankind above the creatures and Abu Yazid is the King of the Sufis, with such a following of disciples, yet he makes way for a dog! How can this be?’
Intuiting the disapproval of the disciple Abu Yazid explained to him that upon seeing the dog in this predicament the intuition had come into his head that the dog had mutely communicated;
What failings was I guilty of at the dawn of time that I was given the form of a dog and what exceptional merit did you acquire that you were robed in honour as the King of the Sufis?
And that this was why he had given it the right of way. One day the great Sufi Sofyan al Thauri (ra) was walking through the market when he saw a caged bird for sale that was fluttering and making a pitiful sound. Feeling mercy for it he bought it and set it free, but rather than fly away it lingered round Sofyan’s home and would accompany and watch him as he prayed, sometimes even perching upon him.
When Sofyan passed away the bird was bereaved and it followed the Sufi’s shrouded body as it was carried away by the funeral procession. When Sofyan’s body was buried the sorrowful bird dashed itself upon the ground trying to reach its beloved friend and patron, and as a result it too passed away.
It is said that the people then heard a heavenly voice declare that Almighty God had forgiven Sofyan as a result of the compassion that he had shown to the animals.
In Nawawi’s Bustan ul Arifeen it is recorded that many people of Tustar noticed how Sheikh Sahl ibn Abdullah (ra) used to receive visits from wild carnivorous beasts and he would entertain them as guests, feeding them meat before sending them home.
Bediuzzaman and the Animals
From his Anatolian childhood onwards Bediuzzaman Said Nursi had a close relationship with the world about him and a real love for the natural world which he perceive as the handiwork of God and as a signpost pointing to him. He was fascinated by the living creatures, mountains and streams of the land, and for all the creatures he felt an inner sense of love and compassion.
In his biography Bediuzzaman recorded how, when engaged in study staying in retreat in the mausoleum in Tillo, he shared the food that was brought to him by the villagers, with the ants of that place, calling these little believers “republicans” thus praising them as examples hard work and cooperation.
Bediuzzaman would discourage people from harming or killing wild animals, such as stopping a gamekeeper from shooting nearby partridges, by reminding him it was the nesting season.
One time on of Bediuzzaman’s students killed a lizard and Bediuzzaman became angry with him, asking him whether it was he who had created it? Thus reminding him that it was a creature created by the Creator for a reason that he had killed, one that was merely living in Islam according to Divine designs.
Another time when Bediuzzaman was imprisoned by the tyrannical state apparatus he saw that flies were being killed by spraying for no great reason. He was most upset by this and responded by writing a short treatise on flies.
Bediuzzaman used to develop close ties and companionship with all sorts of creatures, although they may be often limited in intelligence and form compared to the human beings, he could see their essential selves for the pure hearted non-human believers that they are, servants of God who, unlike human beings, never deviate from Islam.
Although not a Sufi in the commonly understood meaning of the word, Bediuzzaman was infused with the inner spirit of Islam and through it he formed relations with the universe and everything around him, enabling him to establish a deep empathic and real relationship with all creatures founded on wisdom that we are all the creations and servants of God and compassion like that which was demonstrated to the creatures by the Holy Prophet.
Abdur Raheem.
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