IT is true that humankind enjoys many privileges over all other creatures and that Allah, the Almighty subjected many creatures for their service such as some animals to use for riding or for eating. Nevertheless, human beings are still requested to show mercy to these creatures and continue remembering that they were not to submit to humankind's will except by Allah's might. For example, one can see a young boy riding a huge animal such as the camel and at the same time see an adult that cannot control the irritation of a tiny almost invisible bug. This is the thing one should remember when dealing with animals so as to continue showing mercy towards them and never behave rudely with them in a way to harm them physically and emotionally. However, this is not always the case in our community, as we see some people and even young children abuse the street stray dogs and cats not to mention the miserable donkeys that although serve humankind much in carrying heavy loads, still are beaten by the cart drivers. In this respect, the Forum received an email from our friend Francesca Dalmasso, expressing criticism of this way some Egyptians deal with their animals and wondering how Islam instructs the believers to deal with animals. Dear Ms Abdul Aziz, Cruelty to animals is found in many countries and is a cause of concern, as it has been well documented that those who abuse and torture animals are likely to also abuse and torture people. However, in Egypt the misuse of animals can be more public than in other countries. This ranges from authorities' lethal dealings with feral dogs and cats to individuals beating their horses and donkeys and fitting them with harsh metal trappings instead of alternative materials that are cheaper and widely available. I personally have noticed that many Nubians and almost all Bedouins treat their animals, with respect even affection, which has made me wonder, as all Egyptian Nubians and Bedouins are Muslim, whether the widespread abuse of animals in Egypt is cultural. What role does Islam play where their treatment is concerned? I would be most grateful if you could enlighten me on Islamic teachings in dealing with animals. Francesa Dalmasso Dear Ms Dalmasso Surely, this rude behaviour is unacceptable and hurts one's feeling on seeing it, although it might be attributed to the hardship some people suffer in their life and is being expressed in their cruelty not only with their animals but their children in many cases. In this respect, our great Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) once said that the one who shows no mercy towards others would not enjoy Allah's mercy. Strangely this hadith (Prophet Mohammed's saying) was directed to a Muslim man not because of beating his horse or even his son but because he said that he had eleven sons and daughters and had never kissed any one of them in his life! Mercy is one of Allah's attributes and names so all believers should show mercy towards one another, towards the old and the young, towards animals, birds and even insects. One of the most famous narrators of the Prophet's hadith was named Abu Huraira that means ‘father of the kitten'. The real name of this respected companion of the Prophet was Abdul Rahman ben Sakhr. However, the Prophet called him Abu Huraira when he saw him showing special care to a small kitten he once found on the street and sheltered in his sleeve. The Prophet also narrated the story of a man who was walking in the desert suffering from thirst and been blessed by finding a well to drink. After leaving it, he found a thirsty dog, so he turned back to the well and filled his shoe with water to offer it to the dog to drink. Herein, Allah forgave the man all his sins and later rewarded him with Heaven. In contrast, the Prophet narrated the story of a woman that went to Hell for locking her cat in her house neither offering her anything to eat or drink nor letting her out to search for her food and water causing her to die of hunger and thirst. The Prophet also warned his companions and followers not to hunt animals or birds for fun without needing to eat them. He remarked that these birds would come on the Day of Judgement complaining to Allah of being murdered by that man or woman not for an actual need but for entertainment! Therefore, the real believer would feel real mercy towards all creatures and never hurt any of them except for preventing possible harm or for benefiting from their meat. Even with these conditions, we were instructed to kill them in the right way, using a sharp knife to slaughter the animal or the bird from the neck in the fastest way and not while being watched by other animals and birds, so as not to scare them. To comply with Allah's instruction of showing mercy to all creatures, one should always remember that it is thanks to God's will these animals been subjected to us and it is not our skill or superiority that brought them under our command. Readers' comments and suggestions are welcomed on the e-mail: [email protected]
