The Rights of Animals

When the Prophet (SAWA) saw a she-camel, whose knees were tied up, carrying her load, he said, ‘Where is her owner? Tell him that he should prepare for the lawsuit tomorrow [the Day of Resurrection].

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Verily Allah loves gentleness and He aids in implementing it, so when you ride a lean animal, dismount it at the right place for if the land is barren and arid then get away from it and if the land is lush and fertile then dismount the animal [and allow it to rest].

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Mount these animals soundly and look after them properly and do not treat them as chairs for your conversations in the streets and the markets, for many riding animals are better than their rider and are more remembering of Allah, Blessed and most High.

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The animal has six rights over its owner: once the owner has dismounted the animal he should allow it to graze, he should give it access to water if they pass by it, he should not hit the animal except when it truly deserves it, he should not burden it with a load that it cannot bear, he should not overtask it with a journey that it cannot endure and he should not sit on it for lengthy periods of time.

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Do not hit animals on their faces for verily they praise and glorify Allah.

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘A prostitute was forgiven when she passed a panting dog almost dying of thirst at the foot of a well, whereby she took off her shoe and tied it to her headscarf and lowered it into the well to extract water [for the dog], and for that action she was forgiven.

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘No animal, including a bird or any other kind, is killed unjustly except that it will raise a complaint against him [the killer] on the Day of Resurrection.

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Whoever kills a sparrow in vain, it will cry out to Allah against him on the Day of Resurrection saying, ‘O my Lord, so and so killed me in vain and did not kill me for any useful purpose.

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘If the oppression that you have committed towards animals is forgiven for you, then [realize that] you have been forgiven a lot [of your sins].

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Are you not God wary with respect to this animal that Allah has allowed you to possess?! Because verily it has complained to me that you keep it hungry and tire it out.

The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘May the curse of Allah be on the one who treats an animal harshly.

Ibn Abbas narrates, ‘The Prophet (SAWA) forbade the killing of any living thing unless it causes harm.

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Verily a woman was chastised for the fact that she tied up a cat and left it till it died of thirst.