Kindness to the animals and Righteous predecessors.
Contents.
1. Ibn umar and the one who was grazing the sheep in despicable place.
2. Umar bin al khattab on Camels.
3. Umar bin al Khattab hitting a man with stick who was dragging the sheep.
4. Abu al Darda’s love for his camel.
5. Umar bin Abdul Aziz on a person who overworked a donkey.
6. Shaykh al Albani
7. A prostitute and a dog.
8. How can you harm a Muslim when you can’t even harm a pig or a dog.
9. A man was saved from hell because of his good treatment to a dog.
10. A woman went to hell because of her cruel actions against a cat.
11. A cat’s revenge.
12. A cat is a source of entertainment.
13. The dog and the donkey see what you do not see at night.
14. When a Lion saved a Sahabi from other animals and enemies of Islam with the will of Allah.
15. Abdullah bin Ubayy and donkey of Rasool Allah peace be upon him.
16. When a poet’s cat died
17. The Habashi slave and a Dog.
18. Giving water to thirsty.
19. Kitten and Abu Huraira
20. Not slaughtering a sheep out of mercy.
1. Ibn umar and the one who was grazing the sheep in despicable place.
Wahb bin Kaysan narrated:
أن ابن عمر رأى راعي غنم في مكان قبيح، وقد رأى ابن عمر مكانا أمثل منه،
فقال ابن عمر: ويحك يا راعي حولها، فإني سمعت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم
يقول: ” كل راع مسؤول عن رعيته “.
“Ibn Umar saw a shepherd grazing his sheep in a despicable place, and Ibn Umar had seen a better place than that, so he said: ‘Woe to you, O shepherd! Move your sheep, for I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: “Every shepherd is responsible for his flock.”‘
al Albani said: Narrated by Ahmad (number 5869) with a good chain of narrators.”
2. Umar bin al khattab on Camels.
Al-Musayyib bin Daar narrated Umar bin al Khattab said about Camel:
لم تحمل على بعيرك مالا يطيق.
‘Don’t overload your camel with more than it can bear!’
This was narrated by Ibn Sa’d in ‘Al-Tabaqat’ (7/127)
3. Umar bin al Khattab hitting a man with stick who was dragging the sheep.
عن محمد بن سيرين:
أن عمر رضي الله عنه رأى رجلا يجر شاة ليذبحها فضربه بالدرة وقال: سقها – لا
أم لك – إلى الموت سوقا جميلا.
Muhammad bin Sirin narrated: “Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, saw a man dragging a sheep to slaughter it, so he hit him with a stick and said: ‘Make its journey to death a gentle one, don’t drag it – do you have no mercy?'”
Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi (9/280-281)
4. Abu al Darda’s love for his camel.
عن معاوية بن قرة قال:
كان لأبي الدرداء جمل يقال له: (دمون) ، فكان إذا استعاروه منه قال: لا
تحملوا عليه إلا كذا وكذا، فإنه لا يطيق أكثر من ذلك، فلما حضرته الوفاة
قال: يا
دمون لا تخاصمني غدا عند ربي، فإني لم أكن أحمل عليك إلا ما تطيق.
Mu’awiyah bin Qura narrated: “Abu Darda’ had a camel named Damon, and whenever someone borrowed it from him, he would say: ‘Don’t overload it with more than such and such, for it can’t bear more than that.’ When death approached him, he said: ‘O Damon, don’t dispute with me tomorrow before my Lord, for I only loaded you with what you could bear.’
Narrated by Abu Al-Hasan Al-Akhmimi in his ‘Hadith’ (63/1).”
5. Umar bin Abdul Aziz on a person who overworked a donkey.
وعن أبي عثمان الثقفي قال:
كان لعمر بن عبد العزيز رضي الله عنه غلام يعمل على بغل له يأتيه بدرهم كل يوم
فجاء يوما بدرهم ونصف، فقال: أما بدا لك؟ قال: نفقت السوق، قال:
لا ولكنك أتعبت البغل! أجمه ثلاثة أيام.
Abu ‘Uthman Al-Thaqafi narrated:
“Umar bin Abdul Aziz, may Allah be pleased with him, had a young servant who would work for him, earning one dirham every day. One day, the servant came with one and a half dirhams, so Umar said: ‘Has the market price increased?’ The servant replied: ‘The market was scarce.’ Umar said: ‘No, but you have overworked the donkey! Give it a three-day rest.’
Narrated by Ahmad in ‘Al-Zuhd’ (19/59/1)
6. Shaykh al Albani said after quoting these athaar:
تلك هي بعض الآثار التي وقفت عليها حتى الآن، وهي تدل على مبلغ تأثر المسلمين
الأولين بتوجيهات النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في الرفق بالحيوان، وهي في
الحقيقة قل من جل ونقطة من بحر، وفي ذلك بيان واضح أن الإسلام هو الذى وضع
للناس مبدأ (الرفق بالحيوان) ، خلافا لما يظنه بعض الجهال بالإسلام أنه من
وضع الكفار الأوربيين، بل ذلك من الآداب التي تلقوها عن المسلمين الأولين، ثم
توسعوا فيها.
“These are some of the narrations that I have come across so far, and they indicate the extent to which the early Muslims were influenced by the Prophet’s guidance on kindness to animals. In reality, this is just a small part of a vast ocean, and it clearly shows that Islam is the one that established the principle of kindness to animals, contrary to what some ignorant people think, that it is an innovation of European disbelievers. Rather, this is one of the etiquettes that they learned from the early Muslims, and then expanded upon it.”
Silsilah ahadeeth al Saheeha no. 30
All the athaar mentioned above by Shaykh al Albani under the following hadith.
7. A prostitute was forgiven due to her good treatment to a dog.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “A prostitute was forgiven by Allah, because, passing by a panting dog near a well and seeing that the dog was about to die of thirst, she took off her shoe, and tying it with her head-cover she drew out some water for it. So, Allah forgave her because of that.”
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 3321
8. How can you harm a Muslim when you can’t even harm a pig or a dog.
Imam fudayl bin Iyaad said:
والله ما يحل لك أن تؤذي كلباً ولا خنزيراً بغير حق،
فكيف تؤذي مسلماً.
By Allah this is not allowed for you to harm a dog or a pig without any reason. Then how can you harm a Muslim? (Siyar A’laam an Nubala 8/427)
9. A man was saved from hell because of his good treatment to a dog.
When a man was saved because he gave water to a dog:
قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَإِنَّ لَنَا فِي الْبَهَائِمِ أَجْرًا قَالَ ” فِي كُلِّ كَبِدٍ رَطْبَةٍ أَجْرٌ ”.
The people asked, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Is there a reward for us in serving (the) animals?” He replied, “Yes, there is a reward for serving any animate.”
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2363
10. A woman went to hell because of her cruel actions against a cat.
Narrated Ibn `Umar:
“ دَخَلَتِ امْرَأَةٌ النَّارَ فِي هِرَّةٍ رَبَطَتْهَا، فَلَمْ تُطْعِمْهَا، وَلَمْ تَدَعْهَا تَأْكُلُ مِنْ خِشَاشِ الأَرْضِ ”.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “A woman entered the (Hell) Fire because of a cat which she had tied, neither giving it food nor setting it free to eat from the vermin of the earth. “
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 3318
11. A cat’s revenge.
The Prophet said that he saw this evil woman in Hellfire being continuously punished for her cruelty:
رَأَيْتُهَا تَنْهَشُهَا إِذَا أَقْبَلَتْ وَإِذَا وَلَّتْ تَنْهَشُ أَلْيَتَهَا
I saw the cat (taking revenge by) lacerating her (with her paws) when she comes close to her, and she turns back (to leave) the cat lacerates her back side. [‘Sunan an-Nasa’i’, 1482 ].
12. A cat is a source of entertainment.
Ibn ‘Abbas said:
الْهِرُّ مِنْ مَتَاعِ الْبَيْتِ.
“The cat is a source of entertainment in the household.” [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith #330]
13. The dog and the donkey see what you do not see at night.
Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said “Do not go out often after the night is still. Allah has animals which he sends out. Anyone who hears the barking of a dog or the braying of a donkey should seek refuge with Allah from the Accursed Shaytan. They see what you do not see.”
Grade : Sahih (Al-Albani)
Adab Al Mufrad : Book 51, Hadith 1233
14. When a Lion saved a Sahabi from other animals and enemies of Islam with the will of Allah.
Ibn Kathir said:
وقال عبد الرزاق : ثنا معمر ، عن الجحشي ، عن محمد بن المنكدر ، أن سفينة مولى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أخطأ الجيش بأرض الروم ، أو أسر في أرض الروم ، فانطلق هاربا يلتمس الجيش ، فإذا هو بالأسد ، فقال : يا أبا الحارث ، إني مولى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، كان من أمري كيت وكيت . فأقبل الأسد يبصبصه حتى قام إلى جنبه ، كلما سمع صوتا أهوى إليه ، ثم أقبل يمشي إلى جنبه ، فلم يزل كذلك حتى أبلغه الجيش ، ثم رجع الأسد عنه . رواه البيهقي .
Muhammad ibn Munkadir said: Safina The freed slave of Rasool Allah peace be upon him was left behind the army in Rome or he was captured by the Rome. He ran away (from the enemy) and started to find the Army. On his way back, he faced a lion. He (was not frightened and) Said: O Abul Harith (father of a Lion) I am the servant of Muhammad peace be upon him and he mentioned what had happened to him. The lion came to him and he would attack the voices (of other animals) and then join him again. They walked together until Muslim soldiers were seen. Then, the lion left. Narrated by al Bayhaqi.
[al Bidaya wal Nihaya, al Hakim in Mustadrak 3/606 and said Saheeh on the shart of Muslim and adh-Dhahabi agreed with him, al Haythami said the narrators are trustworthy in “Majma al Zawaid 9/366 and Authenticated by al Albani in his research on Mishkaat 5949 ]15. Abdullah bin Ubayy and donkey of Rasool Allah peace be upon him.
When Abdullah bin Ubi said in a taunting way regarding the donkey of Rasool Allah peace be upon him,
“By Allah, the bad smell of your donkey has harmed me.”
On that an Ansari man said (to `Abdullah), “By Allah! The smell of the donkey of Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) is better than your smell.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 2691
16. When a poet’s cat died
A poet ابن العلاف الضرير النهرواني wrote a marsiya when his cat died.
He says in the start:
يا هرُّ فارقتنا ولم تعد ** وكنت عندي بمنزل الولد
O dear cat, you departed from us and never returned ** You were with me like a beloved son.
The Marisa had 65 poetic verses.
al Bidaya wal Nihaya the year 318 h
17. The Habashi slave and a Dog.
Imam إبراهيم البيهقي (295 – 320 هـ said:
قال: مرّ عبيد الله بن معمر بحبشي يأكل تمراً وبين يديه كلب، فلما وضع في فمه لقمةً رمى إلى الكلب بلقمة وتمرة. فقال له عبيد الله: هذا الكلب لك؟ قال: لا. قال: فكيف صرت تطعمه وأنت تأكل؟ قال: إني لأستحيي ذا عينين أن ينظر إلي وأنا آكل فلا أطعمه. قال له عبيد الله: أأنت حرّ أم عبد؟ قال: عبد لبني غاضرة. فأتاهم فقال: لمن الحبشي؟ قال صاحبه: لي. فقال: بعه مني. قال: هو لك. قال: لا والله إلا أن تأخذ ثمنه أو غلاماً يكون محله. فاشتراه ثم قال: أشهدكم أنه حرّ لوجه الله جل وعز.
Ubaidullah bin Ma’mar passed by a Habashi slave who was eating dates and a dog was sitting in front of him. When the Habashi took a bite he would give other to the dog. He asked, is it your dog? No, he replied. Then why are you feeding him? He asked.
He said: I feel ashamed from Allah that an animal with two eyes is sitting in front of me and seeing me and I fill my stomach without giving him anything. Ubaidullah asked, are you free or a slave? He said I am slave of Bani Gazirah. Obaidullah went to them and asked who is Master of this Habashi? One of them said I am. He said sell him to me, the Master said he is yours. Obaidullah said, not like this by Allah. Take his full amount or any other servant (Ghulam) against him. So he bought him and freed for Allah’s sake.
ص243 – كتاب المحاسن والمساوئ – محاسن العبيد – المكتبة الشاملة الحديثة
18. Giving water to thirsty.
al Qurtubi said:
وقد قال بعض التابعين : من كثرت ذنوبه فعليه بسقي الماء . وقد غفر الله ذنوب الذي سقى الكلب ، فكيف بمن سقى رجلا مؤمنا موحدا وأحياه
Some of the Tabiyeen said:
“If the sins have become great one should give water to people”.
When Allah forgave (a prostitute) who gave water to a dog. So, How will Allah deal with the one who gives water to a momin , Muwahhid and gave him life.
Tafsir al Qurtubi under Surah al Araaf verse 50
19. Kitten and Abu Huraira.
Abu Huraira said
كُنْتُ أَرْعَى غَنَمَ أَهْلِي فَكَانَتْ لِي هُرَيْرَةٌ صَغِيرَةٌ فَكُنْتُ أَضَعُهَا بِاللَّيْلِ فِي شَجَرَةٍ فَإِذَا كَانَ النَّهَارُ ذَهَبْتُ بِهَا مَعِي فَلَعِبْتُ بِهَا فَكَنَّوْنِي أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ
‘I used to tend the sheep of my people, and I had a small kitten; so I used to place it in a tree at night, and during the day I would take it and play with it. So they named me Abu Hurairah.'”
Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)
Tirmidhi : Book 49, Hadith 4211
20. Not slaughtering a sheep out of mercy.
Qurra ibn Iyas reported: A man said,
عن قرة بن إياس قَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي لَأَذْبَحُ الشَّاةَ فَأَرْحَمُهَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَالشَّاةُ إِنْ رَحِمْتَهَا رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ
“O Messenger of Allah, I would have slaughtered a sheep but I had mercy on it.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “If you had mercy on the sheep, Allah will have mercy on you twice.”
Source: al-Adab al-Mufrad 368
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani