All living creatures including humans, animals, birds and insects are worthy for consideration and deserve respect since Islam views them as Allah’s creations. Islam strongly enforces its followers to treat animals with compassion and do not abuse them. The Holy Qur’an, Ahadith as well as history of Islamic civilization have witnessed numerous examples of kindness, mercy, and sympathy for animals. According to Islamic teachings, animals have specific position and purpose in the creation hierarchy. Fundamentally they have been created to fulfil the multiple needs of the mankind. On the other hand humans have been directed not to waste the lives of animals and are held responsible for their well-being and feed.

The Prophet (ﷺ) warned, “there is no person who kills a small bird or anything larger for just nothing, but Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, will ask him about it”. When the Messenger of Allah was asked about “nothing”, He (ﷺ) replied: “that you slaughter the animal and eat it and do not cut off its head and throw it aside”. In simple language, one is only permitted to kill an animal for particular need, e.g. food, etc. Apart from the daily usual and common benefits Islam has disclosed some outstanding characters bestowed upon the animals which can be even useful in the present scientific era. The Prophet (ﷺ) revealingly said: When you hear the barking of dogs and the braying of asses at night, seek refuge in Allah, for they see which you do not see.5 According to this revelation some of the animals have the capability to foresee the natural events such as flood, earthquake, or hurricane that cause great damage or loss of life. Hence, they need more attention from the mankind in contrast to what humans normally offer.

Compassion

Hazrat Muhammad (ﷺ) was sent on the earth as compassion and mercy, not only for mankind but also for the animals (XXI: 107). In this regard He (ﷺ) forbade the people from harming or torturing the animals. On different occasions He (ﷺ) prohibited the people from dragging, mutilating and branding the animals or making them fight each other. Moreover, He (ﷺ) barred people from caging the birds as He (ﷺ) declared it a painful act. He (ﷺ) also prohibited the followers from killing non-hazardous tiny creatures like ants, bees, frogs, etc. These aspects of kindness towards the animals are reflected in following hadiths:-

1. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) passed by a man who was dragging a sheep by its ear, He (ﷺ) said: ‘Leave its ear and hold it by the sides of its neck’. Pulling an animal by the ears is more painful than pulling it by the neck.
2. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) forbade beating (animals) on the face. Face is more sensitive than other parts, hence it is painful to the animal to hit on the face.
3. It is reported that He (ﷺ) disliked making animals fight each other. When animals fight, they hit each other with full strength that causes pain to both the fighting animals.
4. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade mutilating animals. Mutilating is an act that is disliked even today. It is painful when using hot iron or other such techniques.
5. A man said to the Holy Prophet that he was going to slaughter a sheep and then felt sorry for the sheep. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) said twice, ‘Since you showed mercy to the sheep, Allah will show mercy to you”.
6. Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Abd Allah quoted his father as saying: When we were on a journey with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he had gone to relieve himself, we saw a Hummarah with two young ones. We took the young ones. The Hummarah came and began to spread out its wings. Then the prophet (May peace be upon him) came and said: who has pained this young by the loss of her young? Give her young ones back to her. We also saw an ant-hill which we had burned. He asked? Who has burned this? We replied: we have. He said: it is not fitting that anyone but the lord of the fire should punish with fire.
7. Narrated Abdur Rahman ibn Uthman: When a physician consulted the Prophet (ﷺ) about putting frogs in medicine, he forbade him to kill them.
8. Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited to kill four creatures: ants, bees, hoopoes, and sparrow-hawks.
9. In line with the above revelations the modern halal industrial standards also emphasize that the animals/birds should be treated humanely. They should be treated in ways that minimize fear, pain, stress and suffering. They should be provided with water, food, proper handling, health care, an environment appropriate to their care and use, with thoughtful consideration for their species-typical biology and behaviour. Moreover, they should be provided with water and feed during the long journey. If animals/birds have arrived from long distance, they should first be allowed to rest and be provided with water and feed (PS: 3733, 2016).
10. With the support and close co-operation of the Member States, the European Commission has been promoting animal welfare for over 40 years gradually improving the lives of farm animals. An important step in 1998 was Council Directive 98/58/EC on the protection of animals kept for farming purposes which gave general rules for the protection of animals of all species kept for the production of food, wool, skin or fur or for other farming purposes, including fish, reptiles or amphibians (EC, 2009). They reflect the so-called ‘Five Freedoms’:
    
    1. Freedom from hunger and thirst
    2. Freedom from discomfort
    3. Freedom from pain, injury and disease
    4. Freedom to express normal behavior
    5. Freedom from fear and distress