Islam has surprised the world by qualifying a person to haven for being kind to animals and to hell for ill treatment. In the ages of darkness, when even mankind could not be imagined to be treated well, animals were put in the slant of compassion and kindness. Following hadiths are eye openers to the mercy of this religion in this context.

1. On one occasion, the Holy Prophet (ﷺ ) narrated a story that a man felt very thirsty while he was travelling. He came across a well, went down and quenched his thirst. When he came out, he saw a dog panting and licking mud because of excessive thirst. He said to himself that this dog is suffering from the same thirst as I did. So, he went down the well again and filled his shoe with water and watered the dog. Allah rewarded him for that deed and forgave his sins. The people asked, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ )! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?” He (ﷺ ) replied: “Yes, there is a reward for serving any animate (living being)”.
2. It is reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ ) said that a woman punished her cat by imprisoning it until it died of hunger. Because of this, she entered the Fire (was sent to hell).9

Islam permits consumption of meat of halal animals only. None of the halal animals can be consumed without proper slaughtering as directed by the Muhammad (ﷺ). Even for these animals, the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) has directed His followers to show mercy, that will be rewarded by Allah on the Day of Rising”.9 He (ﷺ) emphasized on the manners and etiquettes of slaughtering, in addition to the basic principles, to safeguard the animals from unnecessary pain. Following a hadith proclaim the protocols of slaughter:

1. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) said that Allah has decreed that everything should be done in a good way, so when you kill an animal, use a good method. The version of the narrators, other than Muslim, says: “So kill in a good manner.” And when you slaughter, sharpen your knife, and give the animal as little pain as possible.
2. In another hadith, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said that verily Allah has enjoined goodness to everything; so when you kill, kill in a good manner and when you slaughter, slaughter in a good manner. He (ﷺ) further said that everyone must sharpen his knife, and let the slaughtered animal die comfortably. It is narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade the devil’s sacrifice (cruel killing). This refers to the skinning of slaughtered animal whose jugular arteries and veins are not properly severed and the animal dies without proper bleeding.

Fourteen hundred years ago Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) directed that animal must be treated humanely particularly when they are being slaughtered. Today merciful treatment with animals has become talk of the town. Specific pre and post-slaughter guidelines have been introduced to the abattoirs. Currently the animals are being slaughtered under the guidance of both halal and conventional (non-halal) standards. But both the types are conscious regarding the compassionate treatment during slaughter. The conventional standards feel that animals must be stunned before slaughter. It is a standard industry practice worldwide, since this makes them unconscious and reduces the pain. The knife should be very sharp, without blemishes or damage and be at least double the width of the neck. It should be used in a fast, aggressive cut across the throat with the least number of strokes in order to bring about immediate and massive blood loss.

Whereas gist of the halal standards in this regard reflects that animals must be served with merciful treatment, hence, they must be treated as such that they are not stressed or excited prior to slaughter. Holding areas for cattle should be provided with drinking water, as well as they should be nourished and well rested. The slaughter knife must be sharp. The size of the knife (blade length) should be proportioned to the size of the neck. The knife should not be sharpened in front of the animal. Furthermore, one animal should not be slaughtered in front of the other animal.

Cutting a part from a live animal was a cruel practice in the customs of Arabs. They used such organs for consumption. More often the injured animal died due to bleeding and pain. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) strictly banned this ill treatment, as evident tom the following ahadith:

1. The people of Madinah were in the habit of cutting the humps off the camels and cutting the buttocks from the sheep. When the Prophet (ﷺ) came to Al-Madinah and saw this practice, he said: ‘whatever is cut from an animal while it is still alive, then it is dead flesh’ (and dead is haram in Islam).
2. The Prophet (ﷺ) cursed the person who did Muthla to an animal (i e., cut its limbs or some other part of the body while it is still alive).
3. These two ahadith reflect the height of kindness towards the animals. Islam not only advocates that live animals be treated with mercy, but the partly dead (that has not bled completely and still shows signs of life) must also be taken care of. It is prohibited to start skinning or cutting parts of the animal after slaughtering until it is completely dead. The act of torturing animals after slaughtering is prohibited by decreeing that the meat of such animals becomes haraam.

Lactation implies the secretion of milk from the mammary glands and the time duration that a mother lactates to feed her young. This period is considered important for the better growth and nourishment of the new born. In Islam slaughtering or killing of lactating animals is disliked as is evident from the following hadith: Once Hazrat Muhammad (ﷺ) came nearer a man from among the Ansar who had picked up a knife to slaughter an animal for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), the holy Prophet (ﷺ) said to him: “Avoid those animals that are lactating”.