Animal Cruelty + Are Zoos allowed in Islam?

[umm hussain]

I love animals and I always have especially dogs which I had more contact with in Jahiliyah but of course I cant keep one now and I am not complaining, I understand the reasons behind it. It saddens me when people are cruel to any animal and it is beyond comprehension. I read while surfing the net that there is a man who was arrested for beheading a dog, I mean how can people be so cruel.

Animals can roam 100s of square miles. Locking them in cages is worse than life in prison with hard labor! Allah Almighty created animals to live in communities like us. This means that He created means of communication and understanding for them (languages as we call it). This simply raises the animals to a level which prohibits us to imprison them and to lock them up for life in zoos:

"There is not an animal (That lives) on the earth, Nor a being that flies On its wings, but (forms Part of) communities like you. Nothing have We omitted From the Book, and they (all) Shall be gathered to their Lord In the end. (The Noble Quran, 6:38)"

"Seest thou not that it is God Whose praises all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the birds (of the air) with wings outspread? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise. And God knows well all that they do. (The Noble Quran, 24:41)"

"Seest thou not that to God bow down in worship all things that are in the heavens and on earth,- the sun, the moon, the stars; the hills, the trees, the animals; and a great number among mankind? But a great number are (also) such as are fit for Punishment: and such as God shall disgrace,- None can raise to honour: for God carries out all that He wills. (The Noble Quran, 22:18)"


Since animals live in communities like us, and they Pray to GOD Almighty like we do but in their own way that GOD Almighty ordained for them, this makes them deserve to live a free and open life, and not to be locked up in prisons (zoos and cages at our home).

We live in a world today where mistreatment of prisoners of war is a big deal. We raise hell if humans are mistreated. But what about our animal prisoners? We sentence those poor creatures to life in prisons (zoos and cages in our homes), and we entertain ourselves really well through their suffering. We lock them up in cages at our homes while they can fly or swim 100s of square miles in a matter of couple of days.

You might have a good point in keeping farm animals in your yard or farm. This is not animal imprisonment or cruelty. Farm animals such as goats and horses, and pet animals such as cats and dogs don't mind living with humans. But keeping wild animals, birds and fishes locked in cages is torture to these innocent creatures.

Please say no to zoos and pets imprisonment (i.e., locked up birds and fishes)!

Animals not only suffer in prisons from us, but they also suffer a great torture by us. Think about the World's popular sports from "Bear Bating", where they unleash several pit bull dogs to attack a bear tied to a metal pole, or a bull fight a bear.

Think about the "Bull Fight" sport, where a man fights a bull with his swords, and slowly and painfully stabs the bull with those swords until the bull collapses and dies. This sport is very popular today in Europe.

Think about the "Dog Fights" sport, where they bring two dogs to fight each others to death and make bets on them.

Think about the "Cock Fights" or the "Rooster Fights", where similar to the dogs fights, they would bring two roosters to fight each others to death and make bets on them.

Animal cruelty and imprisonment are clearly prohibited in Islam! Let us look at what Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said:

Narrated Abu Huraira: "The Prophet said, 'A man saw a dog eating mud from (the severity of) thirst. So, that man took a shoe (and filled it) with water and kept on pouring the water for the dog till it quenched its thirst. So Allah approved of his deed and made him to enter Paradise.' (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Ablutions (Wudu'), Volume 1, Book 4, Number 174)"

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: "The Prophet 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.' (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Beginning of Creation, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 535)"

Narrated Asma' bint Abi Bakr: 'The Prophet once offered the eclipse prayer. He stood for a long time and then did a prolonged bowing. He stood up straight again and kept on standing for a long time, then bowed a long bowing and then stood up straight and then prostrated a prolonged prostration and then lifted his head and prostrated a prolonged prostration. And then he stood up for a long time and then did a prolonged bowing and then stood up straight again and kept on standing for a long time. Then he bowed a long bowing and then stood up straight and then prostrated a prolonged prostration and then lifted his head and went for a prolonged prostration. On completion o the prayer, he said, "Paradise became so near to me that if I had dared, I would have plucked one of its bunches for you and Hell became so near to me that said, 'O my Lord will I be among those people?' Then suddenly I saw a woman and a cat was lacerating her with it claws. On inquiring, it was said that the woman had imprisoned the cat till it died of starvation and she neither fed it no freed it so that it could feed itself.' (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Characteristics of Prayer, Volume 1, Book 12, Number 712)"

Animals do worship Allah Almighty and thus need to be respected:

"Seest thou not that to God bow down in worship all things that are in the heavens and on earth,- the sun, the moon, the stars; the hills, the trees, the animals; and a great number among mankind? But a great number are (also) such as are fit for Punishment: and such as God shall disgrace,- None can raise to honour: for God carries out all that He wills. (The Noble Quran, 22:18)"

"Seest thou not that it is God Whose praises all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the birds (of the air) with wings outspread? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise. And God knows well all that they do. (The Noble Quran, 24:41)"

 

[basheer76]

Let's make the World know how in Islam we treat animals

Salam Alakeom

Jazakom Allah Khair for bringing up this topic; it's really important to make people aware that Islam covers all aspects of life and that it is a way of life not just a religion as other religions.
I suggest that we make a effort to have a website dedicated to say "No" to Zoo and to get freedom for the Animals.

Salam.

 

[Mabsoot]

Wa alaykum Salam,

yes i feel the same way, and sometimes I think animals are treated cruely especially those kept in zoos. I dont know what is so fascinating about keeping animals in cages, the animals certainly do not look happy. And I do not like seeing them there. I would rather see them in natural habitat where they are free, and where my presence has no impact on them.

The disbelievers are cruel to the Muslims and other human beings, having invaded and destroyed so many lands, so to them animals are even worthless.. Look at the ivory trade, and the hunting for trophy tusks/skins which have driven many animals into extinction or close to extinction. Even today, they farm animals for their fur. That is done in most cruel cruel ways possible. And of course, it is a great sin for a Muslim to do that to any animal.

The meat you see in supermarkets and butchers comes from the most inhumane places imaginable, where animals are kept locked up and fed special diet to fatten them up. They are injected and fed such things that they grow at upto four times faster than is natural for them. -

Although, some care more about animals then even humans.

I think someone should go open up all the cages and animal pens, and put the politicians, lawyers and bankers in there. lol

wasalam.

 

[Mrmuslim]

Wa alaykum Salam,
I think someone should go open up all the cages and animal pens, and put the politicians, lawyers and bankers in there. lol

wasalam.

salaam alikom

lol Agree 100 % I usually tell people put all the politicians (all of them) in a bubble and throw them in the sea, but your Idea is much better lol

wa salaam

 

[learnermuslim]

Fair treatment of all of Allah's creations

Salaams,

imho

I agree that any of Allah's creations be it the Blue Whale or an amoeba should not be artificially maintained in an environment alien to it, or for anyone's entertainment.

I agree Zoos are an unnatural habitat and along the above guidelines should not exist. However, I would say that the removal of nature, especially for City dwellers, furthers them from witnessing the glory and beauty of Allah's creation in its organic holistic entirety and the total omission of this from anyone's life would be worse.

Yes Game reserves and sanctuaries where not only animals but fauna too can be preserved and viewed in its natural beauty is the best way, animals which are threatened with extinction, or can be kept as far as possible naturally without denying the ever growing human population access to land, can not be ignored either.

Nature is of course one of the best ways to commune with Allah and I feel Safari parks, large open areas with Zero Emission Vehicles to tour should be considered, with Zoos kept only for urban children, to view creepy crawlies, have a petting zoo and any injured recovering animals that would move on to the larger Safari parks.

Anyway, following Islam would mean that of all of Allah’s creations can live happily alongside each other without their divine rights infringed and each other acting as a safeguard and reminder of our ultimate reason for being here and final destination.


Fi amanAllah.

 

[umm hussain]

Zoos are not even fair for city kids because if we're so desperate to teach our children about animals, then have them watch the "Animal Planet" or the "Discovery" TV channels. There is nothing extra educational about animals at the zoo. Animals look the same on TV as they do at the zoo. If we don't have TV maybe the internet, we can get videos of animals on the net. Oh some people who can afford to go on holidays, instead of going to the beach overseas for example why not go on Safari and see animals. The zoos are over priced anyway so an average city family cannot really afford the zoo anyway they have better use for the money

If you still insist that zoos are educational and we must have them for our children, then how about locking ourselves up in a small cage at the zoo, so we can all learn about humans and how it can live in a cage/jail, for the rest of its life! Is that fair ?

 

[learnermuslim]

I agree, just discussing and puting forward my opinion

Assalaam Alaikum Brother Umm Hussain,

You are right I am wrong and agree with you that zoo's are cruel, but if you look at my post I am not saying that all animals should be kept in zoos, only the ones that would like lets say pond creatures, not have their space requirments violated by being kept in a human controlled/ managed reasonably confined space.

As for looking at the TV and videos, there is nothing like the real thing, would you be just be as happy with a video/tv impression of Mecca and Medina, or like to sense those places in all of their sensory glory. In addition it's for the non-rich people that such resources are needed, not everyone, even within an islamic economic system, would be able to afford the time, logistics or have the inclination to take their children due to work or other priorities on a safari.

Also, if the only animals left on the earth are in specific locations, however large it may be, hemmed in by human settlements, than its just as good as a zoo/jail. Animals must be able to roam freely all over the world as Allah intended, so you need nature/wildlife all around, which may come in to conflict with with the spread of human's space needs. In this definition would you say a Forest could be viewed as a zoo, if its surrounded by people and homes and the animals can't go out of it?


I am not saying zoos in their current format be continued, but the removal of any sort of nature from Cities, apart from parks, would be a shame. It is this alienation from animals and denial of their rights and view as co-habitants in this world and life that leads to animal cruelty, better to have children grow up accepting animals and sharing the same environment to appreciate Allah's creation and lead a balanced life.

But yes to reiterate, I agree with you that the current format of Zoos are bad, in that they deny animals their divine rights, we just have to work at something better and yes if that means no loins, birds , elephants in a concrete jungle; good.


Fi amanAllah

 

[Abdul Hasib]

Hmmm. Maybe we can fight Jihad for the animals? C'mon, they're Muslims like us and some Jinn, and the only people who love animals are Wildlife people adn Rangers.