Good Deed #37- Take Care of Animals

1. 21:107- We sent thee not, but as a mercy for all creatures.
2. 45:4 (Y. Ali) - And in the creation of yourselves and the fact that animals are scattered (through the earth), are signs for those of assured faith.
3. 6:38 (Y. Ali) - There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth, or 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.
4. Narrated by Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah bin Mas’ud: We were on a journey with the Prophet (S.A.W), and he left us for a while. During his absence, we saw a bird called hummara with its two young and took the young ones. The mother bird was circling above us in the air, beating its wings in grief, when the Prophet came back and said: ‘Who has hurt the feelings of this bird by taking its young? Return them to her.’ (Muslim)
5. Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “While a man was walking he felt thirsty and went down a well and drank water from it. On coming out of it, he saw a dog panting and eating mud because of excessive thirst. The man said, ‘This (dog) is suffering from the same problem as that of mine. So he (went down the well), filled his shoe with water, caught hold of it with his teeth and climbed up and watered the dog. Allah thanked him for his (good) deed and forgave him.” The people asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! Is there a reward for us in serving (the) animals?” He replied, “Yes, there is a reward for serving any animal.” (Bukhari 40:551)
6. Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar: Allah’s Apostle said, “A woman was tortured and was put in Hell because of a cat which she had kept locked till it died of hunger.” Allah’s Apostle further said, (Allah knows better) Allah said (to the woman), ‘You neither fed it nor watered it when you locked it up, nor did you set it free to eat the insects of the earth.” (40:553)
7. “One who kills even a sparrow or anything smaller, without a justifiable reason, will be answerable to God.” When asked what would be a justifiable reason, he (the Prophet) replied, “To slaughter it for food—not to kill and discard it” (Ahmad).
8. The Prophet prohibited stoning animals even with pebbles: “Even if it does not kill or bleed, it may harm their eyes and teeth.” (Muslim)
9. The Prophet (S.A.W) said: “One who is enslaved to hunting is a ghaafil (i.e. lost to religion).” (At-Tirmidhi)
10. Narrated by Abu Huraira (father of the kitten): The Prophet (S.A.W) was asked if acts of charity even to the animals were rewarded by God. He replied: ‘Yes, there is a reward for acts of charity to every beast alive.’ (Bukhari, 3:322)

Action Plan

1. Having a pet is a great responsibility. Think long and hard before getting one. If you feel you can give it the care and love it deserves, always first go to the nearest SPCA and see if they have something you are looking for.
2. Find a cause, like save the whales, save the lion and contribute towards it.
3. If you see an animal that is thirsty, give it some water.
4. If you witness an animal being harmed or neglected, report it to your local SPCA.
5. Don’t tease animals, hit, or destroy their homes.
6. Anyone who possesses an animal should feed it properly and then take only as much work from it as it may bear (nothing beyond its endurance).
7. Don’t brand animals on its face or hit them on their face. It was disliked and cursed by the Prophet (S.A.W).
8. Animals for food and human consumption should be slaughtered in a quick and painless way. The Prophet (S.A.W) asked Muslims to slaughter animals with the sharpest weapon, thus causing the minimum pain and suffering to the animal. He also forbade Muslims to sharpen the weapon in front of the animal or when the animal was ready for slaughter, but told them to do these preliminaries before the animal was brought for slaughter.
9. Don’t overwork your animals (i.e. camels, horses, cows etc.)
10. Don’t keep birds in captivity.

Source: http://1000gooddeeds.com/2009/09/28/good-deed-37-take-care-of-animals/