Understanding The Prophet's Life
From Issue: 687 [Read full issue]
Respecting Animals
The Prophet, peace be upon him, kept drawing his Companion's attention to the necessity of respecting all animal species. He once told them the following story: "A man was walking along a road, in very hot weather. He saw a well and went down to quench his thirst. When he climbed up again, he saw a dog panting with thirst and said to himself: 'This dog is as thirsty as I was.' He then went down the well again, filled his shoe with water and climbed up, holding it between his teeth. He gave the dog to drink and God rewarded him and forgave his sins." The Prophet was then asked: "O Prophet, are we rewarded for treating animals well?" And the Prophet answered: "Any good towards a living creature gets its reward." [Bukhari, Muslim]
Through such traditions and his own examples the Messenger pointed out that respecting animals was part of the most essential Islamic teaching. He used all opportunities to stress this dimension.
Compiled From:
"Radical Reform: Islamic Ethics and Liberation" - Tariq Ramadan, pp. 235, 236