Animals in Islam: Difference between revisions
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====Jews turned into Apes==== |
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The [[Qur'an]] refers to some [[Jews]] being punished by God and transformed into [[ape]]s. ({{Quran-usc-range|5|60|65}},{{Quran-usc|2|65}}) <ref>[[Jamie Glazov|Glazov, Jamie]], [http://online.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=13956 "Symposium: The Koran and Anti-Semitism"], [[FrontPageMag.com]], June 25, 2004. (retrieved May 3, 2006)</ref><ref> [[Bernard Lewis|Lewis, Bernard]] (1984). ''The Jews of Islam''. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-00807-8 |
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p.33 </ref><ref>Johannes J. G. Jansen, The Dual Nature of Islamic Fundamentalism, p. 179</ref> |
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=== Conversation with Animals === |
=== Conversation with Animals === |
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In many [[Shi'ite]] accounts of [[Muhammad]] he is said to have conversed nonchalantly with camels, birds and other species. In one account, a camel is said to have come to Muhammad and complained that despite service to his owner, the animal was about to be killed. Muhammad summoned the owner and ordered the man to spare the camel.<ref>Foltz (2006), pg.22-23</ref> |
In many [[Shi'ite]] accounts of [[Muhammad]] he is said to have conversed nonchalantly with camels, birds and other species. In one account, a camel is said to have come to Muhammad and complained that despite service to his owner, the animal was about to be killed. Muhammad summoned the owner and ordered the man to spare the camel.<ref>Foltz (2006), pg.22-23</ref> |
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Revision as of 22:07, 26 December 2007
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This article is about the attitudes of Islam regarding animals.
The Qur'an assigns an inferior status to animals in comparison with humans and has a tendency towards anthropocentrism.[1] It nevertheless strongly enjoins Muslims to treat animals with compassion and not to abuse them. The animals, together with all the creation, are believed to praise God, even if this praise is not expressed in human language (e.g. see Quran 17:44).[2]
The Qur'an explicitly allows the eating of the meat of the animals (see Quran 5:1).[2] Although some Sufis have practiced vegetarianism, but to date, there has been no serious discourse on the possibility of vegetarianism interpretations.[2] Certain animals can be eaten under the condition that they are slaughtered in a specified way.[3] Prohibitions include swine, carrion,[4] and animals slaughtered in the name of someone other than God.[3]. Carnivorous Land animals and birds with talons are forbidden. This prohibition does not extend towards marine animals.
In Muslim culture some animals such as hyenas, bats, geckos, snakes, and other reptiles as well as insects are considered to be ugly, dangerous, vicious, and powerful. Sometimes, the stances on them are ambivalent.[5]
Animals in the pre-Islamic Arabia
Arab bedouin, like other people, attributed the qualities and the faults of humans to animals (e.g. generosity was attributed to the cock, perfidy to the lizard, stupidity to the bustard and boldness to the lion). [6]
Based on the facts that the name of certain tribes bear the names of animals, survivals of animal cults, prohibitions of certain foods and other indications, W. R. Smith argued for practice of totemism by certain tribes of Arabia. Others have argued that these evidences may only imply practice of a form of animalism. In support of this, for example, it was believed that upon one's death, the soul departs from the body in the form of a bird (usually a sort of owl). The soul flys for some time around the tomb and on occasion crys out for vengeance. Although Muhammad rejected this belief but it lived under Islam in various forms. [6]
Qur'an
Although over two hundred verses in the Qur'an deal with animals and six suras (chapters) of the Qur'an are named after the animals, animal life is not a predominant theme in the Qur'an. [7] The Arabic term for the "animal" (i.e. haywan) in its only one appearance in the Qur'an means "the true life" and refers to the life in the next world rather than to "animal".[6][7] On the other hand, the Qur'an uses the term dābba which is not typically used in medieval Arabic works on zoology. [7]
The Qur'an explicitly allows the eating of the meat of the animals (see Quran 5:1).[2] Although some Sufis have practiced vegetarianism, but to date, there has been no serious discourse on the possibility of vegetarianism interpretations.[2]
The Qur'an applies the word "Muslim" not only to humans but also to animals and the inanimate world. "The divine will manifests itself in the form of laws both in human society and in the world of nature. In Islamic terminology, for example, a bee is a Muslim precisely because it lives and dies obeying the "shariah" that God has prescribed for the community of bees, just as a person is a Muslim by virtue of the fact that he or she submits to the revealed shariah ordained for humans in the Quran and Sunna.[8]
Although the Qur'an considers humans to occupy the highest place, it nevertheless strongly enjoins Muslims to treat animals with compassion and not to abuse them. The Qur'an states that all creation praises God, even if this praise is not expressed in human language (e.g. see Quran 17:44).[2] In verse Quran 6:38, the Qur'an applies the term "ummah", generally used to mean "a human religious community", for genera of animals. Encyclopedia of the Quran states that this verse have been "far reaching in its moral and ecological implications."[9]
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. Quran 6:38
Sunnah
Sunnah refer to the traditional biographies of Muhammad wherein the example of his conduct and sayings attributed to him have been recorded.
Treatment of animals
Muslims are not allowed to capture baby birds, burn ant hills and whip animals cruelly "for fun".[10] A person who hunts down a rabbit for target practice is deemed to be punishable.[11] It is forbidden to cage animals,[citation needed] to beat them unnecessarily, to brand them on the face, or to allow them to fight each other for human entertainment. "They must not be mutilated while they are alive."[12]
The historian Montgomery Watt states that Muhammad's kindness to animals was remarkable for the social context of his upbringing. He cites an instance of Muhammed posting sentries to ensure that a bitch with newborn puppies was not disturbed by his army traveling to Mecca in the year 630.[13]
Views regarding particular animals
Dogs
The majority of Muslim jurists consider dogs to be unclean (Jurists, particularly from the Maliki school of thought disagree).[14]
Islam usually cast the dog in a negative light by emphasizing its impurity. The story of the Seven sleepers of Ephesus in the Qur'an (and also role of the dog in early Christianity) are the striking exceptions.[15]. Muhammad didn't like dogs (and most Muslims do not have dogs as pets).[12]
According to one tradition attributed to Muhammad, black dogs are evil, or even devils, in animal form. This report reflects the pre-Islamic Arab mythology and the vast majority of Muslim jurists viewed it to be falsely attributed to Muhammad.[14]
A tradition attributed to Muhammad commands Muslims not trade or deal in dogs[16] According to El Fadl, this shows the cultural biases against dogs as a source of moral danger. [14]
In Hadith literature, it is reported from Muhammad that he issued advice to kill the sinful (fawasiq) animal even within the holy area (haram) of Mecca.[17]
According to one story, Muhammad is said to have informed a prostitute who had seen a thirsty dog hanging about a well and given it water to drink that all her sins were forgiven.[12]
Another tradition attributed to Muhammad states that the company of dogs voids a portion of a Muslim’s good deeds.[18]
Dogs, outside the legal discourse, were often portrayed in the literature as a symbol of highly esteemed virtues such as self-sacrifice and loyalty or on the other hand as an oppressive instrument in the hands of despotic and unjust rulers.[14]
It is said that angels do not enter a house which contains a dog. Though dogs are not allowed for pets, they are allowed to be kept if used for work, such as guarding your house or farm, or when used for hunting purposes.
Camel and Cat
Muhammad's camel, Qaswa, was very dear to him.[19] Cats were especially loved by Muhammad, he himself is said to have had least one cat called Muezza[2]. It is said he loved cats so much that "he would do without his cloak rather than disturb one that was sleeping on it."[19]
Muhammad is reported as having reprimanded some men who were sitting idly on their camels in a marketplace, saying "either ride them or leave them alone". He is also reported to have said: "There is no man who kills [even] a sparrow or anything smaller, without its deserving it, but Allah will question him about it [on the judgment day]," and "Whoever is kind to the creatures of God is kind to himself."[2][20]
Hyenas - Bats - Geckos - Reptiles and Insects
In Muslim culture some animals such as hyenas, bats, geckos, snakes, and other reptiles as well as insects are considered to be ugly, dangerous, vicious, and powerful. Sometimes, the stances on them are ambivalent.[21] In Hadith literature, it is reported from Muhammad that he issued advice to kill the sinful (fawasiq) animal even within the holy area (haram) of Mecca.[22] It is reported that Muhammad commanded geckos to be killed and called them 'little noxious creatures'.[23]
Pigs
According to many verses of the Quran, (Quran 2:173, Quran 6:145) the consumption of pork is forbidden.[24]
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Jews turned into Apes
The Qur'an refers to some Jews being punished by God and transformed into apes. ([Quran 5:60],[Quran 2:65]) [25][26][27]
Conversation with Animals
In many Shi'ite accounts of Muhammad he is said to have conversed nonchalantly with camels, birds and other species. In one account, a camel is said to have come to Muhammad and complained that despite service to his owner, the animal was about to be killed. Muhammad summoned the owner and ordered the man to spare the camel.[28]
Hunting and slaughter
Muslims are required to sharpen the blade when slaughtering animals.[29] Muhammad is reported to have said:"For [charity shown to] each creature which has a wet heart (i.e. is alive), there is a reward."[2] Muhammad opposed recreational hunting saying: "whoever shoots at a living creature for sport is cursed."[2] He is also said to have reprimanded some men who were sitting idly on their camels in the marketplace, saying "either ride them or leave them alone". He is also reported to have said: "There is no man who kills [even] a sparrow or anything smaller, without its deserving it, but Allah will question him about it [on the judgment day]," and "Whoever is kind to the creatures of God, is kind to himself."[2][20]
The Islamic method of slaughter has been classed as inhumane by government-funded animal welfare authorities in the UK who have found that it "causes severe suffering to animals."[30][31] Cattle require up to two minutes to bleed to death when such means are employed and in the words of the Chairperson of the Farm Animal Welfare Council:"This is a major incision into the animal and to say that it doesn't suffer is quite ridiculous."[32]
Advocates however contend that it causes little or no pain to the animal and drains its blood more effectively than other methods. They also claim that the Islamic method of slaughter is the fastest method to kill the animal among those used in the modern day.[3] Many refer to a study[33] done by Professor Wilhelm Schulze et al. at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Germany. This study is cited by the German Constitutional Court in its decision regarding dhabiha slaughtering.[34]
Notes
- ^ Encyclopedia of the Qur'an, Animal Life
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature, Islam, Animals, and Vegetarianism
- ^ a b Ghamidi (2001): The Dietary Laws
- ^ Esposito (2002b), p.111
- ^ Jürgen Wasim Frembgen, Völkerkundemuseum. "The Scorpion in Muslim Folklore". Asian Folklore Studies, Volume 63, 2004: 95-123. Munich, Germany.
- ^ a b c Hayawān, Encyclopedia of Islam
- ^ a b c Animal life, Encyclopedia of the Qur'an
- ^ Encyclopedia of Science and Religion, Islam,p.464
- ^ Encyclopedia of the Qur'an, Community and Society and Qur'an, Vol. 1, p.371
- ^ http://www.islamicedfoundation.com/askscholar/animal.htm
- ^ http://www.islamonline.com/cgi-bin/news_service/fatwah_story.asp?service_id=539
- ^ a b c Susan J. Armstrong, Richard G. Botzler, The Animal Ethics Reader, p.237, Routledge (UK) Press
- ^ Watt, Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman, Oxford University Press, 1961, [1]
- ^ a b c d http://www.scholarofthehouse.org/dinistrandna.html Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature, s.v. "Dogs in the Islamic Tradition and Nature." New York: Continuum International, forthcoming 2004. By: Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl
- ^ David Gordon White, Encyclopedia of religion, Dog, p.2393
- ^ Ahmad Ibn Shu‘ayb al-Nisa’i, Sunan al-Nisa’i (Beirut: Dar al-Kitab al-‘Arabi, n.d.), 7: 309 (The commentaries by al-Suyuti and al-Sanadi are in the margins). Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Fath al-Bari, 4:426. All reported in El Fadl.
- ^ Jürgen Wasim Frembgen, Völkerkundemuseum. "The Scorpion in Muslim Folklore". Asian Folklore Studies, Volume 63, 2004: 95-123. Munich, Germany.
- ^ Malik Ibn Anas, al-Muwatta’ (Egypt: al-Babi al-Halabi, n.d.), 2:969. Reported in El Fadl
- ^ a b Minou Reeves, Muhammad in Europe, New York University (NYU) Press, p.52
- ^ a b Encyclopedia of Islam, Haywan article, p.308, vol.3, p.308
- ^ Jürgen Wasim Frembgen, Völkerkundemuseum. "The Scorpion in Muslim Folklore". Asian Folklore Studies, Volume 63, 2004: 95-123. Munich, Germany.
- ^ Jürgen Wasim Frembgen, Völkerkundemuseum. "The Scorpion in Muslim Folklore". Asian Folklore Studies, Volume 63, 2004: 95-123. Munich, Germany.
- ^ Sahih Muslim; Chapter 35 Book 26, Number 5562
- ^ Esposito (2002b), p.111
- ^ Glazov, Jamie, "Symposium: The Koran and Anti-Semitism", FrontPageMag.com, June 25, 2004. (retrieved May 3, 2006)
- ^ Lewis, Bernard (1984). The Jews of Islam. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-00807-8 p.33
- ^ Johannes J. G. Jansen, The Dual Nature of Islamic Fundamentalism, p. 179
- ^ Foltz (2006), pg.22-23
- ^ P. Aarne Vesilind, Alastair S. Gunn, Engineering, Ethics, and the Environment, Cambridge University Press, p.301
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,956385,00.html
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2977086.stm
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2977086.stm
- ^ Schulze W, Schultze-Petzold H, Hazem AS, Gross R. Experiments for the objectification of pain and consciousness during conventional (captive bolt stunning) and religiously mandated (“ritual cutting”) slaughter procedures for sheep and calves. Deutsche Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 1978 Feb 5;85(2):62-6. English translation by Dr Sahib M. Bleher
- ^ http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/entscheidungen/rs20020115_1bvr178399en.html
References
- El Fadl, Khaled Abou (2004). Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature, s.v. “Dogs in the Islamic Tradition and Nature.” New York:. New York: Continuum International.
- Foltz, Richard C. (2006). Animals in Islamic Tradition and Muslim Cultures. Oneworld Publications. ISBN 1-85168-398-4.
- Gill, H.A.R. Shorter Enclyopaedia of Islam. Brill, Netherlands.