How Islam Teach Us To Behave With Animals?

Islam's message of love, kindness and consideration spreads to all the living things including the animals. The Arabs had not realized that giving pain unnecessarily is a sin and animals should also be treated kindly. The Holy Prophet SAW made them aware of both. Before the advent of Islam, there were cruel practices prevalent around the Arabs with regard to the behavior towards animals.

The animals were treated cruelly and beaten unnecessarily. When a person used to die, his mount was tied up and was not allowed to eat or drink at all. Holy Prophet SAW stopped all kinds of wrong practices. He also banned the unnecessary killing of animals and if an animal was to killed fro family or individual consumption, such an act should be carried out as kindly and painlessly as possible. Even the killing of ants and honeybees was banned. When an animal was to be slaughtered, it was done with a swift and sharp knife and its head was not severed. Before an animal was to be slaughtered, it was to be fed and treated kindly and with love.