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Prophet(PBUH)Kindness to creatures leads to Paradise and Allah's forgiveness
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:
“While a man was walking on his way he became extremely thirsty. He found a well and went down into it to drink water. Upon leaving it, he saw a dog that was panting out of thirst. Its tongue was lolling out and it was eating moist earth from extreme thirst. The man thought to himself: `This dog is extremely thirsty just as I was.’ So he descended into the well, filled up his leather sock with water, and hold- ing it in his teeth, climbed up and quenched the thirst of the dog. Allah appreciated his action and forgave his sins.” The Companions of the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked, “Shall we be rewarded for showing kindness to the animals also?’’ He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, answered: “A reward is given in connection with every living creature.”1
This means that one gets rewarded for every act of kindness towards animals by feeding them or giving them something to drink.
Ad-Daawoodi (an exegete of Prophetic narrations) said: “This is general for all types of animals.”
An-Nawawi said: “Feeding animals and all acts of kindness are included by this narration. This applies whether the animal belongs to the person or to some- ne else or a stray animal that does not belong to anyone.”2
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:
“Once a dog was going around a well and was about to die out of thirst. A prostitute of the Children of Israel happened to see it. So she took off her leather sock and lowered it into the well. She drew out some water and gave the dog to drink. She was forgiven on account of her action.”3
المراجع
- Reported by Al-Bukhaari (2363) and Muslim (2244).
- The explanation of An-Nawawi for the book of Muslim (241/14).
- Reported by Al-Bukhaari (3467) and Muslim (2245).