Search
The Prophet of Allah,(PBUH) used to forbid killing harmless animals
Ibn ‘Abbaas narrated:
“The Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, forbade killing four creatures: ants, bees, hoopoes, and sparrow-hawks.”1
One may not kill ants except harmful types. As for forbidding the killing of bees, it is due to the benefit humankind gains from them, like their honey and wax. Furthermore, killing hoopoes and sparrow-hawks is prohibited because it is not permissible to eat their meat. As for spar- row-hawks, the Arabs in the pre-Islamic era used to consider them a source of bad omens, so Islam forbade killing them so that this feeling and belief would be removed from their hearts.2
The Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, forbade killing animals in play:
Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (a Companion) narrated
‘ that the Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “He who kills a bird without due right will be questioned by Allah about it on the Day of Resurrection.” Peo- ple asked, “What is its due right?” The Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “To slaughter it (after killing it) and then eat it.”3
المراجع
- Reported by Abu Daawood (5267).
- ‘Ali Al-Qaari in his book Mirqaat Al-Mafaateeh (2681/7). Al-Mawsoo’ah Al-Fiqhiyyah (The Encyclo- pedia of Fiqh) (283/17).
- Reported by An-Nasaa’i (4445) and Al-Haakim (7574).
