Islamic Teaching of Concerns for Animals

“If animals have been subjected to cruelties in their breeding, transport, slaughter, or in their general welfare, meat from them is considered impure and unlawful to eat (haram). The flesh of animals killed by cruel methods (Al-Muthiah) is carrion (Al-Mujathamadh). Even if these animals have been slaughtered in the strictest manner, if cruelties were inflicted on them otherwise, their flesh is still forbidden food (haram).
�The late Imam B.A. Hafiz al-Masri of the Shah Jehan Mosque in Woking, United Kingdom

All Muslims will agree that it is simply not enough to slit the animal’s throat in the halal manner in order to consider the meat halal. As supported by the Qur’an and the Hadith, the care and welfare of the animals before they are killed are just as important as the way in which they are killed.

The Qur’an does not view animals as mere resources but as individuals and communities in their own right. Two prominent examples follow:

“Seest thou not that it is Allah Whose praise all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the birds (of the air) with wings outspread? Each one knows its own mode of prayer and praise, and Allah knows well all that they do.” (Sura 22:41)

“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.” (Sura 6:38)

Significantly, the Qur’an uses the same Arabic word wahy when referring to God’s revelations to prophets and to animals, and many examples of kindness to animals are to be found in the Hadith. Muslim reports, “The Holy Prophet (SAWS) forbade the beating or the branding of animals �” The Prophet (SAWS) also forbade cutting off animals’ tails and other mutilations. But these abuses exist in the treatment of Indian cattle who are killed and sold as halal. One glaring example of this is the broken tail to be found on almost every cow and buffalo slaughtered in India. This painful procedure contradicts Muhammad’s (SAWS) humane teachings. Once, it is reported, Hazrat Umar (RA) saw a man deny water to a sheep who was destined for slaughter. Umar (RA) gave the man a beating with his lash and ordered him to water the sheep properly at the time of her death, a teaching in sharp contrast to the routine denial of food, water, and rest during the transport of cattle in India.

"There is not an animal that lives on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but they form communities like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, and they all shall be gathered to their Lord in the end" - Al-Qur'an, 6:38
"Whoever is kind to the creatures of God, is kind to himself." - The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), narrated by Abdallah bin Amru in Bukhari and Muslim collections