The Holy Prophet used to say: "Whoever is kind to the creatures of God, is kind to himself"
(Wisdom of Prophet Mohammad; Muhammad Amin; The Lion Press, Lahore, Pakistan; 1945).
According to the learned commentators of the Qur'an Majeed, animals all live a life, individual
and social, like members of a human commune. In other words, they are like communities in
their own right and not in relation to human species or its values. These details have been
mentioned to emphasize the point that even those species which are generally considered as
insignificant or even dangerous deserve to be treated as communities; that their intrinsic and not
perceptible values should be recognized, irrespective of their usefulness or their apparent
harmfulness.
The significant point to note is that, physically, man has been put in the same bracket as all
other species. The following Hadith leaves no ambiguity in the scene in which the Qur'an
Majeed uses the word "community":
Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as telling of an incident that happened to another
prophet in the past. This prophet was stung by an ant and, in anger, he ordered the
whole of the ants' nest to be burned. At this, God reprimanded this prophet in these
words: "Because one ant stung you, you have burned a whole community which glorified
Me." (Bukhari and Muslim)
The Islamic law (Shari'ah) concerning the rights of animals are very elaborate and explicit. In the
case of the ants' nest, the following Juristic Rule would apply:
Any damage or a damaging retaliation for a damage is forbidden(La zarara wa la zirar)
Human/Animal Communication
There are numerous legends about the Muslim saints and other holy men who could talk to
animals. However, for lack of authentication, they are taken generally as mere fables. There is
one statement in the Qur'an Majeed, though, which proves that man had acquired the lore of
speech with animals as early as the time of King Suleiman. Perhaps in those days human
civilization was more in tune with nature than it is today. The Qur'anic verse runs like this: "And
Suleiman was David's heir, and he said: 'O ye people! We have been taught the speech of
birds…'" (Qur'an 27:16).
The Qur'an Majeed tells us that God actually communicates with animals, as the following verse
shows:
And your Lord revealed to the bee, saying: "make hives in the mountains and in the
trees, and in (human) habitations." (Qur'an 16:68)
The Qur'an Majeed uses the same Arabic word "Wahi" for God's revelation to all His Prophets,
including the Holy Prophet Muhammad, as it has been used in the case of the bee….it proves
the basic fact that animals have a sufficient degree of psychic endowment to understand and
follow God's messages — a faculty which is higher than instinct and intuition
Animals Have Consciousness
Many passages from the Qur'an Majeed and Hadith state that all animals are endowed with
spirit and mind and "…there is ample evidence in the Qur'an Majeed to suggest that animals'
consciousness of spirit and mind is of a degree higher than mere instinct and intuition. We are
told in the Qur'an Majeed that animals have a cognizance of their Creator and, hence, they pay
their obeisance to Him by adoration and worship:
Seest thou not that it is Allah Whose praises are celebrated by all beings in the heavens
and on earth, and by the birds with extended wings? Each one knows its prayer and
psalm, And Allah is aware of what they do. (Qur'an 24:41)
It is worth noting the statement that "Each one knows its prayer and psalm...." The execution of
a voluntary act, performed consciously and intentionally, requires a faculty higher than that of
instinct and intuition. Lest some people should doubt that animals could have such a faculty, the
following verse points out that it is human ignorance that prevents them from understanding this
phenomenon:
The seven heavens and the earth and all things therein declare His glory. There is not a
thing but celebrates His adoration; and yet ye mankind! ye understand not how do they
declare His glory….(Qur'an 17:44)
The following verse tells us how all the elements of nature and all the animal kingdom function
in harmony with God's laws; it is only some humans who infringe and, thus, bring affliction on
themselves. The Qur'an Majeed dwells on this theme repeatedly to emphasize the point that
man should bring himself into harmony with nature, according to the laws of God — as all other
creation does:
Seest thou not that unto Allah payeth adoration all things that are in the heavens and on
earth — the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the animals, and a large
number among mankind? However, there are many (humans) who do not and deserve
chastisement….(Qur'an 22:18)
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