It was not Allah who instituted the practice of a slit-ear-she-camel...(Qur'an 5:106). Allah
cursed him {Satan} for having said: "I shall entice a number of your servants, and lead
them astray, and I shall arouse in them vain desires; and I shall instruct them to slit the
ears of cattle; and most certainly, I shall bid them — so that they will corrupt Allah's
creation." Indeed! He who chooses the Devil rather than Allah as his patron, ruins
himself manifestly.
(Qur'an 4:118, 119)
Fur and Other Uses of Animals
There is a large-scale carnage of fur-bearing animals...to satisfy human needs, most of which
are non-essential, fanciful, wasteful and for which alternative, humane products are easily
available….The excuse that such things are essential for human needs is no longer valid.
Modern technology has produced all these things in synthetic materials and they are easily
available all over the world, in some cases at a cheaper price.
Some juristic rules that apply are: "That which was made permissible for a reason, becomes
impermissible by the absence of that reason." (Ma jaza le uzrin, batala be zawalehi) and "All
false excuses leading to damage should be repudiated." (Sadduz-zarae al-mua'ddiyate ela-l-
fasad). These rules leave no excuse for the Muslims to remain complacent about the current
killing of animals in their millions for their furs, tusks, oil, and various other commodities.
The Qur'an Majeed does mention animals as a source of warm clothing (Qur'an 16:5), but
modern-day clothing made of synthetic fibers is just as warm as clothing made from animal
skins and makes clothing from animal skins unnecessary. The Qur'an refers only to the skins
and furs of domesticated cattle which either die their natural death or are slaughtered for food.
Today, millions of wild animals are killed commercially just for their furs and skins, while their
carcasses are left to rot. Fourteen centuries ago Islam realized the absurdity of this wasteful and
cruel practice and passed laws to stop it in the following Ahadith:
The Holy Prophet Muhammad prohibited the use of skins of wild animals. (Narrated by
Abu Malik on the authority of his father. Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi as recorded in Garden
of the Righteous - Riyad as-Salihin of Imam Nawawi; translated by M.Z. Kahn; Curzon
Press, London, 1975 [hereafter referred to as Riyad]; Hadith No. 815, p. 160.)
The Holy Prophet Muhammad forbade the skins of wild animals being used as floor-
coverings. (id.)
The Holy Prophet said: "Do not ride on saddles made of silk or leopard skins." (Narrated
by Mu'awiah. Abu Dawud [see Riyad, Ref. No. 28]; Hadith No. 814, p. 160.)
Animal Fights
All kinds of animal fights are strictly forbidden in Islam. Out of the numerous such injunctions,
one would suffice here:
God's Messenger forbade inciting animals to fight each other. (Narrated by Abdullah bin
Abbas. Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi and Abu al-Darda; recorded in Riyad [Ref. No. 28];
Hadith No. 1606; p. 271. Also "Robson" [Ref. No. 15), p. 876.])
Like camel-humps, fat-tails of sheep and target-animals (mujaththema), the meat of animals
who die as a result of fights is also declared in Islam as unlawful to eat (haram). For example,
the Spaniards hold fiestas on special occasions to eat the bull killed by a matador
Factory Farming
(See also the sections on Cruelty to Animals and Slaughter of Animals Used for Food and the
restrictions thereon.)
Our Holy Prophet's overwhelming concern for animal rights and their general welfare would
certainly have condemned (La'ana) those who practice such methods (factory farming), in the
same way as he condemned similar other cruelties in his days. He would have declared that
there is no grace or blessing (Brakah) — neither in the consumption of such food nor in the
profits from such trades.
Vegetarianism
There is no suggestion in the Qur'an Majeed or in any other of the Islamic sources that eating
meat is good for physical or spiritual health. Islam's approach in this matter is neutral; it has left
the choice to the individual, but those who opt to eat meat are urged in the Qur'an Majeed to eat
in moderation (Qur'an 7:31; 5:87 and other verses). Furthermore, there are elaborate and
stringent laws governing the overall treatment of animals used for food — their rearing and
breeding; the pre-slaughter; and handling during and after slaughter.
The Holy Prophet has placed the killing of animals without a justifiable reason as one of the
major sins:
Avoid ye the seven obnoxious things {deadly sins}: polytheism; magic; the killing
breathing beings! Which God has forbidden except for rightful reason. (Narrated by Abu
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