Mercy to animals
A man entered Paradise for watering a thirsty dog. A woman entered the Fire for tying up a cat. The deen's measure on creatures.
Outline
- 1
The man who gave the dog water
A man on a journey grew thirsty. He climbed into a well, drank, climbed out. He saw a dog panting from thirst. He said: this dog is as thirsty as I was. He climbed back down, filled his shoe with water, held it in his mouth, climbed out, gave the dog drink. Allah forgave him (Bukhari 2363).
- 2
The woman who imprisoned the cat
A woman was punished for a cat she tied up, neither feeding it nor releasing it to feed itself (Bukhari 3318). Cruelty to the smallest animal is named directly as a road to the Fire.
- 3
The standing rule
The companions asked: O Messenger of Allah, is there reward for us in animals? He said: in every living liver, a reward (Bukhari 2466). Every animal, every act of mercy to it, is recorded.
Closing line
Look at the way the dog is being fed in your house, the way the cat is being cared for in the street. Allah records both directions.
Ammar ibn Yasir (RA) reported that the Prophet ﷺ called a man's long prayer and short khutbah a sign of his understanding (Sahih Muslim 869). Aim for fifteen to twenty minutes. Two sections separated by a brief sitting is the Sunnah pattern.