Fatwaa ID: 857

Question:
salam walikum
as muslims do we believe that animals have souls?

Clarification:
there is a hadith where the prophet (pbuh) said theres sadaqa for every creature with a moist liver. Someone has narrated it as “there is reward in every animal with a soul”. Is this a valid way of narrating the hadith?

Answer:
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.

The Hadith you refer to is as follows,

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه: أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: ” بينا رجل يمشي، فاشتد عليه العطش، فنزل بئرا، فشرب منها، ثم خرج فإذا هو بكلب يلهث يأكل الثرى من العطش، فقال: لقد بلغ هذا مثل الذي بلغ بي، فملأ خفه، ثم أمسكه بفيه، ثم رقي، فسقى الكلب، فشكر الله له، فغفر له “، قالوا: يا رسول الله، وإن لنا في البهائم أجرا؟ قال: في كل كبد رطبة أجر
Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (R) narrates that Rasulullah ﷺ said,” A person suffered from intense thirst while on a journey, when he found a well. He climbed down into it and drank (water) and then came out and saw a dog lolling its tongue on account of thirst and eating the moistened earth. The person said: This dog has suffered from thirst as I had suffered from it. He climbed down into the well, filled his shoe with water, then held it with his mouth until he climbed up and gave the dog to drink. So Allaah appreciated this act of his and pardoned him. The Sahaabah asked: O Rasulullaah! Is there for us a reward even for (serving) animals as well? He ﷺ replied: Yes, there is a reward for (service to everything that has a) moist liver (i.e., living thing)”. [Bukhaari 2363, Muslim 2244]

Nevertheless, animals have souls. This is also understood from the following Hadith,

عن ابن عمر أنه مر بفتيان من قريش قد نصبوا طيرًا وهم يرمونه، وقد جعلوا لصاحب الطير كل خاطئة من نبلهم، فلما رأوا ابن عمر تفرقوا. فقال ابن عمر‏:‏ من فعل هذا‏؟‏ لعن الله من فعل هذا، إن رسول الله ﷺ لعن من اتخذ شيئًا فيه روح غرضًا
Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar (R) narrates, “I happened to pass by some youngsters of the Quraysh who had tied a bird which they were shooting arrows at. Every arrow that they missed came into the possession of the owner of the bird. No sooner had they seen Ibn ‘Umar, they dispersed. Ibn ‘Umar (R) asked: Who has done this? May Allaah curse him who has done so. Indeed, Rasulullaah ﷺ has cursed anyone who makes a thing that has a soul the target (of one’s marksmanship)”. [Bukhaari and Muslim 1958]

And Allaah Ta’aala knows best.
Mufti Muajul I. Chowdhury
Darul Iftaa New York
https://askthemufti.us/

08/24/1444 AH – 03/16/2023 CE | AMG3-3502

وصل اللهم وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى ءاله وصحبه أجمعين

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