Alsalamu Alaykom, Does God punish the animals during jusdgement day? Do they enter paradise or hell in the lifeafter? Is it acceptable to pray for our pets after they die? Thank you Bassem Tannir

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

It is known that animals are not required to carry out orders or abide by prohibitions; rather they are created for man to benefit from. Allaah Says (what means): {It is He who created for you all of that which is on earth.}[Quran 2:29] Allaah also Says (what means): {Do they not see that We have created for them from what Our hands have made, grazing livestock, and [then] they are their owners? And We have tamed them for them, so some of them they ride, and some of them they eat. And for them therein are [other] benefits and drinks, so will they not be grateful?}[Quran 36:71-73]

However, since Allaah is The Most Just, He will make animals which had no horns take revenge from other animals which transgressed against them, and then Allaah would say to them: “Turn into dust.” At this point, the non-Muslim will say: “Woe to me! I wish I were dust.", as confirmed in authentic narrations. For more information, please refer to Fatwa 91493.

Furthermore, supplicating for an animal after its death is a religious innovation as there is no evidence about this neither in the Book of Allaah nor the Sunnah of the Prophet and the companions never did so. The Prophet said: "Whoever introduces an act that is not in accordance with ours (concerning religion), it will be rejected." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Allaah Knows best.