Search In Fatwa

Denies that animals have souls

Question

Thank you for answering question number 135378 about pictures. In the question I asked whether animals have soul and you answered yes. When I discussed this with my friend he said that animals do not have soul .So my question is how can we prove from Noble Qur'aan and Hadeeth that animals have soul? Hope you will answer this question.

Answer

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 is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

There is no difference of opinion among all sound and sane people that animals have souls. It is upon whoever says that animals do not have souls to provide evidence.

Imaam Muslim reported that Sa'eed Ibn Jubayr  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him said: 'Ibn 'Umar,  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him passed by two young people of the tribe of Quraysh who had made their target a live bird which they had tied down and were shooting arrows at it. They had arranged with the owner of the bird that all the arrows that missed the target would become his property. When they saw Ibn 'Umar  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him they scattered. Ibn 'Umar  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him asked: 'Who has done this? May Allaah's curse be upon the person who did this. The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) has cursed the man who makes a living animal a target for shooting."

This is an evidence that a bird is an animal with a soul.

Allaah knows best.

Related Fatwa