Allah says
( ما فرطنا في الكتاب من شيء)
The beginning of the matter is that the Qur’an says, “We have not neglected anything in the Book”? Does the Qur’an on this occasion: talk about animals? The truth is that God Almighty mentioned animals several times in the Qur’an and Sunnah and assigned them rights that you will not find in the heavenly religions before that which existed 1400 years ago and more, anything that is new is not comparable to that which is 1,000 years and more. Moreover, Islam singled out for some animals an entire surah in their name, perhaps because of their impact on the environment compared to others, and perhaps they are a model for others, and perhaps the animals mentioned in the Qur’an are all of African origin, not of Western origin, and that Africa is known for its biological diversity and is known for its abundant animal wealth. And God knows what he means... Let's begin.
First: The general rights of animals mentioned in the Purified Sunnah:
1 - The right to life
قال -تعالى-:(وَما مِن دابَّةٍ فِي الأَرضِ وَلا طائِرٍ يَطيرُ بِجَناحَيهِ إِلّا أُمَمٌ أَمثالُكُم).[
He - the Most High - said: (And there is no animal on the earth, nor a bird that flies with its wings, but nations like you).
As long as they are nations like us, there is a nation of cats, a nation of birds, a nation of fish, a nation of beasts and insects and others., and we like the life and feed our children, so they also like life and love those who save them from the great problems of life that they may be exposed to - and love those who feed them to feed their children.
2- Spending on it
The scholars are of the opinion that the maintenance of the animal is obligatory on its owner, and the public, on the condition that the judge may compel the owner of the animal to spend on it, So they considered the animal a party to the judiciary and it is judged for it, and it differed in this Hanafi for “procedural” considerations.
4- Giving its right to feed
That the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: “If you travel in fertile land, give the camels their share of the land, and if you travel in the fammine, make haste for them to walk, and if you visit at night, avoid the road, for it is the shelter of vermin at night.
5- The right to rest
His saying, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, in another narration on the previous hadith: “Do not transgress the homes.”That is, do not go beyond the travel stations in which rest is in an effort to speed up the travel, “because it is the trouble of souls and beasts.”
6 - When you are unable to spend on the animal (solution)
The Malikis said: It is decreed that the animal be taken out of its possession by sale, charity, or slaughter, if it is one of the slaughtered
The Shafi’is rent animals, and if it is not possible to rent them, the ruler does what he sees fit.
The Hanbalis added another solution. It is for the ruler to spend on the animal by taking a loan from the owner of the animal.
7- The scholars have ruled that the animal’s so'r: is (what is left over from what the animal drank).
It is permissible to deal with it in ablution and other things, and that is the rest of the food whose meat is eaten, cats, mules, donkeys, lions and birds of prey, an exception is made from this: the dog and the pig, as their ribs are unclean, and whatever they have been exposed to should be washed with water and dirt.
8- Feeding animals is a charity
Saraqah bin Jasham asked the Prophet about this, he said: I asked the Messenger of God about the lost camels coming my water basin, I have cleaned it and prepared it for my camel, so will I have any reward if I water it? He said: “Yes, for every mainkind with a free liver, there is a reward.”
9 - Watering animals is forgiveness of sins
He said: “While a man was walking, he became very thirsty, so he went down a well and drank from it, then went out, and there was a dog panting, eating the soil because of thirst. So he filled his shoe, then held it in his mouth, then performed a ritual bath and gave the dog a drink, so God thanked him and forgave him.” They said: O Messenger of God, do we have a reward for animals? He said: “In every moist liver there is a reward.”
10 - The Right of Mercy
The Messenger of God - may God’s prayers and peace be upon him - said: (The merciful has mercy from the Most Merciful, the Most Merciful, mercy whose on the Earth , you'll be mercy from the heavens
11 - Not to kill an animal for no benefit
The Messenger of God - may God’s prayers and peace be upon him - said: (There is no person who kills a sparrow or anything above it without its right, but God will ask him about it on the Day of Resurrection).
12 - Not to hit or torture a beast
(Have you not been told that I cursed whoever branded an animal in the face, or hit it in the face)
13 - Right to treatment and care
(The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, passed by a camel that had hit its back on its stomach, and he said: Fear God with regard to these beasts, so ride them righteous, and eat them righteous.) its came to this degree from thin because of shortage of foods offer to it.
14 - Not marking the face (it is permissible in any place other than the face)
It was proven on the authority of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, that he forbade marking an animal in the face. Jaber, may God be pleased with him, said: (The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, forbade hitting the face and brandishing the face.) Narrated by Muslim (2116)