Is It Advisable to Keep Pets? – Shaykh Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti
Answered by Shaykh Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti
Question
Is it advisable to keep pets?
Answer
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Blessings and peace be upon the Master of the Messengers, his Family, and all his Companions.
Islamic Encouragement to Care for Animals
Islam encourages caring for and not harming animals, especially those that live with and interact with people, such as cats and dogs.
Many hadiths emphasize this, such as the story of the woman who entered Hell because she imprisoned a cat and, conversely, the man who entered Paradise because he gave water to a dog.
Permissibility of Keeping Beneficial Pets
Based on this, there is no objection to keeping pets like cats, birds, and others, especially those that benefit humans, such as keeping the house free from harmful animals or insects, or for enjoyment due to their sounds and appearance, like songbirds.
The Prophet’s Compassion for Animals
Anas Ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) was the best of people in character. I had a brother called Abu ‘Umair who had just been weaned. When the Messenger of Allah came and saw him, he said,
‘O Abu ‘Umair, what happened to the little bird?’ He was playing with a little bird. Sometimes the time for prayer would come while he was in our house, so he would order that the rug under him be swept and sprinkled with water, then he would lead us in prayer.” [Bukhari; Muslim; Tirmidhi]
In another narration:
“The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to come to us, and I had a small brother called Abu ‘Umair, who had a bird he used to play with. One day it died, and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) came and saw him sorrowful. He asked,
‘What is wrong with him?’ They said, ‘His bird has died.’ He said, ‘O Abu ‘Umair, what happened to the little bird?’” [Abu Dawud]
Educational Benefits of Keeping Pets
Sometimes, keeping certain animals can benefit children by teaching them and training them to bear responsibility
Observing Islamic Guidelines in Pet-Keeping
However, it is important to observe Islamic guidelines, especially when keeping certain animals, such as dogs, ensuring it is for a permissible benefit acknowledged by Sacred Law while avoiding impurity and not bringing them into the house, for example. Additionally, one must avoid animals that may cause harm or transmit diseases to humans.
Based on the above, it is advisable to keep beneficial pets, provided that Islamic guidelines are observed.
Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti
Shaykh Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti is a Syrian scholar born in Aleppo in 1977. He obtained his degree in Shari‘a from the Shari‘a Faculty of Damascus University, a Diploma in Educational Qualification from the Faculty of Education at Aleppo University, and a Diploma in Shari‘a and a Master’s in Shari‘a from the Faculty of Sharia, and Law at Omdurman University in Sudan. He is currently writing his doctoral thesis.
He studied under esteemed scholars such as Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri, Shaykh Mustafa al-Turkmani, and Shaykh Dr. Nur al-Din Itr, among others. Shaykh al-Yakti has worked in teaching and cultural guidance in orphanages and high schools in Aleppo. He served as an Imam, Khatib, and reciter at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi and as a certified trainer for Khatibs in Abu Dhabi’s Khatib Qualification Program.
He is involved in developing and teaching a youth education program at Seekers Arabic for Islamic Sciences.
Among Shaykh al-Yaqti’s significant works are “Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni: Bayna Ilm al-Kalam Wa Usul al-Fiqh” and the program “The Messenger of Allah Among Us (Allah bless him and give him peace).”
