Some young men had tied up a bird to use as a target for archery practice. On seeing them, Ibn Umar recalled the Prophet's ﷺ teaching: a living creature must never be made into a toy or a target. A story of gentleness and respect.
One day, the Companion Abdullah ibn Umar, may God be pleased with him, passed by a group of young men from Quraysh. According to the account related in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, they had tied up a bird (some versions speak of a hen) and were using it as a target for their arrows. The bird's owner was reportedly even given the arrows that missed their mark.
A Scene That Is Interrupted
As soon as the young men saw Ibn Umar approaching, they scattered. It is reported that he asked who had done this, then expressed his strong disapproval: he reminded them that the Messenger of God ﷺ had firmly condemned anyone who takes a living creature as a target.
This teaching is also transmitted in a direct form in Sahih Muslim: the Prophet ﷺ said, in substance: "Do not take a living creature as a target." The message is clear: an animal is not a plaything. Its life and its pain matter, even when the intention is only to pass the time or to practice.
An Animal That Complains
Another account, related by Abu Dawud, shows the same tenderness. The Prophet ﷺ once entered the garden of a man from the Ansar. A camel was there; upon seeing the Messenger of God ﷺ, it let out a moan and its eyes began to tear. The Prophet ﷺ approached, passed his hand behind its ears, and the animal calmed down.
He then asked who the owner of this camel was. When the man identified himself, the Prophet ﷺ said to him, according to this account: "Do you not fear God regarding this beast that God has entrusted to you? It has complained to me that you starve it and overwork it."
These two scenes correspond to each other. In one, a bird serves as a toy; in the other, a camel is exhausted. In both cases, the Prophet ﷺ reminds us that animals are a responsibility entrusted by God, not an object of pleasure or power. Moreover, the Quran, in Surah Al-An'am (verse 38), speaks of the creatures of the earth and the birds that fly as communities like yours, which invites us to regard them with consideration.
What We Can Take Away
Kindness toward animals begins with small gestures: not throwing stones at a stray cat, not frightening a bird for fun, not teasing a dog to get a laugh, not tormenting an insect to amuse others. Children learn early what they see in adults. Showing them how to observe, feed, protect, and let an animal live in peace is following the Prophet's ﷺ example of gentleness. An amusement that makes a creature suffer is never true entertainment; real joy is seeing a bird fly freely.
