Story Farmland & grasslands Urban environment Stories from the hadiths

Share

A companion of the Prophet ﷺ named Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) once passed by a group of young men from Quraysh who had tied a living bird to a post and were practicing their marksmanship on it, laughing each time an arrow struck it. Upon seeing him, they hurried away. Ibn 'Umar asked them who had done this, and when he learned what they had arranged, he stated firmly that the Prophet ﷺ had cursed anyone who took a living being as a target.

A Clear Word Against Cruelty

This hadith is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, two of the most reliable collections of Islamic tradition. It shows that the condemnation of this practice was not merely Ibn 'Umar's personal opinion, but rather a direct teaching of the Prophet ﷺ, who had explicitly forbidden confining an animal to use it as a target for shooting or play. The bird, unable to flee, was subjected to prolonged suffering with no benefit: neither food, nor protection, nor genuine need could justify such an act.

The Prophet ﷺ constantly insisted that when the killing of an animal is permissible, it must be done swiftly and without prolonging its suffering. It is thus reported in another hadith, also transmitted by Sahih Muslim, that Allah has ordained excellence in all things, including in the manner of slaughtering an animal: one must sharpen one's blade and spare the creature any unnecessary pain. This requirement for swiftness and compassion stands in direct opposition to the idea of turning a living being into a mere object of entertainment.

The Deep Meaning of This Prohibition

Why such firmness regarding a bird, a creature that many at that time considered insignificant? It is reported that the Prophet ﷺ taught that every living being possesses worth in the sight of Allah, and that on the Day of Judgment, even animals will be gathered to account for the wrongs done to them, according to certain scholars who connect this teaching to Surah At-Takwir, which speaks of the gathering of all creatures. This vision elevates the status of the animal: it is not merely an instrument, but a creature endowed with existence that merits respect.

The Quran itself reminds us, in Surah Al-An'am, that the beasts that walk upon the earth and the birds that fly on their wings form communities like the human community, all destined to return to their Lord. This word invites us to regard birds not as insignificant objects, but as creatures having their place in the order willed by Allah.

A Lesson Still Relevant Today

The story reported by Ibn 'Umar is not merely a historical incident from the time of the Prophet ﷺ: it constitutes a powerful educational principle, still taught today in Islamic circles concerned with animal welfare. It reminds us that the power or superiority that a human being may exercise over an animal gives him no right to cause it to suffer pointlessly, neither for play nor for amusement.

Thus, this teaching invites each person to examine his or her own relationship with the animals around them, whether wild or domestic. Kindness toward the most vulnerable creatures, such as a simple sparrow, is presented as a mark of authentic faith. Caring for birds, avoiding unnecessary suffering to them, and respecting their place in creation—this is what this story teaches us still today, with the same force as in the time of the Prophet ﷺ.