Caring for birds

8-9-2003 | IslamWeb

Question:

I would like to know if it is permissible for Muslim to mind birds. I really need to know.

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Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions. Having birds is permissible in Islam provided the purpose is valid. Imams al-Bukhari and Muslim reported from Anas that The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) used to say to his brother ( Anas ' brother) O Abu Umair ! What did the (Nughair) do . Nughair was a kind of small bird owned by the brother of Anas . As long as Islam is a religion of mercy and kindness thus it is an important condition for having birds to be kind with them and take care of them. al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: A lady was punished because of a cat which she had imprisoned till it died. She entered the (Hell) Fire because of it, for she neither gave it food nor water as she had imprisoned it, nor set it free to eat from the vermin of the earth . Allah knows best.