Abu Hurairah (RA) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: A woman was punished because of a cat. She had neither provided her with food nor drink, nor set her free so that she might eat the insects of the earth.
´It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:` “A woman entered Hell because of a cat which she tied up and did not feed, or let it loose to eat of the vermin of the earth, until it died.”
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:
➊ A person should maintain both hope in Allah’s mercy and fear of Allah’s punishment.
➋ The juristic insight (fiqh) of the hadith scholars (muhaddithin) was not limited only to disputed subsidiary issues, but they also had deep understanding of various aspects of faith (iman), character (akhlaq), and practical life.
➌ The reason for making a will to have his corpse burned and his ashes scattered was the overwhelming state of fear (khawf) at the time of death. Therefore, even this mistake of his was forgiven, that he made an inappropriate will.
➍ Allah, exalted is He, could have questioned him through his soul (ruh) without resurrecting him, but Allah made him witness His power and might.
➎ The punishment and blessings of the grave refer to all those conditions that occur from death until the Day of Resurrection. These conditions befall every person, whether he is buried, or eaten by wild animals or fish, or his body is reduced to dust and its particles scattered, or his ashes are preserved in a vessel, or his corpse is preserved and people are observing it.
➏ The punishment of the grave pertains to the unseen realm (‘alam al-ghayb). Therefore, living humans do not have the capacity to perceive it.
➐ Committing injustice against any living creature is a grave sin. Especially such injustice by which the living being dies not at once, but writhes and suffers in agony.
➑ It is obligatory to take care of the needs of domesticated animals. In fact, even showing mercy to animals that are not domesticated by anyone brings Allah’s mercy. For example, due to giving water to a dog, a sinful person was forgiven.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 4256