Muslim

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: From this hadith, it is understood that it is not permissible to cause pain or harm to animals or living beings without reason or necessity, and at times this can lead to extremely serious consequences, because such harm can become the cause of a living being’s death, due to which a person may be subjected to punishment.

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.