Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah

Sahl bin Hanzaliyah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed by a camel whose back had almost touched its belly (due to its emaciation). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Fear Allah regarding these mute animals. Ride them when they are in good condition, and leave them in good condition."

Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by a man who was sharpening his knife while placing his foot on the side of a goat, and the goat was watching him out of the corner of its eye. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Why did you not do this (sharpen the knife) earlier? Do you want to kill it twice?"

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) seated me behind him on his mount, and confided to me a secret which I will not disclose to anyone. And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) liked most to conceal himself for relieving himself behind a raised place (such as a wall, mound, etc.) or among a cluster of date palms. So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered the garden of an Ansari man, and there was a camel there. When the camel saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), it began to moan and tears flowed from its eyes. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to it and stroked its hump and the back of its ear, and it calmed down. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked: "Who is the owner of this camel? Whose camel is this?" Then a young Ansari came to him and said: O Messenger of Allah! It is mine. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Do you not fear Allah regarding this animal which Allah has made you its owner? For it has complained to me that you keep it hungry and tire it out (by overburdening it)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Ride these animals while they are healthy, and leave them in a state of health and safety, and do not make them chairs (i.e., do not sit on them unnecessarily)."

Abdur Rahman bin Abdullah narrates from his father, he says: We were on a journey with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went away to attend to his natural need. We saw a red bird (like a sparrow), and with it were its two chicks. We took the chicks. The bird began to flutter its wings around them. Meanwhile, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned and asked: “Who has caused distress to this bird because of its chicks? Return its chicks to it.” Then he saw an ant colony which we had burned. He asked: “Who has burned this colony?” We replied: We did. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Only the Lord of the Fire deserves to punish with fire.”

Sayyiduna Suwadah bin Rabi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) says that I came to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked him (for something). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered some she-camels for me and said to me: “When you reach your home, tell them that they will give good food to the young ones born in the spring, and also tell them to trim their nails so that the udders of the animals are not hurt while milking.”

Sayyiduna Suwadah bin Rabi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) says that I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered some camels for me and said to me: “Order your sons to cut their nails so that the udders of the she-camels and other livestock are not harmed, and also tell them to milk the animals and leave some for their young ones, lest due to famine they become weak and emaciated.” Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: “Do you have any wealth?” I said: Yes, I have wealth, horses, and slaves. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Continue to take care of the horses, keep them ready for border protection. Goodness is tied to the forelocks of horses.”

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "When you come upon green and lush land, dismount from your riding animal and let it graze, and when you come upon drought-stricken land, then ride on, and travel at night, for the distance of the land becomes shorter at night."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Do not make the backs of your mounts like pulpits, sitting on them (idly). For Allah Almighty has subjected them to you so that they may carry you to a city which you could not have reached without great hardship. Allah Almighty has made the earth for you, so fulfill your needs upon it."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whatever (oppression) you do to the animals, if that is forgiven, (then understand that) a great deal has been forgiven."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Unload the camels, for (in this state) their hands are tied and their legs are also tied."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you are traveling through green pastures, give the animals their due (i.e., let them graze), and when you are passing through drought-stricken land, move quickly, and travel at night, for the distance of the land becomes shorter at night. When you camp somewhere, do not set up camp in the middle of the road, for (such places at night) are the dwelling places of all kinds of animals."