3 hadiths on kindness
to animals
Giving a dog water, not leaving a cat to starve and taking an animal’s distress seriously: three authentic accounts explained.
Keeping an animal means providing it with water and food. The reports below also concern animals encountered on the road: a thirsty dog can be helped even when it does not belong to us.
Two accounts concern a dog threatened by thirst and helped; a third speaks of a cat deprived of food. They connect compassion with action and also show the seriousness of neglect. We can read them with both the animals in our care and those whose distress we notice in mind.
Article contents
A man gives water to a dog
The context of the narration
Abu Hurayrah reports an account from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. A thirsty man climbs down into a well and drinks. On climbing out, he sees a panting dog eating damp earth because it is so thirsty. Recognising suffering like his own, he fills his shoe with water, holds it in his mouth to climb out and gives the animal a drink. Allah appreciates his deed and forgives him. The Prophet is then asked whether caring for animals is rewarded. He replies:“There is a reward for kindness to every living being.”
Read the Arabic text
فِي كُلِّ كَبِدٍ رَطْبَةٍ أَجْرٌ
Understanding this hadith
The answer broadens what the listeners have just heard. The Arabic literally uses the expression “every moist liver”, which here means a living being. The reward does not concern only the man in the account: kindness shown to an animal is taken into account.
With an animal in your care, this can begin by checking that its water is clean, accessible and replenished. An overturned container can remain empty for a long time if nobody checks it. For an unfamiliar animal in distress, you can alert a competent person or an animal welfare service when approaching it would be dangerous.
Also read forms of kindness that do not require money.
The cat confined and deprived of food
The context of the narration
Ibn ‘Umar reports this saying of the Prophet ﷺ about a woman and a cat she had tied up. The responsibility described rests on two facts together: she did not feed it, and she prevented it from finding its own food.“A woman entered the Fire because of a cat she had tied up: she had not fed it, nor had she let it eat the small creatures of the earth.”
Read the Arabic text
دَخَلَتِ امْرَأَةٌ النَّارَ فِي هِرَّةٍ رَبَطَتْهَا، فَلَمْ تُطْعِمْهَا، وَلَمْ تَدَعْهَا تَأْكُلُ مِنْ خِشَاشِ الأَرْضِ
Understanding this hadith
The woman had confined the cat: she neither fed it nor let it find food. The report connects her punishment to this deprivation. A confined animal depends on its keeper for food and water.
This responsibility also concerns arrangements for absences. Before leaving, you need to know who will feed the animal, check its water and be able to act if it appears ill. A vague agreement with several people can leave each thinking someone else has taken care of it. Naming one person who has agreed and giving them the necessary information avoids this gap.
If you can no longer care for an animal, find reliable care for it. The passage about the cat does not justify abandoning a domestic animal on the assumption that it will manage on its own. Its condition, surroundings and dependence matter. The useful lesson here is not to leave it trapped in a situation where its needs remain unmet.
A woman helps a dog almost dead from thirst
The context of the narration
Abu Hurayrah transmits another account from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. A dog circles a well, almost dying of thirst. A woman of the Children of Israel, described in the text as a prostitute, sees it. The Prophet then recounts her action:“She took off her shoe, drew water in it for the dog and gave it a drink; she was forgiven for that.”
Read the Arabic text
فَنَزَعَتْ مُوقَهَا فَاسْتَقَتْ لَهُ بِهِ فَسَقَتْهُ إِيَّاهُ فَغُفِرَ لَهَا بِهِ
Understanding this hadith
This account is distinct from the one about the man who had just drunk himself. The woman notices a dog whose thirst has become extreme, then uses what she has to bring it water. The text mentions her situation and the forgiveness granted to her for this action.
The report mentions both this woman’s sin and Allah’s forgiveness after she gave the dog water. Both details belong to the account.
You can help a rescue organisation buy food, report an injured animal, or replace dirty drinking water. Choose the help according to the animal’s need and seek advice if you do not know how to approach it.
In practice
- You have an animal in your careCheck its water and food today, including whether it can actually reach the containers.Read the account of the man and the dog
- You are preparing to be awayConfirm who will care for the animal and provide the necessary information before you leave.Read the account of the cat
- You see an animal in distressHelp if you can do so safely, or contact a competent person who can intervene.Read the account of the woman
- You can no longer provide careArrange for a person or organisation to take over the animal’s care, and confirm that they have agreed.Understand the responsibility of care
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari · 2363A man gives water to a dog
- Sahih al-Bukhari · 3318The cat confined and deprived of food
- Sahih Muslim · 2245bA woman helps a dog almost dead from thirst