Rights of Ants in Islam
Islam instructs its followers to be kind to animals and show love for all living things. Islam came at a time where animals were treated very poorly and as if they had no feelings. Islam was a pioneer for animal rights. Islam instructs its followers to be kind to animals and show love for all living things.
Incident of Hazrat Sulaiman {Solomon} (Alaih Salam) and the Ant
Qur’an mentions incident of Prophet Sulaiman(Alaih Salaam)and his soldiers who were passing through a valley inhabited by ants. Prophet Sulaiman heard one ant say to another:
‘O ants, enter your dwellings, lest Sulaiman (Solomon) and his troops crush you while they remain just unaware.’
Prophet Sulaiman(Alaih Salaam) was able to understand the ants’ language by the grant of Almighty Allah. He smiled and ordered his soldiers to stay still and wait until all the ants had crawled away to safety.
Verses of the Qur’an :
Until when these (troops) reached an open field of ants, one ant said: ‘O ants, enter your dwellings, lest Sulaiman (Solomon) and his troops crush you while they remain just unaware.’
So he (Sulaiman [Solomon]) smiled, feeling amused at the ant’s words, and submitted: ‘O Lord, keep me by Your bestowal firm on it that I remain ever-thankful for Your favour which You have conferred on me and on my parents, and I do such pious deeds as You are pleased with, and admit me by Your mercy among your pious slaves enjoying exceptional nearness to You.’ {Surah Naml, Chapter 27,Verse 18-19}
Prophet Sulaiman(Alaih Salaam) was given the ability to command the winds, to command beasts, and even jinn ,but still had the humility to listen to an ant, and wait patiently as the ants passed in front of his troops.
Unlawfulness of Killing ants in the Hadith
Hadith #1
Hazrat Abu Huraira(Radiyallahu Anhu) reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
{Sahih Muslim,Kitab Us Salam,Chapter on PROHIBITION-OF KILLING THE ANTS,Hadith #5731,Sunan Abu Dawud,Kitab Al Adab,Hadith #1725}
An ant had bitten a Prophet (one amongst the earlier Prophets) and he ordered that the colony of the ants should be burnt.
And Allah revealed to him:” Because of an ant’s bite you have burnt a community from amongst the communities which sings My glory.”
Hadith #2
Ibn Mas’ud(Radiyallahu Anhu) said, “We were with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on a journey…..He saw an ant hill which we had set alight.
[Sunan Abu Dawud,Kitab Al-Jihad]
He said, ‘Who has set fire to this?’
We replied, ‘We did.’
He said, ‘Only the Lord of the Fire(Allah) should punish with fire.'”
Hadith #3
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas(Radiyallahu Anhu):
The Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited to kill four creatures: ANTS, honey bees, hoopoes, and sparrows.
{Sunan Abu Dawud,Kitab Al Adab,Hadith #1726}
