In pre-Islamic Arab world, people used to indulge in Animal fights and used animals as a target of shooting arrows as a pastime. Prophet Muhammad(Peace be upon him) forbade both of these practices. Imam Tirmidhi has dedicated an entire chapter in his Sunan Tirmidhi about unlawfulness of inciting animals to fight and branding their face. In this article few Ahadith regarding these issues are being covered. Those people who are entertaining themselves and others by indulging their sacrificial animals in fight to show people how strong their animals are, should take heed from these Ahadith.
Hadith #1
Hazrat Ibn Abbas (Radi Allahu anhu ) narrated that : “Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) has prohibited us from inciting animals to fight each other.“
{Reported by Imam Tirmidhi,Book of Jihad, Chapter About putting animals to fight and branding the face, Hadith #1762}
Hadith #2
Hazrat Mujahid(Radiyallahu Anhu) narrated that, ”Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) disallowed putting animals against one another in a fight.”
{Reported by Imam Tirmidhi,Book of Jihad, Chapter About putting animals to fight and branding the face, Hadith #1763}
Hadith #3
Hadrat Sa’id b. Jubair(Radi Allahu anhu) reported that: Hadrat Ibn ‘Umar(Radi Allahu anhu) happened to pass by some young men of the Quraish who had tied a bird (and made it a target) at which they had been shooting arrows. So no sooner did they see Hadrat Ibn ‘Umar(Radiallahu anhu) they dispersed.
{Reported by Imam Muslim, Kitab-us-Said wa’l-Dhaba’ih,Hadith #4946}
Thereupon Hadrat Ibn ‘Umar(Radi Allahu anhu) said: “Who has done this? Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) invoked curse upon one who does this (i.e. made a live thing the target of one’s marksmanship)”.
Hadith #4
Hisham b. Zaid b. Anas b. Milik (Radiyallahu Anhu) reported: I visited the house of al-Hakam b. Ayyub along with my grandfather Hadrat Anas b. Milik, (and there) some people had made a hen a target and were shooting arrows at her. Thereupon Hazrat Anas (Radiyallahu Anhu) said that (meaning) : ”Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) has forbidden targeting of tied animals “ (with arrows etc).
{Reported by Imam Muslim, Kitab-us-Said wa’l-Dhaba’ih , Hadith #4942}
Hadith #5
Hazrat Ibn ‘Abbas (Radi Allahu anhu) reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) having said this(meaning): ”Do not make anything having life as a target by tying it.”
{Reported by Imam Muslim, Kitab-us-Said wa’l-Dhaba’ih,Hadith #4944}
