Do animals have soul?
-
Peace
Salaams Br,
I doubt very much the quran is talking about animals, but to each his understanding.
Why would we eat them if they had a soul?
We eat them to survive? How else are we going to live? We dont need animals flesh to survive per se, but it is complete proteins. To do so on a vegan diet, you would need to mix and match specific types of food to get the complete protein. Its also a form of population control, something that the human kind needs to start doing on itself.
Animals eat other animals to survive. Animals will even eat us to survive. Does that mean that we have no soul? As stated, what exactly is a soul?
Even Hadiths speak on animals in a good light...generally that is, depending on which you read. For example the story of destroying the ant colony because one any bit a person. Also doing a good deed for an animal by offering them water, as well as hellfire for torturing a cat.
Abu Hurayrah (Radhiallaahu nhu) reports I heard Rasool (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) saying, A certain Prophet from the many Prophets (Alayhis salaam) was resting under the shade of a tree. An ant bit him. He instructed his belongings to be removed from there and immediately ordered the heap of Ants to be burnt. Allah Ta'ala revealed to him "Did not a single Ant hurt you and you have ordered a full nation of ants to be destroyed who are engaged in the invocation of Allah Taala? Was it not one ant?
Narrated Ibn Umar
The Prophet said, A woman entered the (Hell) Fire because of a cat which she had tied, neither giving it food nor setting it free to eat from the vermin of the earth.
{Volume 4, Book 54, Number 535 Sahih Bukhari}
bullet "While a man was walking along a road, he became very thirsty and found a well. He lowered himself into the well, drank, and came out. Then a dog protruding its tongue out with thirst. The man said 'This dog has become exhausted from thirst in the same way as I.' He lowered himself into the well again and filled his shoe with water. He gave the dog some water to drink. He thanked God, and forgiven.' The Prophet was then asked 'Is there a reward for us in our animals?' He said 'There is a reward in every living thing.' " Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 3, Number 104
Nothing is created without a purpose. It states this in the Quran about the Universe, it was not for mere enjoyment. Alhamdu illah. And what do you mean "I doubt it was talking about animals"? It clearly says that all creatures will return to God. What other birds are they talking about that flys in the air? I dont get how hard it is to understand it. Commonsense would even tell you that they have a soul. Its only debated when one is arrogant and feels that he/she is above other creations. Not saying that about you, but in the modern world.
Peace
-
-
The quran says they are communities just like us (true btw),
Is there any instance where it might even point to animals?
Doesn't seem like it on the surface. I haven't fully cross-referenced it however, have you? Or anyone else for that matter?
= Nun-Fa-Siin = was or became high in estimation, of high account or excellent, highly prized/precious/valuable and therefore desired with much emulation or much request, desired, it became loved or highly esteemed, console, cheer, envy.
Was or became avaricious/tenacious/niggardly of it because of its being in high estimation or excellent, little to much good.
Brought forth (e.g. gave birth to a child), menstruated, blood.
Clear away grief/anxiety/sorrow, ease/relieve, delay.
Breath, gust, drew breath, sigh, spoke long (due to regular intake of breath), become extended/long/increased, ability.
Soul/spirit, the vital principle, intellect/reason/mind, inner desire or feeling, knowledge, pride, self-magnification, a state where there is ample scope for action, 'willingly' when used as adverb, nafs - soul of discrimination (mental) and ruh - soul of breath (physical), oneself/itself, whole, essential constituent, reality, sometimes ghayb and nafs are synonymous, a person/being/individual, quantity, man, life, soul + body, life-blood, body, contention/thought/face/substance, heart, stomach, gulp, drought.
Brother or co-partner in faith/religion/relationship.
Wide space, distance, width.
Greatness, nobility, glory, scarcity, absoluteness, unseen, hidden reality which is beyond human perception, intention, requital, punishment.nafs n.f. (pl. anfus and nufus) 29, 244, 248, 248, 254, 254, 257, 272, 284, 285, 287, 290, 2102, 2109, 2110, 2123, 2123, 2130, 2155, 2187, 2207, 2223, 2228, 2231, 2233, 2234, 2234, 2235, 2235, 2240, 2265, 2272, 2281, 2284, 2286, 325, 328, 330, 330, 361, 361, 369, 393, 3117, 3117, 3135, 3145, 3154, 3154, 3161, 3164, 3165, 3168, 3178, 3185, 3186, 41, 44, 429, 449, 463, 464, 465, 466, 479, 484, 495, 495, 497, 4107, 4110, 4111, 4113, 4128, 4135, 525, 530, 532, 532, 545, 552, 570, 580, 5105, 5116, 5116, 612, 612, 620, 624, 626, 654, 670, 693, 698, 6104, 6123, 6130, 6130, 6151, 6152, 6158, 6164, 79, 723, 737, 742, 753, 7160, 7172, 7177, 7188, 7189, 7192, 7197, 7205, 853, 872, 917, 920, 935, 936, 941, 942, 944, 955, 970, 981, 985, 988, 9111, 9118, 9120, 9120, 9128, 1015, 1023, 1030, 1044, 1049, 1054, 10100, 10108, 1121, 1131, 11101, 11105, 1218, 1223, 1226, 1230, 1232, 1251, 1251, 1253, 1254, 1268, 1277, 1283, 1311, 1316, 1333, 1342, 1422, 1445, 1451, 167, 1628, 1633, 1672, 1689, 16111, 16111, 16111, 16118, 177, 1714, 1715, 1725, 1733, 186, 1828, 1835, 1851, 1874, 1874, 2015, 2040, 2041, 2067, 2096, 2135, 2143, 2147, 2164, 21102, 2362, 23103, 246, 2412, 2461, 2461, 253, 2521, 2568, 263, 2714, 2740, 2744, 2792, 2816, 2819, 2833, 296, 2940, 2957, 308, 309, 3021, 3028, 3028, 3044, 3112, 3128, 3134, 3134, 3213, 3217, 3227, 336, 3337, 3350, 3419, 3450, 358, 3518, 3532, 3636, 3654, 37113, 396, 3915, 3941, 3942, 3953, 3956, 3970, 4010, 4017, 4131, 4146, 4153, 4211, 4245, 4371, 4515, 4522, 4738, 4810, 4911, 4915, 5016, 5021, 5121, 5323, 5332, 5714, 5722, 588, 599, 599, 5918, 5919, 6111, 6311, 6416, 6416, 651, 657, 666, 7320, 7438, 752, 7514, 7940, 817, 8114, 825, 8219, 8219, 864, 8927, 917
http//www.studyquran.co.uk/PRLonline.htm
Lane's Lexicon, Volume 8, pages 80, 81, 82, 83
Did it mean "animals included" when it said that whoever kills a "nafs" is like killing the whole world/animal kingdom?
Interesting view! Definitely needs to be checked.
-
peace
I dont know what is meant by "soul" here, but going by this definition
- the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.
I don't think anything has a soul. I think the mental and spiritual parts of us are the result of our physical part.
The difference between animals and humans is free-will. Animals are controlled by their instincts, except maybe for mammals who have a more advanced brain and they're instincts can be modified by experience, but they're slaves to their instincts nonetheless. They can feel pain, love, happiness but it's all directed by their instincts. I dont know how apes and monkeys work tho.
We humans don't have instincts (using the word in a strict sense). We have drives like sex, food, self preservation, but we don't HAVE to follow them like most animals do. We take chastity oaths, we fast and go on hunger strikes, we commit suicide.
We have emotions and past experiences that shape our behavior, but we can ignore them and THINK and make rational decisions. (that's what I believe islam is)
And as our brain has evolved, so has our way of life, which is completely different from that of animals. We are supposed to control our emotions and our drives. Rape is bad.So the concepts of God and morality don't apply to animals.
In fact, you could say that animals don't have a "soul" because they don't really have a "self." An animal is defined by its instincts. We're different.But are we better?? Depends on what you mean by "better", I guess.
But animals certainly aren't meant for our use. They are not our tools!
they're living beings just like us, and we can work together with them (take and give back), but we're crossing the line when we harm them. Right now there isn't a single living thing we aren't harming, and we're going to pay the price. -
Peace,
When God placed us on earth He did placed us where we were able to survive. So God also put other species like animals and trees, vegetables, fruits and such for our best. So I think it's not wrong to say they are tools for us, but we have got directions of how to behave and with that facit in hand it leaves us as the highest in rankings of the intelligent species.
-
peace SM,
God didn't create this earth for us. The other species were there before us, and they're not designed for us, but we are the way we are because of them.
You can't say that animals are tools for us and then say we need to have rules on how to behave with them. Tools are there to be used and thrown away when they break.
So if you're going to say that animals have been put on earth for us to use, then you have to concede that it's OK to harm them.
The fact is that animals are living beings, and we humans, as morally responsible agents, need to treat them as such.
If we do "use" them, we treat them well and give something back...in most cases we have to give something back if we are to use them. When someone uses a horse as a means of transportation, he also gives the horse food, makes sure that it is healthy, because his benefit is in the horse's benefit. And that isn't "using", it's just like a trade we would do with anyone else.
But sometimes our benefit is in their harm, and that's when we need to remember that animals are not tools, they're living beings like us who can feel pain.
There really isn't any significant difference between humans and animals that justifies hurting animals but not humans.We may be the most intelligent species, but doesn't justify treating animals as tools. If it did, it would be OK for smarter people to use less smart people, and all the mentally challenged people would be slaves.
-
Peace Lobster,
God knew that we would failed and due to his mercy he offer us this earth. Yes the animals was already here but that was so we could use them, to eat them to make clothes from their furs and drink their milk etc.
But that doesn't give us right to kill them for fun and to harm them. I don't see it wrong to use the word tools.
Maria
-
How do you know God created all of that just for us? Everything that we know (including the size of the universe compared to our planet, and the theory of evolution) points in a different direction.
Well, if animals are tools, why don't we have the right to kill them for fun?
And finally, what is the defining difference between humans and animals? Where do you draw the line between "tool" and "person?"
peace -
I've been thinking about this and have this to say, personally I would like animals to have souls or some form of equality in intellect in the afterlife. Im not really taking this question as "Do animals have a soul?" more as "Will I meet my deceased pets and eaten food in the afterlife?" I would like to at least meet pets that are deceased, but then if thats true, then pests lke locust would be there, and I certainly dont want to meet the animal that is currently the meat mixed with spagetti, buttered bread, and parmesan that is mixing around in my stomach right now. (mm.. carbs) So its a bit of a philosophical conundrum.
-
Peace,
In the grand scheme of things we are irrelevant compared to the rest of the universe. Unless we bomb each other to death (I mean every single inch of the earth) the earth will be here long after us. In fact, the only way that life on earth will cease to exist is if the earth is imploded. Because microbes will still be there.
For example, there are 10 million ants per person. Think about that, just the ants.
Yes the animals was already here but that was so we could use them, to eat them to make clothes from their furs and drink their milk etc.
How would you feel if the animals did the same thing to us? To use us as tools? To make clothes out of our skins?
"We have to look at we are doing from the stand-point of what would happen if they did it to us?" - Ron Paul
LP, I believe the concept of the afterlife is just like our dreams. We see/feel what we want to see/feel.
-
How do you know God created all of that just for us? Everything that we know (including the size of the universe compared to our planet, and the theory of evolution) points in a different direction.
Well, if animals are tools, why don't we have the right to kill them for fun?
And finally, what is the defining difference between humans and animals? Where do you draw the line between "tool" and "person?"
peacePeace,
I don't know that 100% for sure. But I see this place as a test and everything we have for our living is also a test.
Everything we can use for our life to impove our life is a tool but the test is to be grateful of what we have got and to avoid evil.
Even if animals are tools, you must treat the tools with care, God doesn't like the spoiled and they who are arrogant and walk proud on earth only because we are more intelligent we must act as we are more intelligent.The defining difference between humans and animals are the intelligence and God mentions that apes and donkeys are not something to compare yourself with. And it must laid down in the intelligence what else. And Donkeys are seen to be stubborn and have also an ugly sound. This is in Quran.
That makes us humans is that we have a concious mind and we care for the weak. So if we give birth to a child who is ill in some kind or have down syndrom, we don't consider to kill the child.
But in the animal world, they often leave offsprings that is not strong enough, not elephants I guess but many other species does.
I don't see tools as something negative, I can also see that human use other human as tools sometimes.If you have the respect the it's not a problem.
Maria
-
Peace Omar,
Hahaha that horse is a (dalah?st) made in Sweden.
Maria
-
Peace Omar,
Yeah agreed a real beauty sun
Maria