Do animals have soul?
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Peace,
I can not say a Yes or a No on this one.
But animals are tools for us and we have bigger brain than them.
My opinion is that animals have no soul but they have senses so they can feel in pain, afraid, sleepy, hungry etc.
It's like they are robots with flesh and blood, programmed beforehand or something like that.
Maria
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To give an opinion here it would be nice to have a definition of soul and to have real knowledge of "animals". Is a cow the same as a louse? I think some animals reflect God's attributes just like men, to what extent, I don't know, but you could say that some of them have nobility, faithfulness, courage... I don't know what you call that, whether soul or infrasoul. Doesn't matter, they are still creatures who speak to us of God and His beautiful names.
Salaam
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At very least, certain animals have souls. I shall use "man's best friend" as an example, my reasoning is thus;
Countless verifyable incidents have occured whereby a dog has purposefully and willfully, acted to save or protect the lives of humans - with and without specific training to do so.
This indicates not merely intelligence on the part of the animal, but a consciousness of the value of life. In like manner, it is not our brains that infuse us with feelings of love, compassion and care for others it is our 'hearts'. (Quran 3021). If it is in our 'hearts', it must also be in the animals'.
peace
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Peace,
Of course they do. IMO Anything that lives has a 'soul'.
I'm not familiar with it, but I'm sure God only has pressed His breath to mankind.
Interesting, why so?
I know that The God blew into the human, but how do we know that the animals didn't go through the same process?
Speaking of dogs, there was a very sad story I read. A man saved a dog's life 7 years ago, and recently the dog returned the favor, but didn't survive.
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Soul is such a ridiculously ambiguous word.
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Peace zerda
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Do you not see that everything in the heavens and the Earth glorifies God? Even the birds in formation, each knows its connection and its glorification. And God is fully aware of everything they do.
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And there is not a creature in the Earth, or a bird that fly?s with its wings, but are nations like you. We did not leave anything out of the record; then to their Lord they will be gathered.
Plus if you believe in the story of Solomon as literal, then there's plenty of evidence that animals and birds have souls. Again, as huruf also pointed out, it all depends on your definition of what 'soul' is. If it's a life force, then it is obvious.
peace
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Peace,
Zerda and Huruf have pointed out good points.
If animals don't have souls, then angels don't have souls, and everything else doesnt have souls. Also, do you think that the universe and life was created just for the human beings? Allah says that he waters the earth so that his creatures, animals included, can eat. He is their sustainer. Praise be to God. What I find funny is how Muslims look at pigs with disgust. Just because it's unclean for Humans to eat, doesnt make them dirty in general. I had this conversation with a Sunni friend.
If we are the only ones with Gods presence in us, I would be very pessimistic. All life created has been blown into from God. If not, there would be no life. I think this is the problem with Christians in how they state that we were made in the image of God. I think that all beings were made in the image of God, animate and inanimate. Even the desk you are using is alive with protons, electrons, neutrons, etc. Thats all you, I, and everything really is, a composition.
Peace
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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?
The ayah?s follow on one from the other- and simply they seem to be pointing to those denying the revelations that indeed there are among them leadership models, but not when it comes to the revelation.
Using Qd.
636
Only those can accept who hear. As for the dead, Allah will raise them up; then unto Him they will be returned.
637
They say Why hath no portent(sign of greatness) been sent down upon him from his Lord? Say Lo! Allah is Able to send down a portent. But most of them know not.
638
There is no prosperity seeker or a high flier but they are models of leadership like you. We have neglected nothing in the Book (of our decrees). Then unto their Lord they will be gathered.
639
Those who deny our revelations are deaf and dumb in darkness. Whom Allah will sendeth astray, and whom He will He placeth on a straight path.God Bless All.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.