Prohibition of Cruelty

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
I happened to pass by some lads of the Quraish who had tied a bird at which they have been shooting arrows. Every arrow that they missed came into the possession of the owner of the bird. No sooner had they seen Ibn 'Umar, they dispersed. Thereupon, Ibn 'Umar said: "Who has done this? May Allah curse him who has done so. Verily, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has cursed anyone who makes a live thing the target (of one's marksmanship)."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعنه أنه مر بفتيان من قريش قد نصبوا طيرًا وهم يرمونه، وقد جعلوا لصاحب الطير كل خاطئة من نبلهم، فلما رأوا ابن عمر تفرقوا، فقال ابن عمر: من فعل هذا؟ لعن الله من فعل هذا، إن رسول الله ﷺ لعن من اتخذ شيئًا فيه روح غرضًا. ((متفق عليه)). "الغَرَض" : بفتح الغين المعجمة والراء، وهو الهدف، والشيء الذي يرمى إليه.

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade animals being tied (as targets).

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن أنس رضي الله عنه قال: نهى رسول الله ﷺ أن تُصبر البهائم. ((متفق عليه)). ومعناه: تحبس للقتل.

Abu Ali Suwaid bin Muqarrin (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
I was the seventh child of Banu Muqarrin and we had only one slave-girl. When the youngest of us once happened to slap her (on the face) the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered us to set her free.

[Muslim].

وعن أبي علي سويد بن مقرن رضي الله عنه قال: لقد رأيتني سابع سبعة من بني مقرن ما لنا خادم إلا واحدة لطمها أصغرنا فأمرنا رسول الله ﷺ أن نعتقها. ((رواه مسلم)). ورواية: "سابع إخوة لي".

Abu Mas'ud Al-Badri (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
I was beating my slave with a whip when I heard a voice behind me which said: "Abu Mas'ud! Bear in mind..." I did not recognize the voice for the intense anger I was in. Abu Mas'ud added: As he came near me, I found that he was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ who was saying, "Abu Mas'ud! Bear in mind that Allah has more dominance upon you than you have upon your slave." Then I said: "I will never beat any slave in future."

Another narration is: The whip dropped from my hand in awe of the Prophet ﷺ.

Still another narration is: I said: "He is free for the sake of Allah." He ﷺ said, "If you had not done this, you would have been singed by the Fire."

[Muslim].

وعن أبي مسعود البدري رضي الله عنه قال: "كنتُ أضرب غلامًا لي بالوسط، فسمعت صوتًا من خلفي: "اعلم أبا مسعود" فلم أفهم الصوت من الغضب، فلما دنا مني إذا هو رسول الله ﷺ فإذا هو يقول: "اعلم أبا مسعود أن الله أقدرُ عليك منك على هذا الغلام" فقلت: لا أضرب مملوكًا بعده أبدًا. ((وفي رواية: فسقط السوط من يدي من هيبته))((وفي رواية: فقلت: يارسول الله هو حر لوجه الله تعالى، فقال: "أما لو لم تفعل، للفحتك النار، أو لمستك النار" ((رواه مسلم بهذه الروايات)).

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
The Prophet ﷺ said, "The expiation for beating or slapping a slave on the face for something he has not done is to set him free."

[Muslim].

وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما أن النبي ﷺ قال: "من ضرب غلامًا له حدًا لم يأتهِ، أو لطمه، فإن كفارته أن يعتقه" ((رواه مسلم)).

It has been narrated that Hisham bin Hakim bin Hizam (May Allah be pleased with them) happened to pass by some (non-Arab) farmers of Syria who had been made to stand in the sun, and olive oil was poured on their heads. He said:
"What is the matter?" He was told that they had been detained for the non-payment of Jizyah. (Another narration says that they were being tortured for not having paid Al-Kharaj). Thereupon Hisham said: "I bear testimony to the fact that I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'Allah will torment those who torment people in the world."' Then he proceeded towards their Amir and reported this Hadith to him. The Amir then issued orders for their release.

[Muslim].

وعن هشام بن حكيم بن حزام رضي الله عنه أنه مر بالشام على أناس من الأنباط، وقد أقيموا في الشمس، وصُب على رءوسهم الزيت فقال: ما هذا؟ يُعذبون في الخراج وفي رواية: حُبسوا في الجزية. فقال هشام: أشهد لسمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: "إن الله يعذب الذين يعذبون الناس في الدنيا" فدخل على الأمير، فحدثه، فأمر بهم فخلوا" ((رواه مسلم. "الأنباط" الفلاحون من العجم)).

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw an ass which had been branded on the face. He disapproved of it. Upon this Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said, "By Allah, I shall not brand (the animal) but on a part at a distance from the face." Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) then commanded branding on the hips; he was the first person to brand the animals on hips.

[Muslim].

وعن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال: رأى رسول الله ﷺ حمارًا موسوم الوجه، فأنكر ذلك؟ فقال: والله لا أسمه إلا أقصى شيء من الوجه، وأمر بحماره، فكوي في جاعرتيه، فهو أول من كوى الجاعرتين. ((رواه مسلم)).

Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said:
An ass with a brand on the face happened to pass before the Prophet ﷺ. Thereupon he said, "May Allah curse the one who has branded it (on the face)."

[Muslim].

Another narration in Muslim is: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited us from hitting across the face and branding on the face (of an animal)."

وعنه أن النبي ﷺ : مر عليه حمار قد وُسم في وجهه، فقال: "لعن الله الذي وسمه" ((رواه مسلم. وفي رواية لمسلم أيضًا: نهى رسول الله ﷺ عن الضرب في الوجه، وعن الوسم في الوجه)).