Health, animals, and shared resources
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Care extends to the body, other living creatures, and resources on which people depend. These teachings and incidents concern moderation, cleanliness, illness, animal welfare, planting, and shared water and pasture.
Moderation, cleanliness, and care in illness
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The Qur’an tells people to eat and drink without waste, and a reported teaching advises moderation rather than routine overfilling.
“O Children of Adam! Dress properly whenever you are at worship. Eat and drink, but do not waste. Surely He does not like the wasteful.” (Sūrat al-Aʿrāf 7:31), Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran1111236
﴿۞ يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُوا۟ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ ٣١﴾ سُورَةُ الأَعۡرَافِ“If more is necessary, then a third for food, a third for drink, and a third for breath.” — Jami at-Tirmidhi 238051643
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Prophet Muhammad ﷺ described purity as half of faith.
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Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that illness should be treated, saying that God has made a cure for disease.
“God has not sent down a disease except that He has also sent down its cure.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 567821343
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Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told people not to enter a land where plague was occurring and not to flee a place after plague had broken out there.67
“If you hear of plague in a land, do not enter it; and if it occurs in a land while you are there, do not leave it.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 572821343
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Prophet Muhammad ﷺ described health and free time as two blessings that people often fail to appreciate.
“There are two blessings in which many people are deceived: health and free time.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 641221343
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Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that the earth itself could serve as a place of prayer and a means of purification, so worship was not confined to special buildings.
“The earth has been made for me a place of prayer and a means of purification.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 33521343
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The Qur’an incorporates repeated washing into ordinary worship and frames these practices as purification rather than unnecessary burden.
“O believers! When you rise up for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of ˹full˺ impurity, then take a full bath. But if you are ill, on a journey, or have relieved yourselves, or have been intimate with your wives and cannot find water, then purify yourselves with clean earth by wiping your faces and hands. It is not Allah’s Will to burden you, but to purify you and complete His favour upon you, so perhaps you will be grateful.” (Sūrat al-Māʾidah 5:6), Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran1111236
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَـٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ وَلَـٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ٦﴾ سُورَةُ المَائـِدَةِ
Kindness to animals and protection from cruelty
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Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told of a man whom God forgave for giving water to a desperately thirsty dog and taught that kindness to living creatures is rewarded.62
“In every living creature there is a reward.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 236321343
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Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told of a woman punished for confining a cat until it died without feeding it or letting it find food.62
“A woman was punished because of a cat she confined until it died.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 331821343
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Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that even lawful slaughter should be done carefully, with a sharp blade and the least possible suffering to the animal.
“God has prescribed excellence in all things… when you slaughter, slaughter well. Let one of you sharpen his blade and spare the animal suffering.” — Sahih Muslim 1955a31443
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Prophet Muhammad ﷺ forbade using living creatures as targets for sport.
“The Messenger of God ﷺ cursed whoever takes a living creature as a target.” — Sahih Muslim 1957a31443
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When Prophet Muhammad ﷺ saw a severely emaciated camel, he rebuked its neglect and told people to feed and use working animals while they were in good condition.
“Fear God regarding these animals. Ride them while they are in good condition, and feed them while they are in good condition.” — Sunan Abi Dawud 2548, graded sahih [sound]41543
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When companions took baby birds from their mother, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ordered them returned after seeing her distress. The same report records him objecting to the burning of an ant colony.
“Who has distressed this bird by taking her young? Return her young to her.” — Sunan Abi Dawud 2675, graded sahih [sound]41543
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Prophet Muhammad ﷺ forbade striking animals in the face.
“The Messenger of God ﷺ forbade striking on the face.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 554121343
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Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also condemned mutilating animals.
“The Prophet ﷺ cursed the one who mutilates an animal.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 551521343
Planting and shared resources
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Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that planting a tree or crop can count as charity whenever a person, bird, or animal benefits from it.6162
“No Muslim plants a tree or sows a crop from which a person, bird, or animal eats except that it is charity for him.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 232021343
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Prophet Muhammad ﷺ forbade urinating in shared stagnant water and then bathing in it.
“None of you should urinate in stagnant water that does not flow and then bathe in it.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 23921343
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A reported teaching describes water, pasture, and fire as resources Muslims share. Jurists differed over the exact legal scope, but the report limits the idea that essential resources can simply be monopolized.
“Muslims are partners in three: water, pasture, and fire.” — Sunan Abi Dawud 3477, graded sound41543
Sources for this page
The numbered citations identify the works in the complete bibliography. Verse and report numbers appear with the evidence; the source guide explains the distinctions between scripture, hadith, and early biography.
References used: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 36, 43, 61, 62, 67.