Full Lecture Transcript (Cleaned)
The Question — 0:00
Sister Iram from England says: "My cat has been diagnosed with a type of cancer and the vets are saying to euthanize him for his own good. I love him a lot and I want to be with him in Jannah, but I also want what is best for him. Am I allowed to euthanize him, and will I be with my cat in Jannah?"
So our sister is asking the painful question of euthanization, and then the theological question about pets in Jannah.
Islam's Position on Animal Cruelty — 0:30
In response to this: it is completely forbidden in Islam to torture animals for no reason. It is haram and sinful. We all know the hadith of the lady who went to Jahannam because she starved her cat to death for no reason — simply out of cruelty.
Our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) cursed the one who tortures an animal. He said that anyone who takes an animal as target practice is committing something sinful and haram. We do not tie up an animal and kill it for entertainment — as is done in a bullfight in some countries. That is completely haram and one of the major sins in Islam. And the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) also said that whoever kills even a small bird without just cause, Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) will question him about it on the Day of Judgment.
They asked: "O Messenger of Allah, what is a just cause?" He said that if one wants to eat an animal, he may sacrifice it. One should not just kill an animal and leave it by the roadside for entertainment. The hadith is very clear: any animal you are going to kill, there must be a reason.
Euthanasia Is a Different Matter — 2:00
Based on this: you are saying that your cat is basically suffering and is going to die a very slow and miserable death from cancer, and the doctors are saying to euthanize it. In this case, there is a reason. You are not torturing — you are not wanting to inflict pain.
The key point here is that the sanctity of an animal's life is not like the sanctity of a human. This ruling cannot be applied to human beings because that would be murder. A human's life is not the same in the eyes of Allah as that of an animal. We do not bring about life and death for human beings — we leave that to Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala). There is no mercy killing when it comes to human beings.
However, when it comes to animals, they do not occupy the same level of sanctity and nobility as human beings. And if the owner of an animal, out of mercy for the animal, wishes to end its misery and take its life, then the majority of scholars give that right. I know there are always dissenting voices, but the majority of scholars would give that right — because it is the right of the animal owner to take the life of the animal for a legitimate cause.
Classical Scholarly Support — 3:30
In his fatawa, our shaykh (rahimahullah) said that if an animal becomes sick and is one of those animals not permissible to eat — like a donkey — and you are not expecting it to be cured, there is no sin in ending its life. To keep the animal alive in that condition is spending extra time and money while causing the animal pain. There is no point in doing that.
The famous Maliki scholar al-Dardir writes in his work that it is allowed to sacrifice an animal that is not for eating, such as a donkey or mule, if it falls sick and is about to die. In fact, he says it is encouraged to do so in order to spare the animal pain. This is a classical medieval Islamic scholar saying that when an animal is sick, near death, and suffering, it is recommended to get it out of its misery and expedite this process.
And so, insha'Allah, in your case you are encouraged to do this. The doctors have confirmed that it has cancer. You are encouraged to end its suffering. And these days, euthanization is done in such a humane way — the animal will not feel any pain.
Will I See My Pet in Jannah? — 5:00
As for your question about Jannah, dear sister in Islam: you work to get to Jannah. And insha'Allah, when you are in Jannah, you will have whatever you want there. All of your desires and all of your hopes and all of your wishes will be satisfied in Jannah. And this animal of yours will be with you.
But the goal is — we have to make it to Jannah. We have to work to get there. May Allah make us all of the people of Jannah.