Islam teaches that life is not only flesh and bones. Life exists because Allah places a soul within a being. This applies not only to humans, but also to animals.
This is clearly shown in the Qur’an and in the words of the Imams from the family of the Prophet, peace be upon them. When Allah speaks about the Spirit, He says:
“And they ask you about the Spirit. Say: the Spirit is of the command of my Lord.”
(Qur’an, al-Isrā’ 17:85)
When this verse was explained, it was reported in Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī that Abū Baṣīr asked one of the two Imams, Imām al-Bāqir or Imām al-Ṣādiq, peace be upon them, about the Spirit. The Imam replied:
“It is that which is in animals and in human beings.”
(Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, vol. 2, p. 317)
This statement is very clear. Animals possess a soul, just as humans do. However, the level of the animal soul is not the same as the human soul. The human soul has intellect and moral responsibility, while the animal soul operates through instinct, awareness, and imagination.
The Qur’an also gives a powerful example through the miracle of Prophet ʿĪsā, peace be upon him:
“You fashion from clay the form of a bird by My permission, then you breathe into it and it becomes a bird by My permission.”
(Qur’an, al-Mā’idah 5:110)
The bird only becomes alive after a soul is breathed into it, by Allah’s permission. This shows that animals are living beings because they have a soul. In a similar way, Adam, peace be upon him, became fully human when Allah said:
“And I breathed into him of My spirit.”
(Qur’an, al-Ḥijr 15:29)
The difference is not the existence of the soul, but its rank. The human soul is higher and nobler, while the animal soul is lower. Yet both are real.
We can also see this clearly in daily life. Animals feel fear, safety, pain, and comfort. A deer runs when it senses danger before it even sees the hunter. A bird avoids a place where it was once harmed. A dog recognizes its owner and shows loyalty. These reactions are not mechanical like a machine. They involve memory, imagination, and awareness. This inner life cannot be explained by matter alone. It points to the presence of a soul.
Justice Among Animals on the Day of Resurrection
Allah says in the Qur’an:
“And when the wild beasts are gathered.”
(Qur’an, al-Takwīr 81:5)
This verse refers to the Day of Resurrection. Animals will be gathered before Allah. Islamic teachings explain that justice will be carried out among them.
It is reported in hadith that on that Day, the wrong done by one animal to another will be corrected. For example, if a horned animal harmed a hornless animal, justice will be established between them. This does not mean the horned animal is sinful or punished like a human. Animals do not have intellect or free will in the moral sense. They act by instinct.
So what does justice mean here?
Justice does not always mean punishment. Sometimes justice means restoring balance. The horned animal did not commit a moral crime, but the hornless animal was still hurt. Allah, in His perfect justice, does not ignore harm, even when it happens without intention. The harmed animal is compensated, and balance is restored.
This understanding is supported by many Islamic teachings and is widely accepted among scholars. It shows that Allah’s justice is extremely precise. Nothing is overlooked, not even the suffering of animals.
This also helps us understand a well known hadith narrated from Imām Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq, peace be upon him, recorded in al-Khiṣāl:
“Three people will be punished on the Day of Resurrection:
One who makes an image of a living creature. He will be punished until he is ordered to breathe a soul into it, but he will never be able to breathe a soul into it…”
(al-Khiṣāl, vol. 1, p. 108)
This hadith reminds us that life and soul belong only to Allah. Humans can shape forms, but cannot give life. The soul is sacred. The fact that animals have souls is what makes their harm meaningful and worthy of justice.
After justice is carried out among animals, they will turn to dust. They do not enter Paradise or Hell like humans. Humans, however, will continue into eternal life because they were given intellect, choice, and responsibility.
This entire reality shows Allah’s mercy and justice together. Mercy, because animals are not blamed for actions they cannot control. Justice, because no suffering is ignored.
For humans, this is a strong lesson. If Allah restores justice even between animals, how much more serious is injustice between people?
Islam teaches us to treat animals with kindness, not only because it is moral, but because they are living beings with souls, awareness, and dignity granted by Allah.
وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
