The Ruling on Keeping Animals and Children Playing with Them

Question:
May Allah reward you with good. A question from the mother of Anas: She says, “Honorable Shaykh, there is a woman who has young children, and she brought them rabbits so they could take care of them. She saw them playing with these animals, so she resolved to release them in the wilderness. But when she went to the animals, she found that the rabbits had died. Does this woman bear sin for the death of these animals, and what must she do now?”

Answer:
There is no objection to her bringing animals and allowing the children to play with them, but only to the extent that it does not involve tormenting them. If there is torment involved, it is not permissible to torment them. They should only play with them within limits that do not reach the point of torment, on the condition that she provides them with water and food, and does not leave them to die of hunger or thirst. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “A woman entered the Fire because of a cat she had locked up, leaving it to eat from the insects of the earth.” If she provides them with food and drink, it is permissible for her to keep them, and it is permissible for her to allow her children to play with them to a degree that does not reach the point of torment.