The Ruling on Cursing Animals
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
A listener named Mubarak al-Sulami from al-Kamil village sent a message asking and saying: I am a sheep herder, and I have an elderly mother who is very old and cannot distinguish between some matters. This mother curses all the animals and sheep that I own and spend on. I heard that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that a camel which had been cursed be left alone during one of his journeys. What is your opinion regarding my situation, and please explain the hadith mentioned? May Allah reward you with good?
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon whoever follows his guidance.
As for what follows:
The evidence from the Shari'ah indicates that it is not permissible for a Muslim to curse animals, whether camels, cows, or anything else. A Muslim may not curse an animal, whether it is edible or not. The woman who cursed her camel, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that she be left alone, the scholars mentioned that this is a matter of discretionary punishment (ta'zir), so that she does not return to such an act. Even though the camel remains in the ownership of its owner and does not leave her ownership according to the scholars, this is from the perspective of discretionary punishment. As for this cursing that occurred from your mother, if her mind has changed, there is nothing upon her; because she has exited the limit of religious obligation due to the loss of her mind, because of her advanced age, and she has become in the category of one who has no intellect. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The pen is lifted from three: from the sleeper until he wakes up, from the insane person until he regains his senses—and in the other wording: from the fool until he regains his senses—and from the child until he reaches puberty If her mind has changed, there is no sin upon her. But if her mind is with her at the time of cursing, and she understands and knows that this is not permissible, and she has intellect, then the obligatory thing is to advise her, and to make it clear to her that this is not permissible, and that she must repent from it.
As for you, it does not harm you. Your sheep and your property are not harmed by her cursing them. There is no blame on you in using them, eating from them, or drinking from their milk. There is no blame on you; because you are wronged, and the sin is on the one who cursed. The sin is on her if she is of sound mind. But if her mind has gone due to old age, there is nothing upon her, there is no sin upon her, and her words are void and have no value. We ask Allah for success for everyone.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon whoever follows his guidance.
As for what follows:
The evidence from the Shari'ah indicates that it is not permissible for a Muslim to curse animals, whether camels, cows, or anything else. A Muslim may not curse an animal, whether it is edible or not. The woman who cursed her camel, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that she be left alone, the scholars mentioned that this is a matter of discretionary punishment (ta'zir), so that she does not return to such an act. Even though the camel remains in the ownership of its owner and does not leave her ownership according to the scholars, this is from the perspective of discretionary punishment. As for this cursing that occurred from your mother, if her mind has changed, there is nothing upon her; because she has exited the limit of religious obligation due to the loss of her mind, because of her advanced age, and she has become in the category of one who has no intellect. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The pen is lifted from three: from the sleeper until he wakes up, from the insane person until he regains his senses—and in the other wording: from the fool until he regains his senses—and from the child until he reaches puberty If her mind has changed, there is no sin upon her. But if her mind is with her at the time of cursing, and she understands and knows that this is not permissible, and she has intellect, then the obligatory thing is to advise her, and to make it clear to her that this is not permissible, and that she must repent from it.
As for you, it does not harm you. Your sheep and your property are not harmed by her cursing them. There is no blame on you in using them, eating from them, or drinking from their milk. There is no blame on you; because you are wronged, and the sin is on the one who cursed. The sin is on her if she is of sound mind. But if her mind has gone due to old age, there is nothing upon her, there is no sin upon her, and her words are void and have no value. We ask Allah for success for everyone.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.