Religious opinion on the massmurder of stray pets

Fatwa on the inhumane killing on hundreds of thousands of stray dogs and cats in Türkiye

﷽

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon the Master of the Messengers, and upon his family and all of his companions.

It has come to our attention that the government of Türkiye, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is overseeing the widespread killing of stray dogs and cats. This action has caused immense suffering and has resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent animals. Such an act raises deep ethical, moral, and legal concerns from an Islamic perspective, as it goes against the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Islam mandates mercy, justice, and care for all of Allah’s creation, including animals, who are part of the communities that worship Allah in their own way.

Therefore, this fatwa is issued to address the grievous wrong of killing animals without just cause and to urge the Turkish authorities to cease this practice immediately, in accordance with the rulings of Islamic law.

Islam enjoins mercy and respect for all of Allah’s creation. Allah, the Exalted, says in the Qur'an:

وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍۢ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا طَـٰٓئِرٍۢ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيْهِ إِلَّآ أُمَمٌ أَمْثَالُكُم ۚ مَّا فَرَّطْنَا فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ مِن شَىْءٍۢ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يُحْشَرُونَ

“All living beings roaming the earth and winged birds soaring in the sky are communities like yourselves. We have left nothing out of the Record. Then to their Lord they will be gathered all together.” Surah Al-An’am, 6:38

In this ayah, Allah establishes that animals, like humans, are communities with rights and responsibilities, and they, too, will be gathered before their Lord. This affirms their sanctity and the obligation upon mankind to treat them with dignity and mercy. The killing of animals for sport, cruelty, or without a legitimate reason is strictly forbidden in Islam.

The teachings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ further emphasize kindness and mercy towards animals. The following hadiths demonstrate the seriousness of this matter:

حَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ دَخَلَتِ امْرَأَةٌ النَّارَ فِي هِرَّةٍ رَبَطَتْهَا، فَلَمْ تُطْعِمْهَا، وَلَمْ تَدَعْهَا تَأْكُلُ مِنْ خِشَاشِ الأَرْضِ ‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "A woman entered the (Hell) Fire because of a cat which she had tied, neither giving it food nor setting it free to eat from the vermin of the earth." Sahih al-Bukhari 3318

This hadith clearly shows that the mistreatment of even a single animal is a serious offense in the sight of Allah, let alone the mass killing of thousands of animals. The woman's sin lay in her neglect of a cat, a small act of cruelty that resulted in severe punishment in the Hereafter. This underscores how seriously Islam views cruelty to animals.

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ سُمَىٍّ، مَوْلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ السَّمَّانِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ بَيْنَمَا رَجُلٌ يَمْشِي بِطَرِيقٍ اشْتَدَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَطَشُ، فَوَجَدَ بِئْرًا فَنَزَلَ فِيهَا فَشَرِبَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ، فَإِذَا كَلْبٌ يَلْهَثُ يَأْكُلُ الثَّرَى مِنَ الْعَطَشِ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ لَقَدْ بَلَغَ هَذَا الْكَلْبَ مِنَ الْعَطَشِ مِثْلُ الَّذِي كَانَ بَلَغَ بِي، فَنَزَلَ الْبِئْرَ فَمَلأَ خُفَّهُ، ثُمَّ أَمْسَكَهُ بِفِيهِ، فَسَقَى الْكَلْبَ، فَشَكَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ فَغَفَرَ لَهُ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّ لَنَا فِي الْبَهَائِمِ أَجْرًا‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ فِي كُلِّ ذَاتِ كَبِدٍ رَطْبَةٍ أَجْرٌ ‏"‏‏.‏

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "While a man was walking on a road. he became very thirsty. Then he came across a well, got down into it, drank (of its water) and then came out. Meanwhile he saw a dog panting and licking mud because of excessive thirst. The man said to himself "This dog is suffering from the same state of thirst as I did." So he went down the well (again) and filled his shoe (with water) and held it in his mouth and watered the dog. Allah thanked him for that deed and forgave him." The people asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?" He said, "(Yes) There is a reward for serving any animate (living being) ." Sahih al-Bukhari 6009

In this hadith, we learn that an act of kindness towards even the smallest creature can result in Allah’s forgiveness and mercy. The mercy shown to a thirsty dog was so significant that it became the cause of Allah forgiving the man's sins. This should remind us of the great value Islam places on kindness to all living beings.

أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ الْمِصِّيصِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ وَاصِلٍ، عَنْ خَلَفٍ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ مِهْرَانَ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَامِرٌ الأَحْوَلُ، عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الشَّرِيدِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الشَّرِيدَ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ مَنْ قَتَلَ عُصْفُورًا عَبَثًا عَجَّ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ فُلاَنًا قَتَلَنِي عَبَثًا وَلَمْ يَقْتُلْنِي لِمَنْفَعَةٍ ‏"‏ ‏.

I heard the Messenger of Allah say: Whoever kills a small bird for no reason, it will beseech Allah on the Day of Resurrection saying: O Lord, so and so killed me for no reason. And he did not kill me for any beneficial purpose." Sunan an-Nasa'i 4446

This hadith is a clear and explicit prohibition against the killing of animals without valid reason. Killing animals purely for convenience or due to perceived nuisance is a violation of this ruling. Every life is valuable in the sight of Allah, and those who cause harm to animals will be held accountable for their actions.

Shari’ah unequivocally prohibits the unjust killing of any living being. The Qur'an says:

أَنَّهُۥ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًۢا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍۢ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًۭا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَآ أَحْيَا ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًۭا ۚ

Whoever takes a life—unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land—it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity Surah al Ma’idah 5:32

Though this verse primarily refers to human life, it has been understood by scholars to encompass all living creatures, as they are also Allah's creation. Taking a life unjustly is considered an immense crime in Islam, and those who do so must face the consequences both in this world and in the Hereafter.

As a public leader, President Erdoğan holds a position of trust (amanah) over his people and the environment, including animals.

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ أَلَا كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ فَالْإِمَامُ الَّذِي عَلَى النَّاسِ رَاعٍ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالْمَرْأَةُ رَاعِيَةٌ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِ زَوْجِهَا وَوَلَدِهِ وَهِيَ مَسْئُولَةٌ عَنْهُمْ وَعَبْدُ الرَّجُلِ رَاعٍ عَلَى مَالِ سَيِّدِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْهُ أَلَا فَكُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. The leader of people is a guardian and is responsible for his subjects. A man is the guardian of his family and he is responsible for them. A woman is the guardian of her husband’s home and his children and she is responsible for them. The servant of a man is a guardian of the property of his master and he is responsible for it. No doubt, every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.” Sahih al-Bukhari 7138, Sahih Muslim 1829

Rulers have a duty to act with justice and mercy. Misusing power to harm or kill innocent creatures is a breach of this responsibility and goes against the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ The government’s actions in ordering or permitting the mass killing of animals without just cause is a gross violation of the trust placed in them by Allah.

Based on the above evidences from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, we, the undersigned, declare that the mass killing of stray dogs and cats in Türkiye is haram in Islam. This action constitutes a violation of the sacred principles of mercy, compassion, and justice enjoined by Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.

We call upon the Turkish authorities to immediately cease this practice and to adopt humane and ethical alternatives for managing stray animals, such as creating shelters, promoting adoption, and implementing responsible population control measures in line with Islamic ethics.

And Allah knows best.