Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah urged Muslims to treat animals with compassion and responsibility, stressing that animal welfare and human safety can coexist.
SHAH ALAM: The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has called on Muslims to always do good and show compassion towards all animals, including strays and wildlife.
In line with the Friday sermon titled ‘Ihsan Terhadap Mahkluk Allah SWT’ (compassion towards Allah SWT’s creatures) delivered at mosques throughout Selangor today, His Royal Highness also called on the people to reflect on and understand its contents.
In a post on the Selangor Royal Office’s Facebook page, His Royal Highness said that as stewards of the earth, humans bear a great responsibility to care for, protect and manage the environment responsibly, including animals, plants, hills, seas and rivers.
“All these are signs of the greatness of Allah SWT, and their sustainability must be protected and preserved.
Sultan Sharafuddin also said that the relationship between humans and other creatures should always be built on the principles of compassion and responsibility.
His Royal Highness said Prophet Muhammad placed great emphasis on compassion towards animals, and Islam teaches its followers to treat animals well by providing them with food and water, or at the very least, not mistreating any animal created by Allah.
However, Sultan Sharafuddin said the situation is different when wildlife poses a threat to public safety or cause damage to property.
“In such circumstances, Islam allows action to be taken to prevent harm, which is in line with the objectives of the Maqasid Syariah, namely protecting life and property,” the post said.
The Ruler said showing compassion towards animals and ensuring human safety were not contradictory, but rather both were part of the beauty of Islamic teachings, which place everything in its proper context.
