underlying message in the following verses seems to be that ‘every individual species, including the human species, has been endowed with a potential nature to serve the whole creation as a homogeneous unit’:
“Behold! In the heavens and the earth there are portents for the believers. And in your own animated nature, as in that of the beasts which He has dispersed about, there are portentous messages for a people who would accept the truth.” (Qur’ān 45:3, 4)
“And among His portents, is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and all the beasts that He has dispersed therein; and He has [also] the power to gather them to Himself whenever He wills.” (Qur’ān 42:29)
The Arabic word Dābbatun used in this verse comprehends all breathing creatures on the protoplasmatic basis of life. In various other places also the Qur’ān has placed all kinds of beasts, amphibians, vertebrates, invertebrates, and primates (including human beings) in one bracket; and mentions the creation of all of them as one of the portents of God. This shows the importance that God attaches to life as a whole.
Animals are not inferior to us because they have a different vocal apparatus; nor does the fact that they cannot make articulate speech, like we can, mean that they are ‘contemptible dumb animals’. Science has proved now that they do communicate not only with each other but also with humans – at least enough to express their social interests and biological needs. Those of us who enjoy the privilege of a loving and caring relationship with our pets will bear witness to this fact. Modern scientific research by naturalists has discovered quite a few interesting facts in this field. The honey-bee’s buzzing dance is not just an outburst of merriment. It is meant to convey to other bees the location of the nectar – with the exact details of direction, distance and, perhaps, the quality and quantity of the find. The insignificant ants’ well-organised and industrious social life could not be run without intelligent communication among them. The sonic vibrations made by marine mammals, generally called whale-songs, are articulate communications. Animals and birds in the wild can pass on different kinds of information to each other by slight modulation of voice. The very accentuation in the ‘meow’ can tell the owner of a cat whether it is ‘requesting’, ‘complaining’, or saying ‘thank you’.
There are numerous legends about the Muslim saints and other holy men who could talk to animals. However, for lack of authentication, they are taken generally as mere fables. There is one statement in the Qur’ān, though, which proves that man had acquired the lore of speech with animals as early as the time of King Solomon. Perhaps in those days human civilisation was more in tune with nature than it is today. The Qur’ān verse runs like this:
“And Solomon was David’s heir, and he said: ‘O ye people! We have been taught the speech of birds…’” (Qur’ān 27:16)
The Qur’ān and Ḥadīth also plead for the cause of animal rights by repeatedly citing their utility-value and worth. Their status vis-à-vis human beings has already been discussed. The plea on the ground of their utility is, perhaps, addressed to those people whose values are determined more by benefit motives than by moral conscience. Here are some of many such quotations:
“And He has created cattle for you: you get from them your warm garments and other benefits, and you eat of their produce. And you pride yourselves on their beauty as you drive them home in the evenings, and as you lead them forth to pastures in the mornings. And they carry your heavy loads to places where you could not otherwise reach save by laborious strain to yourselves. Verily! Your Sustainer is most kind – a Dispenser of grace. And [He has created for you] horses, mules and donkeys for riding as well as for adornment – and He will yet create things of which you have no knowledge now.” (Qur’ān 16:5-8)
“And surely there is a lesson for you in cattle: We provide you with a drink out of that [substance] which is in their bellies – coming from a conjunction between the contents of the intestine and the blood – milk which is pleasant for those who drink it.” (Qur’ān 16:66)
The Arabic word ‘farth’ means that glandular protoplasm which is filled with particles of secretions no longer needed by the metabolism, which is secreted out by the body. It has been established by scientists now that milk is a mixture of those particles and life-blood. The messages of some of the above verses are repeated below for emphasis:
“And surely there is a lesson for you in cattle. We provide you with a drink out of their bellies; and there are numerous other uses in them for you; and you get your sustenance out of them. And on them, as on ships, you make your journeys.” (Qur’ān 23:21, 22)
“It is God Who provided for you all manner of livestock, that you may ride on some of them and from some of them you may derive your food. And there are other uses in them for you to satisfy your heart’s desires. It is on them as on ships, that you make your journeys.” (Qur’ān 40:79, 80)
While enumerating the wonders of God’s creation, the camel – the ship of the desert – is pointed out conspicuously in these words:
“Do they not reflect on the camels, how they are created?” (Qur’ān 88:17)
e. The Metaphysics of the Animal Mind
Unfortunately modern scientific research has been confined mostly to the behaviour and physiology of animals. Until recently, in the field of consciousness research, most scientists attributed animal learning purely to instinct. Research work in this field tends to state that no creature other than humans has been endowed with a conscious mind and, hence, has no faculty for higher cognition. This presumption is based on the misconception that even rudimentary spiritual awareness can emanate only from a consciously analytical mind as opposed to the organic life of a body which can exist and grow without the help of apprehensive senses.
What is overlooked in this hypothesis is the fact that the quantum of balance in the conscious and the unconscious elements is of varying degrees in each species. Our scientific research has not yet been able to define the lines of demarcation between the conscious, the unconscious and the subconscious elements of mind, nor have we heard the last word on how these elements interact – hence the confusion about the psyche of animals which ranges from one extreme to the other in the hierarchy of species.
Some creeds have raised them to the sublime position of being capable of receiving human souls; others have deified some animals to a status worthy of worship; while for some, all creatures other than humans are nothing more than food-parcels of flesh and bone, neatly wrapped up solely for the benefit of man. The last view is accepted mainly by those who conveniently find in it a licentious freedom to exploit the defenceless creatures for sadistic pleasure or for gain.
According to the Qur’ānic theology, all living creatures possess a non-physical force of spirit and mind which, in its advanced form, we call ‘psyche’. This concept should not be confused with the concepts of ‘re-incarnation’ or ‘trans-migration’ of souls, which doctrines are based on postulations different from those of Islam. Although animals’ psychic force is of a lower level than that of human beings, there is ample evidence in the Qur’ān to suggest that animals’ consciousness of spirit and mind is of a degree higher than mere instinct and intuition. We are told in the Qur’ān that animals have a cognisance of their Creator and, hence, they pay
