Allah Has Prescribed Perfection towards Everything


It is reported on the authority of Abu Ya'la Shaddad Ibn Aus (May
Allah be pleased with him )that Allah's Messenger (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said:

"Verily Allah has prescribed al-IHSAN (i.e. performing an action in
a perfect manner; doing it well and goodness) towards everything.
Thus,when you kill (any one for some genuine reason), kill (him -
her ) humanely; when you slaughter (an animal),slaughter (it) well.
And every one of you should sharpen his blade to give rest to the
animal he slaughters." Reported by Muslim.      

Guidance and Moralities

This noble Hadith sets forth two great rules for human behavior and
conduct:

(1) doing an action well, and

(2) showing mercy and clemency.

The majority of Muslim scholars believe that it is a duty for every
Muslim to commit himself to these two principles.

There are some crimes in Islam for which life can be taken, e.g.
retaliation for murder. In such cases the offender should not be
brutally tortured and then killed, but every attempt should be made
to cause him the least possible pain while inflicting punishment.

Similarly, every care should be taken to slaughter an animal well and
not to cause it unnecessary pain and torture. We have been given some
instructions in this connection , e.g. the knife should be well
sharpened so that it cuts the throat immediately without causing much
pain ; secondly, the knife should not be sharpened before the eyes of
the animals; thirdly, the animal should be slaughtered at a place
where there is no other animal so that the other animal may not see
this painful sight; fourthly, the animal should not be brutally
dragged to the slaughtering place, but it should be driven with ease;
and, lastly, the animal should be left free, after having its throat
cut, so that it may freely toss its body in the process of bleeding.

In the same vein, Shari'a has made mention of three degrees for al-
Ihsan. They are:

1. Obligatory: to behave well with your parents, relatives and guests.

2. Recommended: to spend money in charity, i.e. optional charity.

3.General: to do your duties in a very good way.

The Beloved Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said:

"Allah loves if one of you does an action to bring it to perfection."
Al- Ihsan, from a practical point of view, is of many kinds and
forms. Among these are the following:

1. Shunning and keeping clear of prohibited matters.

2. Showing forbearance and patience towards predestination, i.e.
avoid worry and anxiety.

3.Treating people with kindness and courtesy, i.e. to behave with
others according to the teachings of Islam.

4.Showing good attitude even in slaughter and killing, i.e. to avoid
causing the least possible pain while slaughtering an animal or
inflicting punishment upon someone.

In principle,'Islam has made human life sacred and has safeguard its
preservation. According to its teachings, aggression against human
life is the second greatest sin in the sight of Allah, second only to
denial of Him.

Because the human race constitutes a single family, an offense
against one of its members is, in fact, an offense against the whole
of humanity.'

In the sound Hadith. "The passing away of the world would mean less
to Allah than the murder of a Muslim man."

Another Hadith reads: "Anyone who kills a Zimmi (Christian or Jew)
will not smell the fragrance of the Garden."

On the other hand, in Islam, there are three crimes for which the
death penalty is justified, but no mutilation nor torture is allowed
in case of retaliation for murder. These crimes are :

(1) unjust murder;

(2) apostasy from Islam after willingly accepted it, and

(3) publicly committing Zina (adultery ).

Finally, the above-mentioned ideas show us that Islam leaves no room
for human caprices to play with sacredness of the lives of: Muslims,
non-Muslims, animals...

But, it -Islam- at the same time spares no effort to uproot the
wicked members from society to secure safety for the others.