Support for Slaves & Animals

**A. Support for Slaves:** **Ruling:** It is obligatory upon the master to provide for his slave - food, clothing, and housing according to what is reasonable. **Evidence:** - Allah says: "We know what We have imposed upon them regarding their wives and those their right hands possess" [Al-Ahzab: 50] - The Prophet ﷺ said: "The slave has the right to his food and clothing" [Muslim] **Treatment:** They must be treated gently and not burdened beyond their capacity. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Do not burden them with what overwhelms them. If you burden them, then help them" [Bukhari & Muslim]. **Marriage:** If the slave requests marriage, his master should marry him off. Allah says: "And marry the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male slaves and female slaves" [An-Nur: 32] - also because there is fear of falling into immorality if his chastity is not protected. If the female slave requests marriage, her master should give her the choice between: intimacy with him, or marriage to someone else, or being sold - to remove harm from her. --- **B. Support for Animals:** It is obligatory upon whoever owns an animal to feed it, give it water, take care of its needs, and look after it. **Evidence:** The Prophet ﷺ said: "A woman entered Hellfire because of a cat which she tied up. She neither fed it nor let it loose to eat from the creatures of the earth, until it died of hunger" [Bukhari & Muslim]. This indicates that spending on owned animals is obligatory, because the woman entering Hell was due to leaving the cat without food - and other owned animals are similar. **If Unable to Provide:** If the owner of an animal is unable to provide for it, they must be compelled to sell it, rent it out, or slaughter it if it is from animals that can be eaten.