Is it a sin to cry over a dead animal?

Dear Brother / Sister,

It is normal for a person to feel sad, distressed and sorrowful because of the death of living creatures such as humans or animals, or the drying up of a plant. In that case, there is no harm in expressing one’s pain and crying silently and shedding tears.

The Prophet (pbuh) himself wept silently at the deaths of his son Ibrahim, his daughter and his daughter’s child. (see Bukhari, Janaiz, 43)

In addition, he also stated that it was not appropriate to oppose Allah’s will and to cry by beating one’s breast as it was done in the Era of Jahiliyya.

As a matter of fact, the Prophet’s (pbuh) statement “...the eye weeps and the heart grieves, but we do not say anything that our Lord will not be pleased with” after the death of his son Ibrahim, who died when he was young, sets an example for the believers in this regard. (see Bukhari, Janaiz, 32, 42, 43)

Accordingly, it is permissible for a person to grieve over the death of an animal, to feel sad, to express his grief, to weep silently, and to shed tears.

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