I love pets and I had four pigeons. I am going to get married soon and I wanted to take them with me when after marriage I ask permission from my husband. My mother insists on giving it to someone while I think they may not be well cared and loved as I do to them. To this dilemma we had a debate at home. They say pigeon keeping is a bad thing and your generations will suffer. They related this to pigeon racing which is considered bad here. I say these are my pets. Well finally my brother said, you will repent if you don’t obey your parents and when they die you will mourn a lot because they have to die one day and better is to sell them and donate the earned money as sadqa to poor for your birds to be safe. I couldn’t accept his advice because I am very attached to my birds. Just two days after my one pigeon caught in fan and had severe injury and died. I am very hurt to see his painful death and I don’t know if it was related to not obeying parents and not giving them to someone.
I want them to be safe and also I want to obey my mother but I don’t trust people for giving my so bonded birds to someone who are very tame and recognise me well. I am very confused what to do. I love my parents as well as my birds.
Pls guide what should I do.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Keeping pigeons is permissible (mubah) as long as one takes proper care of them.
In permissible actions like this, as long as there is no danger in what you are doing and also no apparent difficulty for your parents (which is evident since you will be taking the pigeons with you) then it will be permissible for you to go against their wishes, yet mustahab (recommended) to obey them even in this regard. [i]
Since you are very attached to your pigeons, we agree that it will be best for you to ask your husband permission for keeping them, and take them with you when you move to your new home. Insha-Allah, this will not count as disobedience to your parents.
You should kindly and gently explain to your parents that you are not doing anything wrong with your pigeons and your intention is simply to keep them as pets and take good care of them.
Sohail ibn Arif,
Student Darul Iftaa
Chicago, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
ينظر: (تعديل حقوق الوالدين) في امداد الفتاوى، ٤/ ٤٨٠ – ٤٨٥ [i]