Asalam o alaikum, My question to you Is that is it permissible for muslims to keep certain animals such as fish at home? Could you please provide me with any hadiths of our prophet (p.b.u.h) or any ayat from the Qur’an if it is permissible or prohibited to keep animals at home provided that we take great care of them and respect them.Jazaq Allah.
It is permissible to keep pets, regardless of whether they are birds, fish, reptiles or any other animal except pigs and dogs. It will not be permissible to keep an animal which may cause harm neither is it permissible to cause any harm to an animal.
A hadith in Sahih Bukhari (Vol.2 Pg.905 and 915-Qadeemi) mentions that a young Sahabi by the name of Abu Umair had a small bird as the pet, with the knowledge of Nabi (sallalahu Alaihi wasallam). Another hadith narrated by Imam Bukhari in Adabul Mufrad (Pg.139) mentions that the Sahabah (Radhiallahu Anhum) were in the habit of keeping birds in cages.
Thus our Fuqaha have ruled that keeping pets is permissible as long as they are treated kindly and fed properly. (Majmoo’ Fatawa Vol.2 Pg.201, Raddul Muhtaar Vol.6 Pg.401, Fatawa Qari’ul Hidayah)
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai