Question
I want to keep birds at home in a cage. Is it a sin? I mean they are meant to be free, and here I am caging them for my benefit so I can enjoy their chirping and their beauty. One viewpoint I was given is that these birds are bred in captivity so wouldn’t survive in the wild in any case, so no need to feel guilty.
JazakAllahu Khair for your time. Looking forward to the rulings
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
It is permissible to keep birds in a cage as pets as long as one feeds and takes care of the birds.[1]
The companions of Nabi (ﷺ) used to keep birds as pets.
This is understood from the following narrations:
عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: دَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَرَأَى ابْنًا لأَبِي طَلْحَةَ يُقَالُ لَهُ: أَبُو عُمَيْرٍ، وَكَانَ لَهُ نُغَيْرٌ يَلْعَبُ بِهِ، فَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا عُمَيْرٍ، مَا فَعَلَ أَوْ، أَيْنَ، النُّغَيْرُ؟.
Anas (Radhiallahu anhu)said, “The Prophet (ﷺ) came in and saw Abu Talha’s son called Abu ‘Umayr. he had a sparrow which he used to play with.” Nabi (ﷺ) said, “Abu ‘Umayr, what happened to (or where is) the little sparrow?’”
(Adaab Al-Mufrad)
عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ قَالَ: كَانَ ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ بِمَكَّةَ وَأَصْحَابُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَحْمِلُونَ الطَّيْرَ فِي الأَقْفَاصِ
Translation: Hisham ibn ‘Urwa reported that Ibn Al- Zubair (Radhiallahu anhu) was in Makkah and the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) were carrying birds in cages.
(Adaab Al-Mufrad)
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Muhammad I.V Patel
Checked and Approved by
Mufti Nabeel Valli.
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia
الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (6/ 401)
(قوله وأما للاستئناس فمباح) قال في المجتبى رامزا: لا بأس بحبس الطيور والدجاج في بيته، ولكن يعلفها وهو خير من إرسالها في السكك اهـ
مجموعہ فتاویٰ مولنا عبد الحی صفحہ 595
فتاویٰ قاسمیہ جلد ٢٤ صفحہ ٣٥٩
کبوتر یا دیگر پرندوں کا پالنا درست ہے، یہ آپ اکی تقریر سے ثابت ہے کہ حضرت انسؓ کے گھر میں ان کے چھوٹے بھائی نے پرندہ پا ل رکھا تھا