The bio-ethics researchers believe that although man’s...

The bio-ethics researchers believe that although man’s distinguished status among the other creatures allows him to exploit animals for the benefits of advancing medical research but since the animals as creatures of the same system [of creation] also have the right to live, and of course living a healthy life, it is not so obvious that they can be utilized to our own benefits without any limitations.

Such an attitude towards animals led the researchers of bio-ethics to study the utilization of animals in the two legal and ethical fields, and, while reminding the qualifications and ethical principles of using the animals, design rules and regulations for keeping animals and working on them in laboratory environments. Accordingly, the most important bio-ethical duty is the researchers’ willingness to accept responsibility for supervising the work on animals.

This responsiveness causes medical sciences researchers to be sensitive to the place and conditions, feeding, and hygiene of keeping animals and seriously prevent painful methods in dealing with them except in specific instances.

Now, there is a question before us, albeit in several forms: How is our work with the animals in a laboratory environment assessed from the viewpoint of Islam as one of the great Revealed religions, which has many rules and regulations in different human and animal fields? To find an answer, it is inevitable that we first review the Islamic sources including both the Holy Qur’an and the Sunna , and then consider the viewpoints of different researchers of Islamic sciences.

Animals are among the wonders of the world of creation that the Exalted God calls humankind to deliberate on their creation so that, on the one hand, they may find out subtlety of their existence, and on the other, acknowledge the greatness of their Creator: ﴾Do they not observe the camel, [to see] how she has been created?

[^1] ﴿ As we will explain in detail later on, the Holy Qur’an has approved the love for animals and being delighted in relation with them as a principle, and states the Prophet Solomon’s viewpoint in this respect as follows: ﴾When one evening there were displayed before him prancing steeds, he said, “Indeed I have preferred the love of [worldly] niceties to the remembrance of my Lord until [the sun] disappeared behind the [night's] veil.

“Bring it back for me!” Then he [and others] began to stroke [their] legs and necks.