Mufti Menk – Animals or Human Beings

			Salam aleikum. We here in Islam about being kind to kittens, meaning cats, to dogs, to animals, to
birds, and being kind to all the creatures of the Almighty.
		

			But how many of us are actually kind to our own children, to our siblings, to our family members, to
our parents, to our brothers and sisters, as I say, siblings, how many of us are actually kind to
one another? How many of us say good words to each other? Remember, as much as we should be kind to
all the other creatures of the Almighty, primarily, charity begins at home. So that kindness should
start with human kind, starting with your own family members, and then everyone else. Sometimes we
see people who are so kind to the dogs and the pigs, that you have human beings who who wish that
they were dogs and pigs so that they could be treated kindly. Obviously, that's quite silly. But
		

			I've heard someone say, I wish I was a dog so that I could be treated that way, meaning so kindly,
and I say, we should never wish that we were dogs or pigs. But we understand that the whole reason
why this is said is so that people can treat human beings better than they treat animals. And I'm
not saying don't treat animals well, but I'm just helping you to learn how to prioritize. So each
time you have a pet and each time you're so engrossed in that animal. Remember, if you are unkind to
your fellow human beings, you have lost the prioritization taught by Allah subhanho wa Taala. Some
people are nasty with their own children, yet they're kind to the animals. Some people cannot even
		

			greet their own brothers and sisters, but they look after the birds and the fish and so on. May
Allah subhanho wa Taala strengthen us. Always remember charity begins at home. The danger of
treating a fellow human being in a very in an abusive way or in a wrong way is very, very serious.
So my brothers and sisters, let's change that in sha Allah salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa
barakato.