Humans have more worth than other animals?

[MyM]

Humans are animals. We share the earth with other animals. Yet, some believe that humans have more inherent worth than other animals. I'm curious to y'all's opinions. What do you believe, how do you see it?

I see us all as sharing the same earth and having the same worth. We aren't any better than any other animal on earth. Having a hierarchy has hurt us, as we abuse animals and put them in factory farms. We see them as less, so mistreating them isn't that big of a deal.

Thoughts? Am I totally wrong? Right? Lemme know!

In Islam, we are to be kind to creatures of Allah. We don't harm them for play. We are not to hurt them for play or out of meanness.

Allah does say in the Quran that he made man to be the best of forms. We have brains to think. Animals have their instinctiveness and what Allah has given them. But they are not created like us. But that doesn't mean we take advantage of animals.

There is a hadith where Allah has put a women in hellfire for putting a cat in the closet and abandoning it (no food and water etc.) It is not allowed for anyone to torture an animal.

However, those animals that carry diseases like rats (they carry diseases, plague etc.) you are allowed to kill those and the crow.

Whoever hunts permissible animals in order to benefit from them by selling them to earn money, or eating them, giving them as gifts, and so on, there is nothing wrong with that according to scholarly consensus in Islam. But they must be done according to the allowable (halal) way and not in the state of ihram (pilgrimage attire).

Everything in the sea is permissible to eat. Hence all kinds of food from the sea are permissible, whether they are plants or animals, alive or dead. Allah says in the Quran, “Lawful to you is (the pursuit of) water-game and its use for food – for the benefit of yourselves and those who travel…” [al-Maidah 5:96]. Ibn 'Abbas said: “ Sayduhu (lit. hunting, pursuit) refers to whatever is taken from it alive, and ta’amuhu (lit. its food) means whatever is taken dead.”

However, we are not allowed to kill frogs.

We are to be kind and compassionate and merciful to animals. In Islam, even they will take their justice on the Day of Judgement.

 

[Heyo]

I'm curious what animal is next in line to actually be sapient.

There are a few candidates. One of the traits most indicative to human-like sapience is if they maim or kill for fun or curiosity. Other primates, dolphins, cats, ...

 

[Mock Turtle]

I don't see humans as having any intrinsic value over non-humans but I would invariably try to save the life of a human in preference over any non-human if the situation was as such - a choice. And I have to question the morality of any who would save their pet over the life of a human in such a situation, but I doubt any would do that even though they might risk their lives for their pets. It probably is common in other countries as it is here in the UK, but many people have died trying to save their pet (and usually a dog), with the pet actually surviving sometimes, and usually involving water and/or ice. But we often can't make rational decisions as to chances of death or success, especially when our emotions are involved. Never had a pet (apart from goldfish when a kid) so I've never come across the issue.

 

[Heyo]

And I have to question the morality of any who would save their pet over the life of a human

People on this thread have already given the morality of such a decision. If you have the priorities a) human before other animal and b) family before stranger, you know you would save your child before your dog and your child before a stranger - but there is still a conflict whether to save the dog (which is family) over the stranger (who is human).

 

[Mock Turtle]

People on this thread have already given the morality of such a decision. If you have the priorities a) human before other animal and b) family before stranger, you know you would save your child before your dog and your child before a stranger - but there is still a conflict whether to save the dog (which is family) over the stranger (who is human).

I did say that. Perhaps I worded it wrong.