Is it Permissible to Keep a Pet Canary?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I pray you are well. Is it permissible to keep a bird caged so long as it is well-fed and cared for? What are the rulings on doing so? Some consider it unethical to cage a bird even if raised in captivity, but I would like to know the Islamic perspective.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
It is lawful to keep birds in a cage for fondness and amusement, but the condition is that they are fed timely and fully. One must ensure that one will give them rights regarding proper feeding, cleanliness, dignity, and care.
If there is any fear that proper care would not be taken, then it would be best not to keep a pet or aquarium, as it is sinful to be cruel or oppressive towards animals. [Nahlawi, al-Durar al-Mubaha]
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction in sha Allah.
Related:
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersGuidance?
I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
