What is the ruling on feeding crows and rats, and is the one who places food with the intention for these animals to eat it rewarded?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Feeding animals is a rewarding act, as indicated by the : "In every wet liver [living creature] there is a reward." Scholars have differed regarding the generality of this hadith. Some interpreted it to include all animals, while others restricted it to respected animals that are not commanded to be killed. Therefore, feeding a mouse or a crow is an act for which the doer is rewarded, as they fall under the generality of the hadith according to many scholars, with the clarification that they are among the animals that are permissible to kill.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- 161441
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