"Whoever is kind to the Creatures of God is kind to himself."
Islam is a comprehensive system, covering all aspects of life. The 'Animal Theme' is no exception to this, there are many unique conceptions of animals in Islamic thought with animals seen, at one and the same time; as signs of God and Halal meat.
Signs of God
Muslims believe that God; Allah in Arabic, is the Creator of everything that exists. All creation thus reflects the Design and Creativity of God. It is for this reason that the Qur'an (2:164) describes animals and the whole of the natural world as "ayat" or "signs" of the existence of God.
There are many animal parables mentioned in the Qur'an, and some chapters of the Qur'an are named after certain animals, such as:
Many stories from the Prophet's (PBUH) lifetime are used to illustrate the need for Muslims to care for these Signs of God:
The website InspiredbyMuhammad(PBUH) has a similar section, with the following video:
Muslim Animals
Muslims firmly believe that all animals and indeed, all creation is naturally muslim, in that everything which exists follows and submits to the law of God, as this article explains and as this video shows:
The next video utilises this belief to counter the "Famous Celebrity Muslims" phenomenon:
The Qur'an declares that not only does every creature worship God, but that each has its own mode of worship, which human beings will never be able to understand. Thus, many Muslims regard a cat's purr as the manifestation of dhikr or the Remembrance of God.
Halal Meat
Though animals are regarded as naturally Muslim, the way animals are slaughtered in order to fulfil the requirements of Halal meat, is a highly controversial issue for animal rights activists and indeed, for some Muslims.
Muslims argue that the Islamic method of slaughter is the most humane, as this article explains, whilst activists state the opposite; that killing animals before stunning, is unbearably cruel.
Both sides produce scientific evidence to support their claims and the BBC Religion website provides a summary of this.
This topic has become more popular in recent years, with evidence of an online debate emerging, with a BBC Poll on the subject and some Islamically based websites petitioning against halal meat, such as New Age Islam.
Conclusion
It may be argued that Islam goes further than any of the religions previously discussed, as it regards all creatures as "fellow Muslims" who worship God perfectly and reveal the existence and Creative power of God.
However, the issue of Halal meat, for some, corrupts and damages Islam's 'animal-friendliness.' The issue is not likely to be resolved soon, rather, I believe that there will continue to be much debate on and within both sides,with the internet as the key arena.
