QUESTION:
I would like to know the Mas’ala on keeping hamsters as pets. playing with them, kissing them etc. Please advise as I have heard that it is not permissible, but my family disagrees.
ANSWER:
It is permissible to keep pets that are a means of comfort, pleasure, and happiness for the owner such as a bird, cat, etc. with the proviso that its provisions are taken care of. It is Waajib upon the owner to feed the animal and spend on its needs. However, a hamster is a rodent which is generally not a means of deriving comfort and pleasure, hence one should refrain from keeping hamsters as pets.
ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Mufti Mohammed Desai Saheb
Date: 09 Dhul Qa’dah 1445 / 18 May 2024
