I want to enter the field of
dealing in pet animals like cats and birds. Among the animals I want to
deal in are chimpanzees which can be domesticated and trained for
entertainment purposes, such as attracting customers to one’s store, or
they may be sold to households simply for purposes of amusement. But they
are very expensive. Some brothers – may Allaah reward them – have told
me that dealing in monkeys is haraam, because they are a sign of Divine
punishment and wrath, and because this involves changing their nature and
mistreating them, in addition to the fact that they are a waste of money.
What is the ruling on that?
Praise be to Allah.
It is not permissible to sell cats, monkeys and dogs,
and other carnivores that have fangs, because the Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade that and denounced it, and
because it involves a waste of money, which the Prophet
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) also forbade.