حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ مَالِکِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ فِيمَا قُرِئَ عَلَيْهِ عَنْ سُمَيٍّ مَوْلَی أَبِي بَکْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ السَّمَّانِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ بَيْنَمَا رَجُلٌ يَمْشِي بِطَرِيقٍ اشْتَدَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَطَشُ فَوَجَدَ بِئْرًا فَنَزَلَ فِيهَا فَشَرِبَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَإِذَا کَلْبٌ يَلْهَثُ يَأْکُلُ الثَّرَی مِنْ الْعَطَشِ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ لَقَدْ بَلَغَ هَذَا الْکَلْبَ مِنْ الْعَطَشِ مِثْلُ الَّذِي کَانَ بَلَغَ مِنِّي فَنَزَلَ الْبِئْرَ فَمَلَأَ خُفَّهُ مَائً ثُمَّ أَمْسَکَهُ بِفِيهِ حَتَّی رَقِيَ فَسَقَی الْکَلْبَ فَشَکَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ فَغَفَرَ لَهُ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّ لَنَا فِي هَذِهِ الْبَهَائِمِ لَأَجْرًا فَقَالَ فِي کُلِّ کَبِدٍ رَطْبَةٍ أَجْرٌ
صحیح مسلم · Hadith 5859
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) as sayings: A person suffered from intense thirst while on a journey, when he found a well. He climbed down into it and drank (water) and then came out and saw a dog lolling its tongue on account of thirst and eating the moistened earth. The person said: This dog has suffered from thirst as I had suffered from it. He climbed down into the well, filled his shoe with water, then caught it in his mouth until he climbed up and made the dog drink it. So Allah appreciated this act of his and pardoned him. Then (the Companions around him) said: Allah's Messenger, is there for us a reward even for (serving) such animals? He said: Yes, there is a reward for service to every living animal.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020