ABSTRACT
In this world not only human beings but also animals are exposed to evil situations. There are countless numbers of animals killed mercilessly by people, tortured and used in painful medical experiments, killed in natural disasters, and torn atrociously (in appearance) into pieces by wild animals. The misfortunes befalling man can be tolerated by relating them to acceptable reasons such as worldly examination, reward in the next world, and moral development, but how will the misfortunes happening to animals be explained? When animals are being discussed, the questions coming to the mind will naturally be different from those asked in relation to the human evils. Some questions that can be asked are as follows:
Do animals feel pain and sorrow during misfortunes and hardships? If they do, is it similar to what man feels or is it different in essence? Is there any purpose in animal pain and sorrow as there are with human beings (such as spiritual
animals have free will and are they responsible for their actions? Will there be an eternal life for them in the other world where reward or punishment will take place?1
