Legal and religious references

The animal has intelligence, suffers, knows and adores God, is aware of death and will be resurrected like humans:
“Not a beast on earth, nor a bird flying with its two wings, which are not nations like yourselves; in the Book, We have not omitted the least thing. And then to the Lord they will be gathered” Surah 6 Al-‘An`âm (The Animals), Verse 38
“Do you not see that everything in heaven and on earth never ceases to proclaim the glory and purity of God, even the birds that spread their wings? Everyone has their own way of praying to God and proclaiming His glory and purity and God knows exactly what they are doing. Sura 24 An-Nur (The Light), verse 41

“The Cow”, “The Cattle”, “The Bees”, “The Ants”, “The Spider”, “The Elephant”. The Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him), taught respect for animals to his Companions, favoring some of them, especially for their nobility (the horse) or their purity (the cat). The preservation of animal species was achieved in Noah’s Ark (Nûh), long ago, by the order of Allah (s.w.t), without which we would not have known animals in our present life. This is a reminder for us to preserve animal species in our time.

Islam formally prohibits all forms of cruelty to animals, long before the emergence of various animal rights movements, dating only from the 19th century.
The Prophet (pbuh) described the punishment of a woman who was sent to Hell because of the way she treated a cat. She had locked her up without feeding her and refused to release her to feed herself outside. Sahih Al-Bukhari

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told his companions the story of a man who, while walking, suddenly became very thirsty. Having found a well, he went down into it to quench his thirst. On the way back up, he saw a dog that was so thirsty that it was licking the mud off the ground. So he went down to the bottom of the well again and brought back water for the dog. God appreciated his good deed so much that He forgave him his sins. The companions asked, “O Prophet of God: are we rewarded for our good deeds to animals?” He replied, “For every living creature, there is a reward for whoever does good to it.” Sahih Al-Bukhari
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “There is no human being who kills a bird or a larger animal without right that will not be questioned by God on the Day of Judgment.” He was asked, “And what is the right of the animal, O Messenger of God?” He replied, “It is that he slaughters it and consumes its flesh, not that he cuts off its head while throwing away the rest.” An-Nasai
Allah (s.w.t) says in the Qur’an: “There is no beast that walks on the earth, no bird that flies with its wings, that is not like you in community.”
Surah 6 Al An’âm (The Animals), Verse 38

Farm animals and pets must have access to a healthy and natural diet and pleasant living conditions. They must also have access to conditions for mating, nursing, and normal rearing of their offspring, and must receive medical care in case of illness or accident.
The Prophet (pbuh) passing by a very emaciated camel. He said, “Fear God about those animals that cannot speak. If you ride them, do it properly [en les mettant en forme pour qu’ils puissent le faire aisément] and if you eat them, do it properly [en les nourrissant convenablement pour leur assurer une bonne santé]. “Abu Daoud
An animal should never be beaten or tortured. The Prophet (pbuh) passed by an animal that had been branded on the forehead. He said, “Do you not know that I have cursed him who marks his animal on its face or strikes it on its face? Abu Daud, Sahih Muslim
Men must not strike animals on the face, because “they speak the praise of God”.

It is forbidden to kill an animal in a cruel way or just for fun. The only reason being the need to feed, with the permission of Allah, and therefore following a particular ritual and benevolent to the animal. The animal has the right to a death with dignity and respect.
Islam has established rules on the slaughter of animals. Islam places great emphasis on the way in which animals are sacrificed, which should be as painless as possible for them. The instrument used to slit the throat must never be sharpened in front of the animal, and a beast must never be slit in front of its fellows. Never before the advent of Islam had the world witnessed such concern for the welfare of animals.
“And eat not of that on which the name of Allah has not been pronounced, for that would be (surely) perversity. The devils inspire their allies to dispute with you. If you obey them, you will certainly become associators.”
Surah 6 Al-‘An`âm (The Animals), Verse 121
“To every community We have assigned a sacrificial rite, that they may pronounce the name of Allah over the beast of the herd which He has assigned to them. Your God is indeed one God. So submit to Him. And give good news to those who humiliate themselves.
Surah 22 Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage), Verse 34
“We have appointed for you the healthy camels (and cows) for certain rites established by Allah. In them is a good thing for you. So say the name of Allah over them when they have had their legs tied (ready for slaughter). Then when they lie on their sides, eat of them, and feed them to the quiet worker and the beggar. So We have made them subservient to you that you may be grateful.
Surah 22 Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage), Verse 36
“Allah (s.w.t) has commanded that you do good in all things. So when you kill, kill well. When you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each of you sharpen his knife and treat his victim well. Sahih Muslim
Ibn ‘Omar reported that the Prophet (SWS) said: “When one of you slaughters a beast, let him finish it”. Reported by Ibn Maja
According to Ibn ‘Abbas, a man laid his victim on the ground while he was sharpening his blade. The Prophet (SWS) said to him, “So you want to kill her twice? Why didn’t you sharpen your blade before laying it down? Sahih Al-Bukhari
Omar saw someone dragging a sheep by the leg to slit its throat. He said to him, “Woe to you! Lead him to death in a kind way. Reported by ‘Abd ar-Razaq
The Prophet (SWS) said: “Anything that is cut from a living animal is considered a dead animal. Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and al-Hiban