Show mercy towards all creatures of God's creation; Treat animals kindly; Provide food and water for imprisoned animals; Set imprisoned animals free so they can find sustenance on their own.

This hadith is about a woman who was punished for imprisoning a cat and not providing it with food or water, or setting it free to eat from the earth. Allah's Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ, warned us that we should be merciful towards animals and treat them kindly. We should never imprison an animal without giving them food and water, nor should we leave them in an environment where they cannot find sustenance on their own. This hadith teaches us that if we are cruel to animals then Allah will punish us severely in the afterlife. It also teaches us that mercy is one of the most important values in Islam and that we must always strive to show mercy towards all creatures of God's creation.