The issue regarding the rights of the animals and respecting them which Dr. Sagan mentioned, rather and even that it is possible that they recognize the religion to an extent, and therefore, they are fit for religious informing according to their state; This is recognized by the Islamic religion and the Qur’an, and at the very least it is possible for us to say [by] the doctrine/ideology of the progeny of Muhammad (peace be upon them). And we have in the Qur’an and the traditions from the Prophet and the Imams (peace be upon them) that animals are nations just as us and respecting them is obligatory. {And there is no creature on [or within] the earth or bird that flies with its wings except [that they are] nations like you. We have not neglected in the Book a thing. Then unto their Lord they will be gathered.} [1]
And the progeny of Muhammad (peace be upon them) clarified that if a person raises and is kind to a sheep, then it is hated for him that he slaughters it. For indeed this sheep became used to having this person treating it with kindness. And this is an evidence upon the fact that the true Islam brought by the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) consider that the sheep has feelings and emotions which are supposed to be respected.
“Narrated from Muhammad ibn Al Hassan, with its Isnad, from Muhammad ibn Al Hassan Al Saffar, from Ya’qoub ibn Yazeed, from Yahya ibn Al Mubarak, from Abdullah ibn Gabla, from Muhammad ibn Al Fudhayl, from Abi Al Hassan (peace be upon him), who said: ‘I said to him, “I had a ram that I fattened for slaughter, so when I took it and put it to sleep, it looked towards me, so I had mercy upon it and felt sympathy towards it. Then I slaughtered it.” He said, ‘So he (peace be upon him) said, “I don’t like for you to do that. Do not raise anything from these then kill it.” [2]
As for religious informing, in terms of the Prophets (peace be upon them) and the Vicegerents it is certain that many of the animals heard their call. And in the Qur’an there are stories regarding animals which heard the calls of the Prophets, such as the hoopoe and the ant in the story of Solomon (peace be upon him).
Ahmed Alhasan from the book The Atheism Delusion
1 – Holy Qur’an, Chapter 6, Verse 38
2 – The source: Al-Hurr Al-‘Ameli – Wasa’il Al-Shia, Volume 24, Page 92
First Mahdi : Yamani : Ahmed Alhasan 