In the Name of Allah---the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
Is keeping dogs permissible?
It is
important to remember that Islam values compassion towards all animals,
including dogs. Muslims are encouraged to treat animals with kindness and
respect and to ensure that they are not mistreated or harmed in any way. Is
keeping dogs permissible, should be answered in context of this principle of
compassion.
Some people claim on the basis of a
certain incomplete or abridged Hadiths that Islam orders to kill the dogs
wherever they are found. For example they quote the following Hadith:
It was narrated that Az-Zuhri said:
"Ibn As-Sabbaq said: "Maimunah (May Allah be pleased
with her) told me that Jibril, peace be upon him, said to the Messenger of
Allah (Peace be on him) 'We (Angles) do not enter a house in which there is a
dog or a picture, The next day the Messenger of Allah (Peace be on him) commanded
that all dogs be killed, even small dogs."'
The
following Hadith (reported by Ibn Mughaffal) suggests that the initial order to
kill all dogs was later modified or abrogated on the request of the people. The
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) then allowed the keeping of dogs for
specific purposes, such as hunting and guarding herds.
Ibn Mughaffal (May Allah be
pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (Peace be on him) ordered killing of the
dogs, and afterwards said: What about them, i. e. about other dogs? and then
granted concession (to keep) the dog for hunting and the dog for (the security)
of the herd, and said: When the dog licks the utensil, wash it seven times, and
rub it with earth the eighth time.
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mughaffal (May
Allah be pleased with him):
"I was one of those who held up the branches from the tree
away from the face of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be on him) while he was
delivering the Khutbah (sermon) saying: 'If it were not that dogs were a community
among communities, then I would order that they be killed. So kill every one
among them that is all-black. There is one inhabiting a home in which they keep
a dog but their deeds are decreased by one Qirat every day - except for
a hunting dog, or a farm dog, or a sheep dog.'"
However,
based on this particular Hadith, it could be concluded that the Prophet
Muhammad's statement about killing dogs was specific to a certain situation or
context. The Hadith mentions that if dogs were not a community among
communities, the Prophet would have ordered their killing, which suggests that
the statement was made in response to a particular circumstance.
Furthermore, the Hadith
states that only black dogs should be killed, which further indicates that the
Prophet's statement was not a blanket condemnation of all dogs but rather a
specific injunction regarding certain types of dogs.
It is not a far-fetched idea that the
order of killing dogs altogether was abrogated and later restricted to a
certain type of dogs, that is considered vicious. Jabir ibn Abdullah (May Allah
be pleased with them) clearly mentioned that order of killing dogs altogether
was abrogated.
Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah (May Allah
be pleased with them):
The Prophet of Allah (Peace be on him)) ordered to kill dogs,
and we were even killing a dog which a woman brought with her from the desert.
Afterwards he forbade to kill them, saying: Confine yourselves to the type
which is all-black.
It was narrated that Abu Dharr (May
Allah be pleased with him) said:
“I asked the Messenger of Allah (Peace be on him) about the
all-black dog and he said: ‘(It is) a devil.’”
In ancient Arabia, dogs
were commonly used for several purposes, including hunting, guarding, and
herding. Dogs were highly valued for their abilities to track game and protect
their owners and their property.
Hunting was a popular activity among the ancient Arabs, and dogs
were essential for tracking and capturing prey. Saluki dogs, in particular,
were highly prized for their speed and agility in chasing down game.
livestock from thieves and predators. The ancient Arabs would often keep guard
dogs, such as the Canaan dog, to protect their property and warn them of
potential threats.
livestock, such as sheep and goats. The ancient Arabs would use certain breeds
of dogs, such as the Kuchi or Bakharwal dog, to help move and manage their
flocks.
ancient Arabs, and they were highly valued for their utility and companionship.
That is why the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) allowed to keep dogs for
aforementioned purposes.
the cleanliness issue, as dogs require a high degree of hygiene and care, and
their saliva is considered impure/unclean in Islam. However, some modern-day
scholars argue that the impurity of dogs can be removed through proper cleaning
and that dogs can be kept as pets as long as they are kept clean.
Dogs were also used for guarding and protecting homes and
In addition, dogs were sometimes used for herding and managing
Overall, dogs played a significant role in the daily lives of
Imam
Al-Nawawi
said:
“There
is a difference of opinion as to whether it is permissible to keep dogs for
purposes other than these three, such as for guarding houses and roads . The most
correct view is that it is permissible, by analogy with these three and based
on the reason that is to be understood from the hadith, which is necessity.”
In Islam, keeping
dogs as pets is a controversial issue, and opinions vary among scholars. Some
Islamic scholars consider it permissible to keep dogs for specific purposes,
such as hunting, guarding, or assisting people with disabilities. However,
others consider dogs to be impure and discourage Muslims from keeping them as
pets.
The main concern of those who discourage keeping dogs as pets is
However, keeping dogs just for
recreation and passing time is not allowed, because it increases the chances of
being polluted due to unclean saliva of dogs.
Allah knows the best.
