A Simple Look at Muslims and Dogs

A Simple Look at Muslims and Dogs

by Prof Dato Dr Mohd Asri bin Zainul Abidin

In our diverse society, where many religions and cultures mix, sensitive issues often pop up. In today's digital world, you hear all sorts of different opinions. This is the reality of our 'new era,' full of new ideas that earlier generations didn't face.

Many people have asked me to write about how Muslims view dogs. In this brief piece, I want to talk about these topics:

1.      Calling Someone a Dog

Across all cultures and faiths, comparing a person to a dog is generally seen as a serious insult. Even though many people in the West call a dog 'man's best friend,' if you say, 'You are like a dog,' it is an insult. Even if someone thinks it means loyalty, it usually suggests a blind or dumb loyalty.

The Quran itself uses the dog as a negative example for religious leaders who only care about worldly gains and give up the truth for their own benefit. Allah says:

(meaning) “Tell them the story of a man to whom We gave Our teachings, but he ignored them, and Satan led him astray. If We had wanted, We could have raised his rank with those teachings. But he chose to stick to this world and follow his own desires. So, he is like a dog: if you shoo it away, it pants with its tongue out; and if you leave it alone, it still pants with its tongue out. This is the example of those who deny Our signs. So tell the stories so they might think.” (Surah al-A'raf: verse 175-176)

So, it makes perfect sense that the Muslim community gets offended if they or their practices are compared to a dog. People who cause this kind of trouble are just looking for a fight and trying to create conflict with Muslims for no good reason. That kind of action hurts the peace in our country.

2.     Does Islam Dislike Dogs?

People often ask: Does Islam hate dogs and forbid Muslims from being kind to them? No.

The Quran tells the story of the dog that went with the Ashab al-Kahf ( Sleepers of the Cave) when they hid from a cruel ruler long ago. Allah says: (meaning) “You would think they were awake, though they were sleeping. We turned them onto their right and left sides, while their dog lay with its front paws stretched out at the entrance of the cave. If you had seen them, you would have surely run away from them in fear and terror.” (Surah al-Kahf, verse 18)

This dog is a symbol of an animal that was a loyal companion to people fighting for the truth. It represents honor.

In a famous hadith, the Prophet said: “A bad woman (a prostitute) was forgiven by God because she saw a very thirsty dog panting by a well. She took off her shoe, tied it to her headscarf, and pulled up water for the dog. God forgave her because of that one kind act.” (reported by al-Bukhari)

If God forgave the worst kind of person for sincerely giving water to a dog, how can we possibly think Islam says it is bad for a Muslim to feed or water a dog? If a Muslim gives food to a dog, they should be praised.

3.      Can Muslims Keep Dogs?

In the Quran, Allah says (meaning): “They ask you [Muhammad] what is lawful for them. Say, ‘All good food is lawful for you, and [the game caught by] the hunting animals you have trained according to what God has taught you.’ So eat what they catch for you, and say God’s Name over it [when you release the animal], and be mindful of God. Surely God is swift in settling accounts.” (Surah al-Ma’idah, verse 4)

The main hunting animal used back then was the dog. Scholars confirm that the Arabic word in this verse refers to dogs and their owners.

This means a Muslim can own a dog for hunting. They can also keep a dog to travel with or to guard their home, just like the dog of the Sleepers of the Cave mentioned earlier.

4.      Can Muslims Touch a Dog?

Some people say it is forbidden to touch a dog because it is najs (unclean/impure).

However, if touching something najs was always forbidden, it would be forbidden to clean yourself or a child after using the bathroom. It would also be forbidden for people who deal with unclean things at work (like cleaning toilets, blood, or pus) and for animal doctors. This conclusion is not correct.

Religious scholars agree that you can touch impure things if you have a need to. They only differ on touching impurity when there is no need.

5.      Is a Dog Unclean To be Touched?

Scholars all agree that touching a dry dog does not make you unclean. The rule is: "Dry touching dry remains clean," and there is no disagreement on this.

The disagreement only comes up when touching a wet dog:

• The Shafi’i school and one view in the Hanbali school say the whole dog is unclean (najs), including its fur.
• The Maliki school says the whole dog is clean (tahir), including its saliva.
• The Hanafi school and another Hanbali view say the dog's fur is clean, but its saliva is unclean.

Therefore, the majority of scholars (from the Maliki, Hanafi, and one Hanbali group) believe that touching the body or fur of a dog, even when wet, does not make you unclean. They only disagree about the saliva. Our view is that dog saliva is unclean based on the hadith: “If a dog licks your bowl, you must wash it seven times, with the first time being with dirt.” (narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim)

6.      Keeping a Dog Inside the House

Islam discourages keeping a dog inside your home without a good reason. The Prophet said: “Whoever keeps a dog will lose a large amount of reward (qirat) from his good deeds every day, except for a dog kept for guarding crops or guarding livestock.” (narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Since the hadith only mentions a reduction in reward and not a sin, some scholars consider keeping a dog without a need to be disliked (makruh).

The wisdom here relates to a few things:

• Hospitality: We are told to welcome guests. Not everyone is comfortable around dogs. The smell and barking can scare or bother some people. Islam promotes good relationships with neighbors, relatives, and friends, and a dog's presence (smell, barking, shedding) might make a house less welcoming.

• Safety and Health: Dog bites, waste, and licking can pose health risks. Islam tries to keep its followers safe. The rule against keeping dogs inside (without a valid reason) is a way to prevent harm, not a form of cruelty toward the dog.

The Hadith that says: "If a dog licks your bowl, you must wash it seven times, with the first time being with dirt," shows how serious Islam takes the issue of dog saliva. To avoid dog saliva—which is seen as unclean religiously and potentially dangerous scientifically—Islam discourages keeping dogs inside the home unless there is an allowed reason.

So, this is the summary I quickly wrote down this afternoon about the Islamic texts' views on dogs.