Islam and dogs
Encyclopedia
The majority of both Sunni
and Shi'a Muslim jurists
consider dog
s to be ritually unclean
(Najis
). Most practicing Muslim
s do not have dogs as pets, though dogs are allowed to be kept for guarding
the house or farm, or when used for hunting
purposes. Outside their ritual uncleanness, individual Islam
ic fatāwā
, or rulings, have expressed that dogs be treated kindly or else be freed.
didn't like dogs according to Sunni tradition. (However, this may simply reflect general cultural views of the time, rather than a personal animosity.) It is said that angel
s do not enter a house which contains a dog. Though dogs are not allowed for pets, they are allowed to be kept if used for work, such as guarding the house or farm, or when used for hunting purposes.
In a tradition found in the Sunni hadith
book, al-Muwatta, Muhammad states that the company of dogs voids a portion of a Muslim's good deeds.
school disagree that dogs are impure. The story of the Seven Sleepers
of Ephesus
in the Qur'an
(and also the role of the dog in early Christianity
) is one of the striking exceptions.
Dogs, outside the ritual legal discourse, were often portrayed in the literature as a symbol of highly esteemed virtues such as self-sacrifice and loyalty or on the other hand as an oppressive instrument in the hands of despotic and unjust rulers.
s, in animal form. Although this tradition has been attributed to Muhammad, the vast majority of Ulema (Muslim jurists) view the attribution to be false; rather, it apparently reflects pre-Islamic Arab mythology
.
Another Sunni tradition attributed to Muhammad commands Muslims not trade or deal in dogs. According to El Fadl, this shows the cultural bias
es against dogs as a source of moral danger. However, the Hanafi
scholars, the largest school of ritual law in Sunni Islam, allow all trading in dogs.
According to one story, Muhammad is said to have informed a prostitute
, who had seen a thirsty dog hanging about a well and given it water to drink, that God
forgave her because of that good deed.
The historian William Montgomery Watt
states that Muhammad's kindness to animals was remarkable for the social context of his upbringing. He cites an instance of Muhammad posting sentries to ensure that a female dog with newborn puppies was not disturbed by his army traveling to Mecca in the year 630.
s. In 2003, the Islamic Sharia Council
, based in the United Kingdom
, ruled that the ban on dogs does not apply to those used for guide work.
However, many Muslims continue to refuse access, and see the pressure to allow the dogs as a restraint upon religious liberty
. Ibrahim Mogra of the Muslim Council of Britain
has argued strongly that Sharia
does not preclude working with guide dogs, and it is actually a duty under Sharia for a Muslim to help the visually impaired.
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
and Shi'a Muslim jurists
Ulama
-In Islam:* Ulema, also transliterated "ulama", a community of legal scholars of Islam and its laws . See:**Nahdlatul Ulama **Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama **Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal**Jamiat ul-Ulama -Other:...
consider dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s to be ritually unclean
Ritual purification
Ritual purification is a feature of many religions. The aim of these rituals is to remove specifically defined uncleanliness prior to a particular type of activity, and especially prior to the worship of a deity...
(Najis
Najis
In Islamic law, najis are things or persons regarded as ritually unclean. According to Shi'a Islam, there are two kinds of najis: the essential najis which cannot be cleaned and the unessential najis which become najis while in contact with another najis....
). Most practicing Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s do not have dogs as pets, though dogs are allowed to be kept for guarding
Guard dog
A guard dog, an attack dog or watch dog is a dog used to guard against, and watch for, unwanted or unexpected people or animals. The dog is discriminating so that it does not annoy or attack familiar people.-Barking:...
the house or farm, or when used for hunting
Hunting dog
A hunting dog refers to any dog who assists humans in hunting. There are several types of hunting dogs developed for various tasks. The major categories of hunting dogs include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and gun dogs...
purposes. Outside their ritual uncleanness, individual Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic fatāwā
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
, or rulings, have expressed that dogs be treated kindly or else be freed.
Religious impurity
Muslims generally cast dogs in a negative light because of their ritual impurity. MuhammadMuhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
didn't like dogs according to Sunni tradition. (However, this may simply reflect general cultural views of the time, rather than a personal animosity.) It is said that angel
Islamic view of angels
Angels are mentioned many times in the Qur'an and Hadith. Islam is clear on the nature of angels in that they are messengers of God. They have no free will, and can do only what God orders them to do...
s do not enter a house which contains a dog. Though dogs are not allowed for pets, they are allowed to be kept if used for work, such as guarding the house or farm, or when used for hunting purposes.
In a tradition found in the Sunni hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
book, al-Muwatta, Muhammad states that the company of dogs voids a portion of a Muslim's good deeds.
Exceptions
Jurists from the Sunni MalikiMaliki
The ' madhhab is one of the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. It is the second-largest of the four schools, followed by approximately 25% of Muslims, mostly in North Africa, West Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and in some parts of Saudi Arabia...
school disagree that dogs are impure. The story of the Seven Sleepers
Seven Sleepers
The Seven Sleepers, commonly called the "Seven Sleepers of Ephesus", refers to a group of Christian youths who hid inside a cave outside the city of Ephesus around 250 AD, to escape a persecution of Christians being conducted during the reign of the Roman emperor Decius...
of Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
in the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
(and also the role of the dog in early Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
) is one of the striking exceptions.
Dogs, outside the ritual legal discourse, were often portrayed in the literature as a symbol of highly esteemed virtues such as self-sacrifice and loyalty or on the other hand as an oppressive instrument in the hands of despotic and unjust rulers.
Muhammad and dogs
According to one Sunni tradition, black dogs are evil, or even devilDevil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
s, in animal form. Although this tradition has been attributed to Muhammad, the vast majority of Ulema (Muslim jurists) view the attribution to be false; rather, it apparently reflects pre-Islamic Arab mythology
Arabian mythology
Arabian mythology comprises the ancient, pre-Islamic beliefs of the Arabs. Prior to Islam the Kaaba of Mecca was covered in symbols representing the myriad demons, djinn, demigods, or simply tribal gods and other assorted deities which represented the polytheistic culture of pre-Islamic Arabia...
.
Another Sunni tradition attributed to Muhammad commands Muslims not trade or deal in dogs. According to El Fadl, this shows the cultural bias
Cultural bias
Cultural bias is the phenomenon of interpreting and judging phenomena by standards inherent to one's own culture. The phenomenon is sometimes considered a problem central to social and human sciences, such as economics, psychology, anthropology, and sociology...
es against dogs as a source of moral danger. However, the Hanafi
Hanafi
The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...
scholars, the largest school of ritual law in Sunni Islam, allow all trading in dogs.
According to one story, Muhammad is said to have informed a prostitute
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, who had seen a thirsty dog hanging about a well and given it water to drink, that God
God in Islam
In Islamic theology, God is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently One , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to the Islamic...
forgave her because of that good deed.
The historian William Montgomery Watt
William Montgomery Watt
William Montgomery Watt was a Scottish historian, an Emeritus Professor in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Edinburgh...
states that Muhammad's kindness to animals was remarkable for the social context of his upbringing. He cites an instance of Muhammad posting sentries to ensure that a female dog with newborn puppies was not disturbed by his army traveling to Mecca in the year 630.
Muslims and guide dogs
Because Islam considers dogs in general to be unclean, many Muslim taxi drivers and store owners have refused to accommodate customers who have guide dogGuide dog
Guide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind and visually impaired people around obstacles.Although the dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are partially color blind and are not capable of interpreting street signs...
s. In 2003, the Islamic Sharia Council
Islamic Sharia Council
The Islamic Sharia Council is a London-based, quasi-Islamic court that provides legal rulings and advice to Muslims in accordance with Islamic Sharia based on the four Sunni schools of thought. It primarily handles cases of marriage and divorce and, to a lesser extent business and finance...
, based in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, ruled that the ban on dogs does not apply to those used for guide work.
However, many Muslims continue to refuse access, and see the pressure to allow the dogs as a restraint upon religious liberty
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
. Ibrahim Mogra of the Muslim Council of Britain
Muslim Council of Britain
The Muslim Council of Britain is a self-appointed umbrella body for national, regional, local and specialist organisations and institutions from different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds within British Islamic society. It was established in 1997 to help Muslims, to increase education about the...
has argued strongly that Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
does not preclude working with guide dogs, and it is actually a duty under Sharia for a Muslim to help the visually impaired.