Muslim beliefs about dogs are sometimes confusing and contradictory. Most consider these animals ritually unclean. And these beliefs are not unanimous. Why is a dog an unclean animal in Islam? However, all opinions are not based on the Qur'an itself, but on the hadiths, which are comments, analyzes and interpretations of the Qur'an. So why is a dog an unclean animal in Islam? Why do most Muslims disdain to touch her? Let's get it right.
Muslim attitude
In Islam, dogs are considered unclean animals. Muslim contacts with these four-legged animals are not encouraged. Many Islamists only because of this explain their dislike for these creatures. The Qur'an describes a negative attitude towards any manifestations of cruelty. All animals are characterized as human friendly. Dogs are described as creatures defiling things, food, the owner.
Does the Koran forbid keeping dogs in the house?
There is no clear answer to the question of whether Islam forbids people to keep dogs at home as pets or to touch them. Since the Koran mentions dogs used for hunting, some believe that animals can be kept if used for a specific purpose. According to Islam, the answer to this question will be this: Muslims are forbidden to keep a dog if they do not need this animal for hunting, protecting livestock or crops.
The initial role of dogs in Muslims
Since most Muslims kept large herds of sheep and goats, several thousand years ago there were many dogs. They helped protect these and other animals by preventing them from running away, and frightened off potential thieves and predators. Sheep and goats were food and capital, and dogs, first-class guards, helped protect this investment.
A bit of history
In many of the largest Muslim cities in the world since ancient times, dogs performed other important functions besides protection - they ate food waste. From Damascus and Baghdad to Cairo and Istanbul, city authorities supported populations of these animals as waste consumers in order to protect city streets. Muslim leaders built irrigation gutters for dogs, many mosques threw food for them, and butchers used them to kill rats and other parasites.
People who have committed violence against stray animals have often been punished.
All this suggests that Muslims all over the world peacefully existed with many dogs. They realized how useful the four-legged are, and developed a relationship with them.
Negative attitude towards dogs today
Given this story, why is a dog banned in Islam? Short answer: due to the spread of infections. About two hundred years ago, knowledge of infectious diseases began to change. People in the Middle East, in Europe, began to establish a close connection between the outbreaks of plague, cholera and malaria and the proximity of victims to places such as cemeteries, garbage piles and swampy lakes. Planners of cities and governments throughout the Middle East have begun to remove these sources of disease from the increasingly crowded areas in which people lived. They threw garbage out of the city walls, and also involuntarily got rid of the dogs that ate this waste. In cities, there was less garbage, and the waste that remained was considered a threat to public hygiene.
Indeed, in just a few decades at the beginning of the nineteenth century, dogs began to be seen as economically useless and dangerous creatures for public health. Results? Several large-scale extermination campaigns, far fewer animals in Middle Eastern cities and changing attitudes. And dogs are no longer useful, but dangerous, prone to disease and the spread of infections.
The fundamental principle of Islam is that everything is permissible, with the exception of those things that were explicitly prohibited. Based on this, most Muslims will agree that it is allowed to have a dog in order to ensure safety, hunting, farming or serving the disabled.
Many Muslims take a middle position with respect to dogs, allowing them to exist side by side, but insisting that animals should occupy a space away from the house with living quarters. Many keep the animal in the open air as much as possible and, at least, do not allow it to go to areas where Muslims pray. For hygiene reasons, when a person comes in contact with dog saliva, washing clothes is necessary.
Quran about animals in Islam
Islam supports the rights of all living beings to good treatment and justice in relation to them. Animals must not be abused. In the Qur'an, all living beings are like humans and have similar rights. Murder without any reasonable reason or ill-treatment leads to serious sin and violation of the rights vested in Allah. People should be gentle with animals, even when they have to be taught discipline.
Islam teaches us to be very careful in our behavior with animals and all living beings, as there is a great reward for their kind treatment and great punishment for violating their rights. People should treat animals well and not transgress the limits established by Allah.
The attitude towards cats in Islam
The cat is a respected animal in Islam. They were loved by the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Cats are considered typical Muslim pets. They have been revered since ancient times. According to many hadiths, Muhammad forbade the persecution and their killing. They delight in their cleanliness and excessive affection. The roles of cats and dogs in Islam are completely opposite. It is believed that meowing creatures are ritually pure, unlike dogs, and therefore they are allowed to visit houses, mosques, including Masjid al-Haram. Food selected by cats is considered halal.
For what purpose is it allowed to keep dogs
Why is Islam allowed to keep these animals? Can a Muslim keep a dog? They are allowed to exist side by side with these animals only for this purpose:
- hunting;
- livestock protection;
- crop protection.
To consider keeping a dog as a pet at home, Islam considers haraam (forbidden actions).
The role of the Prophet Muhammad in relation to dogs
Muhammad made harsh statements about dogs, and these comments affected the animals in a tragic way. His teachings may have come from a cultural bias, pagan concepts, or his own imagination, but wherever they come from they led to abuse. None of the negative allegations about dogs are found in the Qur'an, but various collections of traditions (hadith) abound with them. They are the basis of Islamic theology and many Islamic laws. Hadith describe dogs unclean and instill a negative attitude towards these animals to Muslim believers.
Muhammad claimed that he was the Prophet of Allah, and therefore he listened to his instructions and followed them adamantly.
The mention of the dog in the Qur'an
It is interesting to know that dogs are mentioned in the Qur'an 5 times. And nowhere is it indicated that Allah calls the dogs "dirty", gives any instructions that they should be avoided. Islam teaches its followers to be merciful to all creatures, and all forms of animal cruelty are forbidden. Why do many Muslims seem to have such problems with dogs?
Is it unclean?
Why is a dog in Islam an unclean animal? Most Muslim scholars agree that dog saliva is unclean.
Can I touch a dog?
According to Islam, Muslims who have made contact with this animal are required to bathe 7 times. In clothes that came into contact with the animal, one cannot pray, pray. This decree comes from a hadith: "The Prophet said:" If a dog licks a vessel, let the person throw away everything in it and wash it seven times, once with the ground. " It should be noted that one of the main Islamic thoughts indicates that this is not a matter of ritual purity, but simply a common sense method to prevent the spread of the disease.
Hadith about dogs
There are several hadiths that warn of consequences for animal owners:
- “Whoever holds the dog, good deeds will be reduced every day by one kearaat (unit), only if it is not a dog for farming, cattle breeding.”
- "Angels will not enter a house where there is a dog or a picture with animals."
- Other hadiths tell us that if we touch the dog, our bath is invalid and we become unclean, and we need to wash seven times to clean this dirt, the eighth time - the earth.
This seems incompatible with the Qur'an saying that you can eat what these animals will catch on the hunt. It is also specifically mentioned that any prey caught by hunting dogs can be eaten without any need for further cleaning. Naturally, the prey of a hunting animal comes into contact with saliva, and this does not make the meat unclean.
Hadith about black dogs
Some hadiths even go beyond understanding, saying that black dogs in Islam are considered evil (literally described as ferocious creatures in which the devil has inhabited), and calling to kill all animals of the same suit. When interpreting this hadith in a modern way, you should not understand everything literally. He gives an idea of why the prophet ordered the killing of dogs. This must be due to the excess of stray animals and, therefore, the danger of rabies in the city of Medina and its suburbs. Therefore, the prophet called to destroy them. It was discovered that his associates exterminated everyone indiscriminately. He did not encourage it and forbade them to do it. They were told that only cruel animals, which are a source of danger to life, can be killed. There is no direct call for violence in the Qur'an.
Not hatred, but lack of knowledge
In many countries, dogs are usually not kept as pets. For some people, their only contact occurs only with stray animals, gathering in flocks, wandering the streets or the countryside. People who do not grow up around friendly dogs may have a natural fear. They are not familiar with the behavior of dogs, so the animal that runs towards them is perceived as aggressive. Many Muslims who seem to “hate” dogs are simply afraid of them because of ignorance. They can make excuses (“I'm allergic”) or emphasize the religious impurity of these animals simply to avoid interacting with them.
Dog Benefits
Many people believe that these animals can be beneficial, and show goodwill towards these creatures, believing that dogs can even be useful in people's lives. Guide dogs are important companions for Muslims with disabilities. Working animals, such as guard, hunting or cattle, are useful and hardworking.
What is unacceptable in relation to dogs in Islam
- In Islam, a dog is forbidden as a pet. In fact, if a Muslim keeps her as a pet, Allah will remove some heavenly reward for good deeds.
- Eat the meat of this animal.
- Enter the mosque. This hadeeth claims that if a dog walks in front of people who pray, it will void their prayer. Void means “nullifies” or “makes ineffective or inoperative.” If a group of people prays and a dog walks between them in Mecca, then their prayer becomes invalid.
- To live in the same house. Main reason: dogs have numerous germs. The second reason is more religious in nature - they do not allow angels to enter your house.
- If the dog touches the apparel, it is impossible to start the prayer in these clothes, it must be washed and cleaned of wool.
- You cannot buy or sell a dog. Muhammad believed that money received from the sale is considered "evil", like money received from prostitution, witchcraft or usury.
Modern muslims
In today's world, you can meet Muslims living side by side with a dog. More and more people realize and see the benefits of keeping such an animal at home. Here are some reasons why some followers of Islam keep the dog at home:
- regular walking helps lower blood pressure;
- playing with a dog improves mood;
- dogs of large breeds give a sense of security and provide reliable protection for the owner and property;
- help in recovering from serious illnesses such as heart attacks.
Owning a pet is a huge responsibility that Muslims will need to answer for on Judgment Day. Those who prefer to own a dog should be aware of all the responsibilities that are assigned to them. They should provide animals with food, a roof over their heads, training, exercise and medical care. Nevertheless, most Muslims acknowledge that domestic animals are not members of the family, and they do not have a desire to provide the four-legged with proper conditions.