Who says you can't keep a dog?

The issue of a veiled woman keeping a dog as a pet has recently caused a stir among some people. Following this, several pieces of content that view dog ownership favorably have begun to appear and continue to do so. How does Islam view this matter? A mukmin (believer) should judge all matters based on knowledge, not merely on an unfounded "feeling of disgust" towards dogs or excessive pity for the animal.

The discussion here is about the ruling on keeping them, not their impurity (najis). This is because the issue of whether a dog is impure or not is different from the issue of the ruling on keeping it. We say this because some foolish people try to absolutely permit keeping a dog by citing the differences of opinion among scholars regarding the impurity of dogs and their saliva. However, the ruling on keeping a dog does not have a significant correlation with whether the dog is impure or not, even though the scholars who deem it impure make its impurity one of the reasons for the prohibition of keeping dogs.

Keeping a Dog

The Messenger of Allah once generally ordered the killing of dogs when he learned that angels could not enter a place where a dog was present. Maymunah, the Prophet's wife, narrated:

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَصْبَحَ يَوْمًا وَاجِمًا، فَقَالَتْ مَيْمُونَةُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، لَقَدِ اسْتَنْكَرْتُ هَيْئَتَكَ مُنْذُ الْيَوْمِ، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِنَّ جِبْرِيلَ كَانَ وَعَدَنِي أَنْ يَلْقَانِي اللَّيْلَةَ فَلَمْ يَلْقَنِي، أَمَ وَاللهِ مَا أَخْلَفَنِي، قَالَ: فَظَلَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمَهُ ذَلِكَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ وَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِهِ جِرْوُ كَلْبٍ تَحْتَ فُسْطَاطٍ لَنَا، فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَأُخْرِجَ، ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِيَدِهِ مَاءً فَنَضَحَ مَكَانَهُ، فَلَمَّا أَمْسَى لَقِيَهُ جِبْرِيلُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: "قَدْ كُنْتَ وَعَدْتَنِي أَنْ تَلْقَانِي الْبَارِحَةَ" قَالَ: "أَجَلْ، وَلَكِنَّا لَا نَدْخُلُ بَيْتًا فِيهِ كَلْبٌ وَلَا صُورَةٌ" فَأَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمَئِذٍ، فَأَمَرَ بِقَتْلِ الْكِلَابِ حَتَّى إِنَّهُ يَأْمُرُ بِقَتْلِ كَلْبِ الْحَائِطِ الصَّغِيرِ وَيَتْرُكُ كَلْبَ الْحَائِطِ الْكَبِيرِ

"One day, the Messenger of Allah became disturbed. Maymunah said, 'I am perplexed by your demeanor today.' The Messenger of Allah said, 'Indeed, Jibril (Gabriel) promised to meet me last night, but he did not come to meet me. By Allah, he has never broken his promise to me.' The Messenger of Allah remained in that state for the rest of the day. Then, it occurred to him that there was a puppy under one of our house poles. He ordered it to be taken out. Then he took water in his hand and sprinkled the spot. When evening came, Jibril met him, and he asked him: 'You promised to meet me last night.' Jibril replied, 'Yes, but we do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture.' That day, the Messenger of Allah then ordered the killing of dogs, even ordering the killing of the small wall-guard dog but leaving the large wall-guard dog." (HR. Muslim: 2105)

This indicates a prohibition against keeping dogs, as Jibril equated a dog with a picture of a living creature. The inability of the angels to enter a Muslim's house shows that the matter is not trivial in the sight of Allah. This is further reinforced by the saying of the Messenger of Allah:

مَنِ اقْتَنَى كَلْبًا لَيْسَ بِكَلْبِ مَاشِيَةٍ أَوْ ضَارِيَةٍ نَقَصَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ مِنْ عَمَلِهِ قِيرَاطَانِ

"Whoever keeps a dog, other than a dog for livestock or a trained hunting dog, two qirath of his good deeds will be deducted every day." (HR. Al-Bukhari: 5480 and Muslim: 1574 from Abdullah bin Umar)

In another narration:

مَنِ اتَّخَذَ كَلْبًا إِلَّا كَلْبَ مَاشِيَةٍ أَوْ صَيْدٍ أَوْ زَرْعٍ انْتَقَصَ مِنْ أَجْرِهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ قِيرَاطٌ

"Whoever keeps a dog other than a dog for livestock, or hunting, or guarding a farm, one qirath of his reward will be deducted every day." (HR. Muslim: 1575 from Abu Hurairah)

If keeping a dog were not a sin, it would certainly not result in a reduction of the keeper's good deeds. However, it is the magnitude of the sin of keeping a dog that causes a daily reduction in the reward of those who keep them.

Qadhi Iyadh Al-Maliki said,

أَمَّا إِذَا حُبِسَتِ الكِلاَبُ لِغَيرِ مَنفَعَةٍ وَحَاجَةٍ إِلَيهَا فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مَمْنُوعٌ مِنْهُ لِمَا فِيهَا مِنْ تَرْوِيعِ المُسْلِمِينَ وَالتَّوثِبِ عَلَيهِمْ. وَإِذَا دَعَتِ الضَّرُورَةُ لِاِقْتِنَائِهَا لِلتَّكَسُّبِ بِهَا فِي الصَّيدِ أَوْ حِرَاسَةِ المَالِ كَانَت ِالحَاجَةُ إِلَيهَا فِي تَكَسُّبِ المَالِ أَوْ حِرَاسَةِ تَدْعُو لِإِجَازَةِ اقْتِنَائِهَا

"However, if dogs are kept without any benefit or need for them, then it is forbidden because it frightens and attacks Muslims. But if there is a necessity to keep them for earning a living through hunting or guarding property, then the need for them in earning or guarding property necessitates the permissibility of keeping them." (Al-Mu’lim bi Fawaid Muslim, 2/293)

Imam An-Nawawi Asy-Syafii said,

فَهَذَا نَهْيٌ عَنِ اقْتِنَائِهَا وَقَدِ اتَّفَقَ أَصْحَابُنَا وَغَيْرُهُمْ عَلَى أَنَّهُ يَحْرُمُ اقْتِنَاءُ الْكَلْبِ لِغَيْرِ حَاجَةٍ مِثْلُ أَنْ يَقْتَنِي كَلْبًا إِعْجَابًا بِصُورَتِهِ أَوْ لِلْمُفَاخَرَةِ بِهِ فَهَذَا حَرَامٌ بِلَا خِلَافٍ وَأَمَّا الْحَاجَةُ الَّتِي يَجُوزُ الِاقْتِنَاءُ لَهَا فَقَدْ وَرَدَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ بِالتَّرْخِيصِ لِأَحَدِ ثَلَاثَةِ أَشْيَاءَ وَهِيَ الزَّرْعُ وَالْمَاشِيَةُ وَالصَّيْدُ وَهَذَا جَائِزٌ بِلَا خِلَافٍ

"This hadith is evidence for the prohibition of keeping them, and our madhhab (school of thought) followers and others have agreed that it is haram (forbidden) to keep a dog without a need, such as keeping a dog out of admiration for its appearance or for bragging, then this is haram without disagreement. As for the need for which keeping a dog is permissible, this hadith grants dispensation for one of three things: guarding crops, guarding livestock, and hunting, and this is permissible without disagreement (among the scholars)..." (Al-Minhaj fi Syarh Shahih Muslim, 3/186)

Imam Ibn Qudamah Al-Hanbali said,

وَلَا يَجُوزُ اقْتِنَاءُ الْكَلْبِ، إلَّا كَلْبَ الصَّيْدِ أَوْ كَلْبَ مَاشِيَةٍ أَوْ حَرْثٍ؛ لِمَا رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَنَّهُ قَالَ: مَنْ اتَّخَذَ كَلْبًا إلَّا كَلْبَ صَيْدٍ أَوْ مَاشِيَةٍ أَوْ زَرْعٍ، نَقَصَ مِنْ أَجْرِهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ قِيرَاطٌ

"It is not permissible to keep a dog, except a dog for hunting or a dog for livestock or a dog for guarding crops, based on the hadith narrated from Abu Hurairah, from the Prophet, that he said: 'Whoever keeps a dog other than a dog for livestock, or hunting, or guarding a farm, one qirath of his reward will be deducted every day.'" (Al-Mughni, 4/191)

Al-Hafizh Al-Aini Al-Hanafi said,

فَإِن قُلْتَ: هَلْ يَجُوزُ اتِّخَاذُهُ لِغَيرِ الْوُجُوهِ الْمَذْكُورَةِ؟ قُلْتُ: قَالَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْبَرِّ مَا حَاصِلُهُ: إِنَّ هَذِهِ الْوُجُوهَ الثَّلَاثَةَ تَثْبُتُ بِالسُّنَّةِ، وَمَا عَداهَا فَدَاخِلٌ فِي بَابِ الْحَظْرِ

"If you ask, 'Is it permissible to keep it for reasons other than those mentioned?' I say, Ibn Abdil Barr explained, the essence of which is: 'These three reasons are established by the Sunnah, and anything other than that falls under the chapter of hadzhr (prohibition, which means haram)...'" (Umdah Al-Qary Syarh Shahih Al-Bukhari, 12/158)

Imam Ibn Hazm Adz-Dzhahiri said:

وَلَا يَحِلُّ اتِّخَاذُ كَلْبٍ أَصْلًا إِلَّا لِمَاشِيَةٍ أَوْ لِصَيْدٍ أَوْ لِزَرْعٍ أَوْ لِحَائِطٍ وَاسْمُ الْحَائِطِ يَقَعُ عَلَى الْبُسْتَان

"Originally, it is not lawful to keep a dog at all, except for livestock, or for hunting, or for crops, or for a wall/fence, and the name al-ha'ith (wall/fence) refers to the garden...." (Al-Muhalla bi Al-Atsar, 7/493)

From this, it is clear how the scholars deem keeping a dog without need or necessity haram. Imam An-Nawawi even quoted an ijma (scholarly consensus) on this matter. This ijma is also hinted at by Al-Hashakafi Al-Hanafi. This means that if the purpose of keeping a dog is to guard a farm, guard livestock, or for hunting purposes, then it is halal (lawful) and there is no objection. This is also on the condition that the dog is not kept inside the house. However, if the keeping is done merely for a hobby, pity, or admiration for the dog, or for other reasons where there is no genuine need or necessity, then it is absolutely haram and forbidden. Moreover, in Indonesia, where the majority of the population considers dogs to be severely impure animals (najis mughalladzah) - following the view of the Syafii and Hanbali madhhabs - it is not appropriate for this to be done.

For a Muslim, following the command of the Messenger of Allah and avoiding his prohibitions must be prioritized over personal preferences or desires. Wallahu a’lam (And Allah knows best).