The Islamic Ruling on Buying and Selling Dogs

The Islamic Ruling on Buying and Selling Dogs

The buying and selling of dogs is commonly practiced by some people, whether due to a hobby of keeping them or because they specifically need a dog for certain tasks, such as guarding gardens, protecting livestock, or hunting. So, what is the Islamic ruling on buying and selling dogs? The scholars hold differing opinions regarding this matter.

The Hanafi School

Scholars of this school generally permit the sale of dogs unconditionally. This is the most famous position within the Hanafi madhhab. Imam Al-Kasani stated:

وَأَمَّا بَيْعُ كُلِّ ذِي نَابٍ مِنْ السِّبَاعِ سِوَى الْخِنْزِيرِ كَالْكَلْبِ وَالْفَهْدِ وَالْأَسَدِ وَالنَّمِرِ وَالذِّئْبِ وَالْهِرِّ وَنَحْوِهَا فَجَائِزٌ عِنْدَ أَصْحَابِنَا

"As for buying all fanged beasts of prey except for swine—such as dogs, leopards, lions, tigers, wolves, cats, and the like—it is permissible according to our companions (Hanafis)." (Al-Badai’ As-Shanai’, 5/142).

This group argues that a dog is property (mal) that can be owned and an animal that can be utilized once domesticated. Anything that can essentially be utilized is permissible to be traded. This was also the opinion of Ibn Abi Layla.

However, in another narration, it is mentioned that Abu Hanifah and his companions only permitted the sale of hunting dogs and guard dogs for gardens. Imam As-Sughdy Al-Hanafi said:

وَفِي قَوْلِ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَأَصْحَابِهِ وَأَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ لَا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ إِذَا كَانَ الْكَلْبُ صَيَّادًا اَوْ حَارِسًا كَثَمَنِ الْهِرَّةِ وَهِيَ مِنَ السِّبَاعِ بِلَا خِلَافَ

"And in the opinion of Abu Hanifah, his companions, and Abu Abdullah, there is no harm in that if the dog is a hunter or a guard, similar to the price of a cat, and cats are fanged beasts of prey without dispute." (An-Natfu Fi Al-Fatawa, 1/491).

This is also narrated from Abu Hanifah by Muhammad bin Al-Hasan and Abu Ja’far Ath-Thahawi. However, the authentic position in the Hanafi school is that only dogs that can be domesticated/trained are tradable, not those that cannot be controlled.

The Maliki School

The Maliki school agrees that selling dogs that are prohibited from being kept is haram. They differ regarding dogs that are permitted to be kept, such as hunting dogs and guard dogs for gardens or livestock. Ibn Rushd Al-Hafid Al-Maliki stated:

وَفَرَّقَ أَصْحَابُ مَالِكٍ بَيْنَ كَلْبِ الْمَاشِيَةِ وَالزَّرْعِ الْمَأْذُونِ فِي اتِّخَاذِهِ، وَبَيْنَ مَا لَا يَجُوزُ اتِّخَاذُهُ، فَاتَّفَقُوا عَلَى أَنَّ مَا لَا يَجُوزُ اتِّخَاذُهُ لَا يَجُوزُ بَيْعُهُ لِلِانْتِفَاعِ بِهِ وَإِمْسَاكِهِ

"The companions of Malik differentiated between livestock and crop-guarding dogs permitted for keeping, and those not permitted. They agreed that those not permitted for keeping are not permitted to be sold for profit or held." (Bidayah Al-Mujtahid, 3/146).

Some Maliki scholars prohibit the sale of dogs absolutely. This is the famous position among the later (mutaakhirin) Malikis and the view of Ibn Al-Qasim and Imam Malik himself. Imam Ibn Abdil Barr Al-Maliki stated:

فَكُلُّ مَا فِيهِ مَنْفَعَةُ الرُّكُوبِ وَالزِّينَةِ وَالصَّيْدِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا يَنْتَفِعُ بِهِ الْآدَمِيُّونَ جَازَ بَيْعُهُ وَشِرَاؤُهُ إِلَّا الْكَلْبُ وَحْدَهُ لِنَهْيِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ ثَمَنِ الْكَلْبِ...

"Everything that contains a benefit—such as being ridden, used for decoration, hunting, or other human benefits—is permissible to buy and sell, except for the dog alone, due to the prohibition of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ regarding the price of a dog..." (Al-Kafi fi Fiqh Ahli Al-Madinah, 2/675).

Others consider it permissible but disliked (makruh) to trade dogs that are allowed to be kept. Qadhi Abdul Wahhab Al-Maliki said:

اِخْتَلَفَ أَصْحَابُنَا فِي بَيْعِ مَا أُذِنَ فِي اتِّخَاذِهِ مِنَ الْكِلَابِ، فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَالَ يُكْرَهُ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَالَ يَحْرُمُ

"Our companions differed regarding the sale of dogs permitted for keeping. Some said it is disliked, while others said it is haram." (Al-Ma’unah ‘ala Madzhab ‘Alim Al-Madinah, 1/1041).

This permissibility for useful dogs is also the view of Ishaq bin Rahuyah and Al-Layth bin Sa’ad. The evidence used for this exception is the hadith of Jabir bin Abdillah:

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَهَى عَنْ ثَمَنِ الْكَلْبِ وَالسِّنَّوْرِ إِلَّا كَلْبِ صَيْدٍ

"The Messenger of Allah prohibited the price of a dog and a cat, except for a hunting dog." (HR. An-Nasai: 4668 and At-Tirmidzi: 1281).

And the implication of the Prophet's words:

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

"Whoever keeps a dog, except for guarding livestock, hunting, or guarding crops, his reward will decrease by one qirath every day." (HR. Muslim: 1575).

The reasoning is that if keeping them is permitted, then trading them should also be permitted due to the great human need for protecting property and seeking sustenance. This was the view of several companions such as Jabir bin Abdillah, Abu Hurairah, and Abdullah bin Amru.

The Shafi'i, Hanbali, and Dhahiri Schools

These three schools prohibit the buying and selling of dogs absolutely. Imam Asy-Syafii stated:

وَلَا يَحِلُّ لِلْكَلْبِ ثَمَنٌ بِحَالٍ وَلَوْ جَازَ ثَمَنُهُ جَازَ حُلْوَانُ الْكَاهِنِ وَمَهْرُ الْبَغِيِّ

"The price of a dog is not halal under any circumstance. If it were permissible, then the payment to a soothsayer and the earnings of a prostitute would also be halal." (Mukhtashar Al-Muzani, p. 188).

Imam An-Nawawi stated:

لَا يَصِحُّ بَيْعُهُ، فَمِنْهُ الْكَلْبُ، وَالْخِنْزِيرُ... وَسَوَاءٌ الْكَلْبُ الْمُعَلَّمُ وَغَيْرُهُ

"The sale of it is not valid; this includes the dog and the pig... whether it is a trained dog or otherwise..." (Raudhah At-Thalibin, 3/350).

Imam Ibnu Qudamah Al-Hanbali said:

لَا يَخْتَلِفُ الْمَذْهَبُ فِي أَنَّ بَيْعَ الْكَلْبِ بَاطِلٌ، أَيَّ كَلْبٍ كَانَ

"There is no difference in the (Hanbali) school that the sale of a dog is void (batil), no matter what kind of dog it is." (Al-Mughni, 4/184).

Imam Ibnu Hazm Adz-Zhahiri stated:

وَلَا يَحِلُّ بَيْعُ كَلْبٍ أَصْلًا لَا الْمُبَاحُ اتِّخَاذُهُ وَلَا غَيْرُهُ

"It is not fundamentally halal to sell a dog, neither those permitted for keeping nor others." (Al-Muhalla bi Al-Atsar, 6/175).

This was also the view of Imam Al-Auzai and some Maliki scholars. Their evidence is the hadith of Abu Mas’ud Al-Anshari:

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَهَى عَنْ ثَمَنِ الكَلْبِ وَمَهْرِ البَغِيِّ وَحُلْوَانِ الكَاهِنِ

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited the price of a dog, the earnings of a prostitute, and the payment to a soothsayer." (HR. Al-Bukhari: 2237 and Muslim: 1567).

And the hadith of Ibnu Abbas:

نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ ثَمَنِ الْكَلْبِ، "وَإِنْ جَاءَ يَطْلُبُ ثَمَنَ الْكَلْبِ فَامْلَأْ كَفَّهُ تُرَابًا"

"The Messenger of Allah prohibited the price of a dog. (He said): 'And if someone comes demanding the price of a dog, then fill his palms with dust.'" (HR. Abu Dawud: 3482).

Conclusion

• Conclusion I: The majority of scholars (Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali, and Dhahiri) prohibit the sale of dogs that are not permitted for keeping. Only the Hanafi school and Ibnu Abi Layla permit the sale of dogs unconditionally.

• Conclusion II: Regarding dogs permitted for keeping (hunters/guards), the Shafi'is, Hanbalis, Dhahiris, Imam Al-Auzai, and later Malikis maintain it is haram. However, the Hanafis, some Malikis, and scholars like Al-Layth bin Sa’ad and Al-Albani consider it permissible.

• Conclusion III: Some scholars permit buying useful dogs but prohibit selling them, such as early Maliki scholars and the Dhahiri school, but only under urgent need where no one will give them a dog for free. The safest path is the majority view, which is the absolute prohibition of trading dogs; avoiding it is better unless there is a critical need.