Is keeping dogs, whether they are harmful or not, advised or prohibited in Islam? What about killing homeless ones? Or should only mad dogs, or the ones that could be contagious or harmful be done away with? Does dog saliva contain germs?
In the wake of recent repeated attacks by street dogs on people and livestock here in Ras Al Khaimah, these questions are on top of everyone’s minds. A pack of stray dogs attacked the animal barn of an Emirati national in the Ghalilah area, leaving eight cows dead and nine others badly hurt.
In Umm Al Quwain, a pack of 20 dogs set upon Omar Ramadan, a seven-year-old Egyptian boy, and left him with three serious bites in the hand, leg and shoulder. Asma, the boy’s older sister, was also attacked by four dogs while waiting for the school bus.
Recently, dozens of stray dogs have been reportedly killed in other countries in the wake of increasing attacks by these dogs. In Pakistan alone, 150,000 people are reportedly bitten by dogs every year. However, animal lovers and advocates say stray dogs are treated inhumanely all over the world. They instead recommend peaceful alternatives to control the stray dog population, such as building a shelter for them, or spaying and neutering the animals.
What the Holy Quran says
The Grand Mufti of Dubai, Dr Ahmed Al Haddad, told Khaleej Times that keeping a dog at home is not advisable according to Islam, as affirmed by Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). “If dogs were not a nation among nations, then I would order that they be killed. There is one inhabiting a home in which they keep a dog but their deeds are decreased by one Qirat every day – except for a hunting dog, or a farm dog, or a sheep dog.”
As such, Muslims are advised to be proud of their religion and culture, and refrain from blindly imitating others, Dr Haddad said. “If a dog is needed for guarding, herding, or hunting, it must be kept in a proper place and as per need.”
“Raising or keeping a dog inside the house is not allowed in Islam under any circumstances, and even prevents the Angels of Mercy from entering the house, and deducts a large amount of a Muslim’s worship reward on every single day,” Dr Ali Mashael, Chief Mufti at the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai, told Khaleej Times.
However, a dog may be kept and benefited from outside the house for permissible reasons, such as farming, hunting or herding as explained by Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), he said.
Street dogs are either harmful or not, he stated. “If harmful, they should be banished or killed if needed, but not because they are dogs or just homeless,” he underlined. “If harmless, they should be kept away or in a safe shelter, but never neutered or locked up until death.”
