Dogs

Amica

Amica

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Salaam/peace,

I wanted to post something about these wonderful God's creatures: dogs. No where in the Holy Qur'an did I find that dogs are evil, dirty, etc. Depending of a culture, people do treat them differently. In America and some other western countries, people absolutley love dogs and keep them in their homes, almost like members of the family. In other western cultures, they are pets but live outside, in the backyard dog houses. Yet, in some other cultures, they are considered impure and, almost, evil.

As a young kid I had a dog pet. The culture I grew up in did not support/encourage dogs as house pets, so we kept him outside. Yet, I loved my dog and played with him whenever I could. I did not like some the stuff he did which physically made him dirty :) but I liked him a lot.
Anyway, as a Muslim, I never heard of such a thing that we Muslims cannot pray to God if we touched a dog! The first time I ever heard that was when I came to the U.S. (from other Muslims from ME countries and Africa). Some of them say that if you touch a dog, you must take a full bath/ablution, change all your clothes and then you are allowed to pray. They claim that it is the islamic belief and that it must be done like that.

Well, no where in the Holy Qur'an did I find such a claim. Plus, it is amazing to note that a dog was mentioned in the Holy Qur'an (he was one among the group of the sleepers in the cave). Imagine that! True believers, protected by God, and their dog with them! If a dog is such a 'bad' creature for Muslims, wouldn't God ensure that it is clear in the Holy Qur'an? Why would he allow a dog to sleep with the sleeper sin the cave?

A hadith supposedly states that any dog is susceptible to an attack by shaitan/a jinn because a dog is very close to human. Well, so is a cow, a sheep, a dunkey, any domestic animal that humans keep close contact with. So does that mean that a Muslim farmer who milks his cow every day needs to take a full bath, ablution, change all his clothing before he starts his prayer?

We Muslims need to seriously take a look at the Holy Qur'an and those hadiths that simply appear to contradict the Holy Qur'an.
 
Hello Amica, peace to you as well.

I hope someone will talk with you on this...I know less than nothing of Islam, so I cannot speak to your questions. But I have often wondered similar regarding Judaism (and from there, Christianity) regarding dogs, cats and horses.

I am hoping you get a good conversation, it should be very educational.

Shalom.
 
I prefer dog to man.... It is an amazing creature. You are correct the Qur'an speaks of no such thing, because there is -no such thing- The dog is a beautiful, loving, fast learning amazing creation.... It is only from islamic dogmas in hadiths and peoples stupidity (yes I stand by that I don't care if it is your faith or belife... You see dogs as evil, dirty and abuse them you are an idiot, and you disgust me and are a shame to your religion. :)) that this nonsense began... I have no respect for anyone who doesn't respect dog. How you think the mighty allah would view one's hate on one of his best creations... ;)
 
as salam aleykum Amica

What a very interesting subject, thank you, it is one close to my heart.

There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but (forms part of) communities like you. (Quran 6:38)

There are a number of hadith in Bukhari that discuss dogs, one states that the Angel Gabriel refused to enter the Prophets house because he had a dog inside. Another talks of Allah (swt) forgiving a prostitues sins because she used her shoe to give water to a dog dying of thirst.

I have found it all very contradictory, there are hadiths which state the Prophet (pbuh) prayed while dogs were playing in the mosque, yet others that state dogs are unclean and negate your prayers but the same hadith also says women are unclean and negate your prayers.

You may find this interesting reading Islamic Concern: Dogs in Islam

What we do not know is what diseases may have been carried at the time by dogs, as we have rabbies in some countries today.

We also have Quran 5:4 "They consult you concerning what is lawful for them, say, Lawful for you are all good things, including what trained dogs and falcons catch for you. Youtrain them according to Allah's teachings. You may eat what they catch for you and mention Allah's name thereupon. You shall observe Allah. Allah is most efficient in reckoning."

If a dogs saliva is impure then how could we eat what a dog has caught? Some hadith say if a dog touches something you must wash it seven times, one with dirt from the ground. We are never told to wash our food with dirt from the ground.

It is interesting to note that most of the hadith about dogs are narrated by Abu Hurayra, a known cat lover and hater of dogs and women. He is responsible for many hadith that slander dogs and women, which are then attributed to the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) but go against the teaching of the Quran.

When Muslims challenge me as to why I keep a dog as a pet I ask them to show me where the words of Allah (swt) have forbidden it or even discouraged it. I believe it is old customs and traditions, from before Islam, that have simply been handed down in hadith. Just my opinion.​
 
Wa Alaikmusallam, Muslim Woman/Hello/Peace,

Yes, I have heard about some of those hadiths and cannot believe that some Muslims are so gullible to consider them a part of the religious dogma.

It is a common sense, we can say, that if someone is unclean in a manner describe in the Holy Qur'an, then ablution/full bath must take place. Of course if animal causes us to get dirt on our clothes, we must become cleaner again in order to pray. But to simply believe that just by touching a dog demands such extreme need to purify oneself before a prayer, is beyond me.

A month ago we had a speaker come to talk to people at my workplace about various cultures. She used the dog example to mention something about Muslims. Imagine how horrified American audience that was in the conference room must have been? As if it is not enough of islamophobia in the world as it is. Such a shame that people would rather follow hadiths than Noble Qur'an.

Now, I am not a perfect person. I have my faults. I have sinned in my life. I do not know which life I will earn in the Hearafter, but hey... I feel that we Muslims need to help each other if we notice that we are inventing religious rules/laws that simply are not commanded to us by our faith.
 
I'm not a muslim, but I don't put any stock in the idea of certain animals being 'unclean'. It seems to me that all animals would have been created by God. Each animal acts according to its nature and there would be little point in creating animals that were 'bad'.
 
Muslimwoman said:
It is interesting to note that most of the hadith about dogs are narrated by Abu Hurayra, a known cat lover and hater of dogs and women. He is responsible for many hadith that slander dogs and women, which are then attributed to the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) but go against the teaching of the Quran.
Click to expand...

May be you are doubting on the character of Sahabi?
 
islamis4u said:
May be you are doubting on the character of Sahabi?
Click to expand...

I totally agree.....

you are making a big mistake, MW, in accusing a Sahabi of lying concerning the prophet and his hadiths

Abu Horayra was a Sa7abi of a good reputation, and he is the one who informed us the greatest number of Hadith from the prophet....accusing him of being a liar is an accusation against all that great amount of hadiths informed by him...


I agree there is somthing illogical in this hadith....but we have to check the reason so deeply, and not rush in accusing a great Sahabi of lying....
 
What is there to check?

Ok lets check found this....


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Abd Allah B. Mughaffal reported the apostle of Allah as saying: Were dogs not a species of creature I should command that they all be killed; but kill every pure black one.

The Hadith's note for #2839 says, "The prophet did not order the killing of all the dogs, for some are to be retained for hunting and watching. He ordered to kill the jet black ones. They might be more mischievous among them.

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Yeah cause that makes sense lol.... Sounds like something that also got applied to humans some time back... ;) Kill the blacks ones!! It is stupid in my opinion... Be it black dogs, black humans, black cats, black bears..... They are all creatures of god... And YOU nor I... Nor any should kill them because they are "mischievous" lol.... They are animals...Be it black green pink blue or violet.​

Or could it be due to third world country kinda places.. You know what I mean... Having a lack of care for animals and spaying and neutring? So instead of fixing your problems in a peaceful and organised and RESPONSIBLE way... Decide... Oh look at all these strays! Not our fault.. But hey lets kill them... Cause I am sure that is what god would do right? He wouldn't take them in and care for his creations and nurture and feed and love them... Nah he'd just whack um all.... I ponder when he'll get around to "fixing" the homeless(stray) Humans..... Maybe we should do that for him aswell?​
 
As I've said elsewhere, currently reviewing Genesis.... Now, There is the well known account of Noah in here, you accept Noah as a prophet in Islam do you not? Why didn't god instruct Noah to leave "black dogs" off the ark? or Dogs in general? God said... And I do establish my covenant with you; and you must go into the ark, you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you... And every living creature of every sort two of each, you will bring them alive with you. Male and female they will be....

Further on in this command to Noah... We see god say this to Noah: And as for you take for yourself every sort of food that is eaten. and you must gather it yourself, and it must serve as food for you and for them.

What am I getting from this? What should, we... Be getting from this? Man should care for all other creatures... They are creations of God and are as amazing and as equally a miracle as the creation of man... We should take responsability... I may not know god, but I know god would be very upset with those that subject animals to crulety and violence... This is not of god.... And that is a fact.
 
well, the Quran has given dogs special status if we regard the people of cave story....i dont differ with you in that.....I m not against dogs, even if i m from the third world as u said:)...

when we come to the prophet sayings, we have to consider the context whrein these sayings were said

the prophet Muhammed (pbuh) was in a countryside environement.....that is to say a place where dogs arent trained, and not recieving any special care...they are left to eat from the garbage, and hence they were of great danger on the people, and may be a great source of an epedimic...hence that was the reason behind the order of killing, which was for a temporary time as we find in some hadith that the prophet Muhamed (pbuh) said i ordered you to kill them. now stopp killing them, except the black one with two points (that needs another researh)

are dogs harmful? look at the following answer:
WikiAnswers - Are dogs harmful
 
Just curious if 'Dog' refers to outsiders? That might make sense in terms of purification, etc. The reason I'm asking, is that dog is the word used for gentile in some Bible passages, which is a usage that may go back to Abraham's time. An example would be that if you were reading the story of Moses etc. there is a person named Caleb or 'The Dog' which means 'The Gentile'. Well, maybe the same usage applies to Quran and to the Hadiths mentioned. It could mean, like, a potential convert perhaps. I don't know but am asking a question.
Post 5 said:
one states that the Angel Gabriel refused to enter the Prophets house because he had a dog inside. Another talks of Allah (swt) forgiving a prostitues sins because she used her shoe to give water to a dog dying of thirst....
Click to expand...
Post 1 said:
A hadith supposedly states that any dog is susceptible to an attack by shaitan/a jinn because a dog is very close to human.....
Click to expand...
 
I don't know Alex. There are several possible meanings for dog. Another guess is that the term 'Dog' means Roman trained soldiers. A Roman trained soldier is not permitted to think for himself and is trained to think in absolute terms of friend or foe -- just like a dog. Such a man becomes a dog of war. A famous old English quote from Shakespeare is: "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!" which goes back several centuries. Maybe the first Roman soldiers that Islam encountered openly referred to themselves as dogs?
 
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