you hear donkeys braying, seek refuge in Allah from Satan, for they have seen a devil.” This indicates that their sounds are accompanied by devils and drive the angels away. It is well known that whoever resembles something necessarily shares in its associated effects to the extent of that resemblance. Thus, if someone barks as they do, this brings a corresponding degree of association with devils and drives the angels away.
Whatever attracts devils and drives the angels away is permitted only out of necessity. Hence, keeping a dog is permitted only out of necessity: to obtain a benefit, such as hunting, or to ward off harm to livestock and crops. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, even said:
“Whoever keeps a dog, other than a dog for livestock, crops, or hunting, will have the reward for his deeds diminished by one qīrāt each day.”
In short, imitating something entails praise or blame according to the resemblance. Yet the fact that what is imitated is not subject to religious obligations does not exempt the imitator from those obligations, just as when someone imitates children or the insane. And Allah, glorified is He, knows best.
Sixth reason
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
“cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men.”
This is because Allah created every kind of living creature and made its soundness and perfection depend both on features it shares with others and on features peculiar to it. Shared features are not distinctive to either kind, and thus are not subject to the prohibition; rather, the prohibition concerns distinctive features. Thus, if men are not permitted to imitate women in matters distinctive to women, and in matters distinctive to men it is not permissible