Therefore, turn instead to wholesome, pristine, and clean vessels. If, however, a need arises to use a container that a dog has licked or eaten from, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that when a dog licks a vessel we must wash it seven times, one of those washes with earth. Accordingly, if you intend to use a utensil from which dogs eat or drink, you must wash it seven times and rub it with earth; only thereafter may you make use of it.

Question: If someone eats or drinks from such a vessel without knowing its prior use—God willing, are they excused?

Answer: When a person is unaware that a dog has licked a vessel, the default ruling is purity and permissibility; mere conjecture or doubt carries no legal weight. A container is presumed pure unless one is certain that a dog has licked it. Should certainty be established and one wishes to use the vessel, he must carry out what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed: wash it seven times, one of which is with earth.

Castrating and branding animals

Question: Among some livestock breeders it is customary to castrate male animals to fatten them, employing methods that all cause the animals pain. Is this permissible? Likewise, branding—marking the animal’s ear by burning, cutting, or similar means that inflict severe pain—does the person who does this incur sin or not?