Hadith Four

Salim ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUmar relates from his father—may Allah be pleased with him—that he said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: ‘Whoever keeps a dog—except a dog for hunting or for herding livestock—will have two qirats deducted from his reward every day.’” Salim added: “Abu Hurayrah used to say, ‘or a dog kept for tillage,’ and he was himself a man who farmed.”

Overall meaning
A dog is counted among the base and filthy animals, and for that reason the pure and noble Sacred Law has forbidden keeping it, since doing so brings many harms and corruptions. Among them are the departure of the noble, dutiful angels from any place where a dog is present, the fear and alarm it can cause, its impurity and uncleanness, and the folly involved in acquiring it. Whoever keeps such a dog loses a great portion of his reward each day—the Prophet expressed this loss as two qirats, and Allah alone knows its exact magnitude—because in doing so he disobeys Allah and persists in that disobedience.

When, however, a genuine need exists—such as guarding sheep against wolves and thieves, protecting farmland, or using the dog for hunting—its possession becomes permissible and no blame rests on the owner.

Points derived from the hadith

1. It is forbidden to keep a dog, and its owner’s reward is reduced by two qirats each day—an amount of great weight, the full extent of which is known only to Allah Most High.
2. The prohibition stems from its many harms: the angels’ avoidance of any house where a dog is present; the fear and terror it can inspire—for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, affirmed that the angels do not enter a house containing a dog; and its severe impurity, which is not removed save by repeated washing, one of which must be with earth.
3. Possessing a dog is permissible for a recognized benefit—guarding sheep, safeguarding farmland, or for hunting—because these are legitimate utilities that allow its acquisition.
4. From this you realize the depth of the Westerners’ foolishness and lack of insight: they have become infatuated with keeping dogs for no real benefit, feed them the finest food, lavish care on them through bathing and grooming, live closely with them, and even kiss them. Is there any folly beyond this? What is more astonishing is that these ugly habits have spread to certain people among us—blind imitators who have enslaved themselves to Western practices, embraced their ways as a creed, and fallen in love with every base custom they possess. Truly we belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return.