Can I keep a dog as a pet?

by Asma bint Shameem

ANSWER

It's not allowed for Muslims to keep dogs as pets EXCEPT for guarding, hunting or other specific purposes. 

🍃The Prophet ﷺ said:

 "Whoever keeps a dog, his good deeds will decrease every day by one qeeraat (meaning a very large portion), UNLESS it is a dog for herding sheep, farming or hunting." (al-Bukhaari 2322)

🍃In another hadeeth he ﷺ said:

“Whoever keeps a dog, EXCEPT a dog for herding livestock or a dog that is trained for hunting, TWO qiraats will be deducted from his reward each day.” (al-Bukhaari 5059, Muslim 2941)

🍃And he ﷺ also said:

“The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or an image.” (Ibn Maajah -- saheeh by al-Albaani)

🍃Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said: 

“With regard to keeping dogs, this is haraam and is in fact a major sin, because the one who keeps a dog, except those for which an exception has been made, will have two qiraats deducted from his reward every day.” (Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen, 4/241)

🔺What if a dog touches me ?

If we pet a dog or the dog sniffs or  touches us, it’s not necessarily a problem. 

That’s because the dog itself is not considered naajis   

It’s the dog’s saliva. 

So as long as the dog’s saliva doesn't get in contact with you, it wouldn’t necessarily be impure. 

The saliva of the dog is what's considered najis, so if the dog LICKS a vessel, we must wash it seven times.

🍃The Prophet ﷺ said:

“If a dog licks the vessel of any one of you, let him wash it seven times, one of which should be with earth.” (al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

🔺How to wash with dust ?

🍃 Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

“Washing with soil may be done in several ways:

• Washing with water then sprinkling soil on it

• Sprinkling soil on it and following it with water

• Mixing soil with water and washing the vessel with it.”

(Sharh Bulugh Al-Maram, hadeeth 14)

The word 'vessel' is mentioned here but some of the ulama say that it's just an example and they draw their analogy with this word. 

So according to this opinion, if the dog licks you or your clothes etc or somehow his saliva gets on you then you have to wash that part seven times, one time of which you have to wash with dust. Or if dust will damage it, then just washing the detergent and water should be fine, as long as all the impurity is removed.

🍃 Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

“As for licking, saliva does come out of the dog, and if the dog’s saliva gets onto clothing and the like, then it must be washed seven times. But we do not say that one of them should be with dust, because that may cause damage. Rather we say that instead of dust one may use soap or some other agent that will remove impurity, and that will be sufficient, along with washing it seven times."

(Liqa’ Al-Bab Al-Maftuh  49/7)

🍃 Sheikh Sulaymaan al-Isaa, professor at al-Imaam University in Riyadh said:

“A Muslim should not play with dogs. 

The saliva of a dog is impure (najas). 

The way to remove this impurity is to wash the affected are seven times, one time with dirt. 

It does not matter whether the contaminated area is a dish, an article of clothing, or the skin. 

A person who comes in contact with the saliva of a dog must purify the affected area correctly in order for him to be able to perform prayers.”

However other scholars said that this ruling of washing seven times is just limited to a vessel, and it does not apply to other things. Therefore, if a dog licks us or our clothes, then there’s no need to wash it seven times; rather just wash it in a normal way until all the impurity is washed off.

However, it is more prudent to wash the clothes seven times to be on the safe side and to avoid any area of scholarly dispute.

In case dust is not available then we can use soap or some other alternative. 

And Allaah knows best.