Ibn Majah

Hadith Commentary:
Permission has been granted to keep dogs for hunting or for guarding the house and property.
As for mad dogs or those dogs that are hostile to humans and run to bite, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has ordered that they be killed. His intention was not all dogs.

Hadith Commentary:
There is consensus on killing a rabid dog and a black dog. As for other dogs, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had initially ordered their killing, but later forbade it.

Hadith Commentary:

Benefits and Issues:
➊ A rabid or biting dog is, by consensus, to be killed.
➋ As for dogs that are harmless, there is a difference of opinion regarding killing them.
➌ As for the dogs that are excepted (from the general ruling), there is consensus regarding their exception.
➍ Since, in the beginning, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) gave a general command for killing (dogs), Imam Malik, excepting the exempted dogs, considers it permissible to kill all others.
➎ Other Imams, however, consider the general command for killing to be abrogated, as will be mentioned ahead; therefore, according to them, harmless dogs should not be killed.

➏ According to Imam Ahmad, some Shafi'is, Hasan al-Basri, and Ibrahim al-Nakha'i, hunting with a black dog is also disliked (makruh), but according to Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, and Imam Shafi'i, it is permissible.

Note:
In this hadith, it is mentioned that Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhuma) was asked that Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) also makes an exception for the dog that guards crops. He replied, "(Abu Hurairah has a field)," meaning because Abu Hurairah has a field, he remembered its ruling as well. Some heretics have taken this to mean that Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhuma) expressed doubt about Abu Hurairah's (radi Allahu anhu) narration, and—Allah forbid—mocked him, claiming that this portion was fabricated by him. However, what he meant was that since Abu Hurairah had a field, he also remembered its ruling, because a person remembers well the ruling concerning that which he deals with regularly. Furthermore, this ruling is also narrated by Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhuma) himself, as will be mentioned ahead, and it is also found in the narrations of other Companions. Therefore, how could Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhuma) have mocked Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu)?

Hadith Footnote: Vocabulary of the Hadith:
Miryah:
It is the diminutive form of "mar’ah",
meaning woman.

Urdu marginal note:
The mention of the exempted dogs is coming in the next hadith.

Benefits and Issues:

➊
It is permissible to hunt lawful animals.

➋
It is permissible to seek assistance from dogs in hunting.

➌
It is permissible to keep dogs for a lawful purpose.

➍
Two lawful purposes are mentioned in the hadiths:

- Hunting.
- Protection of fields, orchards, or livestock.

Later, other lawful uses for dogs have also emerged, such as:
Tracking criminals or guiding a blind person, etc.
If, in the future, any other benefit for a lawful purpose arises, then keeping a dog for that purpose will also be permissible according to the Shari‘ah.

➎
Keeping dogs merely for amusement or as a hobby, and keeping them inside homes, is prohibited in the Shari‘ah, as will be mentioned in the next chapter.

Hadith Authentication: [وأخرجه البخاري 3323، ومسلم 43/1570، من حديث مالك به]
Jurisprudential Explanation:
➊ In the beginning, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) commanded the killing of all dogs except for hunting dogs, dogs used for guarding livestock, and dogs used for guarding land. Later, he abrogated this command and forbade the killing of dogs. See [صحيح مسلم 1572، دارالسلام : 4020]
However, it should be clear that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) described the black dog, especially the one with two spots over its eyes, as a devil, and the command to kill such dogs remains in effect and has not been abrogated. See [صحيح مسلم 1572، سنن ابي داود 2846، وسنده صحيح]
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mughaffal (radi Allahu anhu) that later the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) permitted keeping dogs for hunting, for guarding livestock, and for guarding land. See [صحيح مسلم 1573، دارالسلام : 4021، 4022]
Therefore, the command to kill dogs has been abrogated.
➋ The dog is impure (najis). ➌ In every command of the religion of Islam, the reformation and well-wishing of people is intended.
➍ It is forbidden (haram) to cause harm to a Muslim.