Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:
➊
The meaning of the hadith is that Satan brings the black dog in front of the person praying, or Satan himself comes in the form of a dog, so that the attention of the one praying is drawn towards it. In any case, some animals have an affinity with Satan, and there is a greater element of mischief in them.
➋
The passing of these (things) actually breaks the prayer. There is a difference of opinion regarding this. One group of scholars holds that the prayer is indeed broken, as is apparent from the literal wording of the hadith. Other scholars say that what is meant by breaking the prayer is a reduction in humility and submissiveness (khushu‘ and khudu‘). A third opinion is that this hadith is abrogated, and its abrogator is this hadith: (لَايَقْطَعُ الصَّلاَةَ شَيْئٌُ)
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Salat, Chapter: Whoever said nothing breaks..., Hadith: 719)
“Nothing breaks the prayer.” However, the first position is more correct, because it is supported by another authentic hadith in which it is stated:
(تعاد الصلاة من ممر الحمار والمرأة والكلب الأسود)
(Al-Silsilah al-Sahihah: 959/7, Hadith: 3323)
“The prayer is to be repeated if a donkey, a woman, or a black dog passes in front (of the one praying).” And those who have used (لَايَقْطَعُ الصَّلاَةَ شَيْئٌُ) as evidence, according to them, these three things will be excluded from that generality, those things whose passing breaks the prayer, and they are: a woman, a donkey, and a black dog. From the generality of this hadith, these three things will be exempted, meaning that if they pass in front, the prayer will be broken and its repetition will be necessary. However, apart from these, the passing of anything else does not break the prayer. And Allah knows best.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 952