❀ The Prohibition of Selling Hunting Dogs – A Hadith-Based Ruling ❀

✒ Source: Monthly al-Hadith Hazro

❖ Question:​

Hadiths permit the keeping of hunting dogs. Does this permission also allow for their sale and purchase?

❖ Answer:​

There is no doubt that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ allowed the keeping of dogs for purposes such as farming, herding animals, and hunting.
(See: Sahih Muslim: 1575 and others)

However, the sale and purchase of dogs is strictly and absolutely prohibited, without any exceptions mentioned in authentic Hadiths.

❖ Clear Prohibitions in Authentic Hadiths​

➤ The Prophet ﷺ said:
"The price of a dog is not lawful."
(Sunan Abi Dawud: 3484, Sunan al-Nasa’i: 4298 – Chain is Hasan)

➤ Narrated by Abu Juhaifah رضي الله عنه:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade the price of a dog.
(Sunan Abi Dawud: 3483 – Chain is Sahih)

➤ Abu Mas‘ud al-Ansari رضي الله عنه reported:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prohibited the price of a dog, the earnings of a prostitute, and the payment to a soothsayer."
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 2237, Sahih Muslim: 1567)

These authentic reports make it crystal clear that the price of all types of dogs is forbidden.

❖ Examining the Exception Clauses (and Their Weaknesses)​

Some narrations suggest an exception for hunting dogs, but they are all weak and unreliable. Let's evaluate them:

➊ Narration from Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه​

"Except the hunting dog."
(Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 1281)

➤ Contains Abu al-Mahzam (Yazid ibn Sufyan) – a rejected narrator.
(Taqrib al-Tahdhib: 8397)

➤ Majority of Hadith scholars have labeled him weak and abandoned.
Imam Tirmidhi himself said:
"This hadith is not authentic in this form."

➋ Narration from Jabir رضي الله عنه​

(Sharh Mushkil al-Athar 4/58, 12/83; Sunan al-Daraqutni; al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi 6/11; Musnad Abi Ya‘la; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah; Musnad Ahmad)

➤ Narrator Abu al-Zubayr is reliable but a known mudallis and is narrating with “عن” without stating he heard it, making the report weak.

Ibn Hibban said:
"This version of the narration has no authentic basis."
(al-Majruhin 1/237)

Imam al-Nasa’i declared it Munkar.
(Sunan al-Nasa’i: 4668)

➌ Alternative Chain in al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi (10/6)​

Imam al-Bayhaqi commented:
"The narration from Hammad from Qays has issues."

He further clarified:

• The authentic Hadiths do not contain any exception for the price of hunting dogs.
• Any permissibility relates only to keeping hunting dogs, not their sale.

He explained that non-Sahabah narrators may have confused the exemption for keeping hunting dogs with permissibility of their sale.

❖ Summary of Research:​

From the authentic Hadiths, the sale and purchase of all types of dogs is prohibited, and no reliable Hadith confirms an exception for hunting dogs.

Hafiz Ibn Hibban said:
"The price of neither a trained dog nor an untrained one is permissible."
(al-Majruhin: 1/237)

This is also the consensus of the majority of scholars.
وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ