❀ Ruling on Keeping a Dog in the House ❀
This response is derived from the fatwas compiled in the book “500 Questions and Answers for Women,” translated by Hafiz Abdullah Saleem.
We have a female dog in our house. When we brought her home, we were unaware of the Islamic ruling prohibiting keeping dogs without necessity. After learning the ruling, we tried to drive her away. However, she had become attached to us and refused to leave. I also do not wish to kill her. What should we do?
There is no doubt that, except in the situations explicitly permitted by the Shari'ah, keeping a dog is prohibited.
If someone keeps a dog without a valid need, such as for hunting, guarding livestock, or protecting crops, then his reward is reduced by one Qirāṭ (a significant portion) each day.
This decrease in reward signifies that the person is committing a sin, as the reduction of reward is a form of punishment, which proves the prohibition (ḥurmah) of the act.
I advise those Muslims who imitate disbelievers by keeping dogs as pets that:
✦ The dog is an impure (نجس) animal.
✦ Its impurity is more severe than any other animal, to the extent that if a dog licks a vessel, it must be washed seven times, one of which must be with soil.
✦ Even pigs, which are explicitly prohibited in the Qur'an, are not described with this degree of impurity.
Sadly, many people influenced by disbelievers are infatuated with dogs. They adopt them, feed and bathe them—yet dogs remain inherently impure. Even sea water cannot purify them due to their innate impurity (نجس العين).
Moreover, keeping dogs for leisure results in wastage of wealth, and the Prophet ﷺ has prohibited squandering of money.
Hence, I advise those indulging in this un-Islamic practice to:
Repent sincerely to Allah,
Remove the dogs from their homes,
And only keep dogs when there is a Shari‘ah-approved reason, such as for hunting, livestock protection, or agricultural needs—as the Prophet ﷺ permitted these cases.
As for your specific situation where the dog has become familiar and refuses to leave, then once you physically remove it and do not allow it to remain, you are absolved of responsibility. It is likely that the dog will leave the city, roam freely like other stray dogs, and find sustenance from what Allah provides in the open.
(By: Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-‘Uthaymīn رحمه الله)
This response is derived from the fatwas compiled in the book “500 Questions and Answers for Women,” translated by Hafiz Abdullah Saleem.
❖ Question:
We have a female dog in our house. When we brought her home, we were unaware of the Islamic ruling prohibiting keeping dogs without necessity. After learning the ruling, we tried to drive her away. However, she had become attached to us and refused to leave. I also do not wish to kill her. What should we do?
❖ Answer:
There is no doubt that, except in the situations explicitly permitted by the Shari'ah, keeping a dog is prohibited.
If someone keeps a dog without a valid need, such as for hunting, guarding livestock, or protecting crops, then his reward is reduced by one Qirāṭ (a significant portion) each day.
This decrease in reward signifies that the person is committing a sin, as the reduction of reward is a form of punishment, which proves the prohibition (ḥurmah) of the act.
I advise those Muslims who imitate disbelievers by keeping dogs as pets that:
✦ The dog is an impure (نجس) animal.
✦ Its impurity is more severe than any other animal, to the extent that if a dog licks a vessel, it must be washed seven times, one of which must be with soil.
✦ Even pigs, which are explicitly prohibited in the Qur'an, are not described with this degree of impurity.
Sadly, many people influenced by disbelievers are infatuated with dogs. They adopt them, feed and bathe them—yet dogs remain inherently impure. Even sea water cannot purify them due to their innate impurity (نجس العين).
Moreover, keeping dogs for leisure results in wastage of wealth, and the Prophet ﷺ has prohibited squandering of money.
Hence, I advise those indulging in this un-Islamic practice to:
Repent sincerely to Allah, Remove the dogs from their homes, And only keep dogs when there is a Shari‘ah-approved reason, such as for hunting, livestock protection, or agricultural needs—as the Prophet ﷺ permitted these cases.As for your specific situation where the dog has become familiar and refuses to leave, then once you physically remove it and do not allow it to remain, you are absolved of responsibility. It is likely that the dog will leave the city, roam freely like other stray dogs, and find sustenance from what Allah provides in the open.
(By: Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-‘Uthaymīn رحمه الله)
