Is It Haram To Have A Dog In Islam?

There are so many scholars, hadith, and blogs that mention if keeping a dog in your house is haram. Even your parents, family member, or friends keep telling you the way. Based on the Islamic cultures in Indonesia, having a dog is haram for Muslims. But, is it haram to have a dog in Islam?

Here we have about four points of view about how Islam makes the dog becomes haram for Muslims. Remember that everything is haram will be haram to do so that you need to be wiser before act and remember the consequence. Instead, you make some Duas keep away from sin, so that you may get Allah’s gratitude.

1. Having a Dog is Permissible

If we take a look at the Quran surah Al Kahf verses 17-18, there mentions about a dog who keep the people as their guardians.

وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ اَيْقَاظًا وَّهُمْ رُقُوْدٌ ۖوَّنُقَلِّبُهُمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِيْنِ وَذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ ۖوَكَلْبُهُمْ بَاسِطٌ ذِرَاعَيْهِ بِالْوَصِيْدِۗ لَوِ اطَّلَعْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَوَلَّيْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِرَارًا وَّلَمُلِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ رُعْبًا – ١٨

And you think they are not sleeping, even though they are sleeping; and We turned them back and forthright and left, while their dogs spread their arms in front of the cave door. And if you watch them, of course, you will turn away (away) from them and surely you will be filled with fear of them.” (QS 16:18)

Based on these verses above, we know that it is permissible to have a dog. While at that time, it is pretty sure that the dog helps them to some haunting. For some reason, such as for guarding or haunting, it is permissible to have a dog. In Islam, it is a good deed to do. Besides, there is a rule that we should collect the most rewarding deeds in Islam.

2. Every Animal is Allah Creatures

As mentions on the Quran surah Al Kahf above, their company is a dog, not a chicken or a sheep. And based on the Quran surah Al Anam verse 38 mentions that every animal is Allah creatures, just like us. That is why we need to feel more grateful because there are so many benefits of being grateful in Islam.

It becomes haram when you have the dog to make people scared. You don’t need to scare people with a dog because now technology becomes evolve to help you and your house safe. Scaring people by using a dog is haram because you will harm people or the dog.

وَمَا مِنْ دَاۤبَّةٍ فِى الْاَرْضِ وَلَا طٰۤىِٕرٍ يَّطِيْرُ بِجَنَاحَيْهِ اِلَّآ اُمَمٌ اَمْثَالُكُمْ ۗمَا فَرَّطْنَا فِى الْكِتٰبِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ثُمَّ اِلٰى رَبِّهِمْ يُحْشَرُوْنَ – ٣٨

“And there is not an animal on the earth or birds that fly with both wings, but all are people (also) like you. There is nothing that we escape in the Book, then to God, they are gathered.” (QS 6:38)

3. A Dog Is Haram For Food

Meat from a dog’s body is haram to consume as mentions in the Quran surah Al Maidah verses 3-4. But, if you using the dog for hunting another animal in the Islamic way and to make it become your food, the food still lawful to eat. But, not the dog’s meat, it becomes haram because it mentions the Quran. For some cultures, dog meat becomes one of their food but we should not follow them. It is better to avoid what makes food haram in Islam.

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيْرِ وَمَآ اُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّٰهِ بِهٖ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوْذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيْحَةُ وَمَآ اَكَلَ السَّبُعُ اِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْۗ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ وَاَنْ تَسْتَقْسِمُوْا بِالْاَزْلَامِۗ 

“It is forbidden for you to eat carcasses, blood, pork and (meat) animals that are slaughtered not in the name of Allah, who has been suffocated, who has been beaten, who has fallen, who has been gutted, and who has been torn to pieces by wild animals, unless you have been killed. And (forbidden too) are slaughtered for idols.”(QS 3:3)

يَسْـَٔلُوْنَكَ مَاذَآ اُحِلَّ لَهُمْۗ قُلْ اُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبٰتُۙ وَمَا عَلَّمْتُمْ مِّنَ الْجَوَارِحِ مُكَلِّبِيْنَ تُعَلِّمُوْنَهُنَّ مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ اللّٰهُ فَكُلُوْا مِمَّآ اَمْسَكْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ ۖوَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ ۗاِنَّ اللّٰهَ سَرِيْعُ الْحِسَابِ – ٤

“They ask you (Muhammad), “What is it permissible for them?” Say, “That which is good for you (is food) that is good and (hunted) by hunting animals that you have trained to hunt, which you train according to what God has taught you. Then eat what he catches for you, and say the name of Allah (when he releases it). And fear Allah, truly, Allah is very quick in His calculations. ” (QS 3:4)

4. A Dog Is Bad Imagery From Allah

Every animal is indeed Allah’s creatures so that we should be kind of them. But, if the law of parable exists, Allah gives the bad imagery for a dog as the people who denied what Allah says in the Quran. That is why we should not act like a dog so that we are living such as good Muslims for Allah’s perceived. Besides, it has shown as a greedy person if you won’t do a bad deed like that. Besides, there are some perceived ways about greed in Islam that we should avoid.

In the Quran surah, Al A’raf verse 176 mentions about this.

وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنٰهُ بِهَا وَلٰكِنَّهٗٓ اَخْلَدَ اِلَى الْاَرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوٰىهُۚ فَمَثَلُهٗ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِۚ اِنْ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ اَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَثْۗ ذٰلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِيْنَ كَذَّبُوْا بِاٰيٰتِنَاۚ فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوْنَ – ١٧٦

“And if we will surely elevate (degrees) him with (verses), but he is inclined to the world and follows his desires (the lowly), then the parable is like a dog, if you stop him sticking out his tongue and if you let him stick out his tongue ( too). This is the parable of those who reject Our verses. So tell the stories so they think.” (QS 7:176)

So, there is some glance about dogs in Islam based on the Quran. Whether you have them for hunting or guardian to your farm it is still permissible, but for food, it is haram. Besides, if your body attached by the dog you only need to clean it properly so that there are no germs left to your body or clothes. Don’t make it difficult, indeed Allah is merciful and Allah knows the best.