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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| Ameeraana |
| 08/05/02 at 12:25:14 |
| So, I have heard that if a Muslim touches a dog, that washing seven times is a must to become clean again. Does anybody know if that rule applies to cats or rabbits or practically any pet one would own? |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| muqaddar |
| 08/05/02 at 12:31:12 |
| [slm] Never heard of that rule applying to cats, the prophet loved cats ! and one of the sahaabi had a nickname because of his cat |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| siddiqui |
| 08/05/02 at 13:54:46 |
| [slm] Well there is a danger of dogs transmitting rabies through the saliva and if you saty in North east USA ticks through their fur which can cqause lymes disease [wlm] |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| mwishka |
| 08/05/02 at 20:41:57 |
| (shouldn't this be moved to al-manar or al-taqwa??) ok, i'm interested to know if there is any such a practice pertaining to dogs. what i've been told is that this "unclean" aspect of dogs only applies if a dog licks you - that you become unclean if you get dog saliva on you, but not if you touch them or pet them or act toward them in any other normal way. and that muslims can certainly have dogs as pets, with the recommendation that they sleep outside so as not to get your house dirty, but that if the climate does not permit them to sleep outside that they certainly may sleep inside the house because to not let them be comfortable would be hateful and cruel. and i've been told that this does not apply to other pets. i've looked up some of this, but in only a couple of sources, so i'd be curious to see what other information about this question there might be... mwishka (and why dog saliva, in particular? if it stems from a fear of rabies, that is certainly not a disease limited to canines......) |
| 08/05/02 at 20:43:24 |
| mwishka |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| Fatimah |
| 08/05/02 at 22:38:26 |
| [slm] Question: Is it haram or even undesireable for us to touch dogs? I have heard many Muslims say that dogs are dirty and Satan has spit on them. Also, that if we do touch a dog, we have to wash our hands several times. I haven't been able to find anything concerning this in the Qur'an, Hadith, or Islamic books. Please help. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. The answer to this question is twofold: 1 – The ruling on keeping a dog. It is haraam to keep a dog unless it is for the purposes for which Islam permits keeping dogs. Whoever keeps a dog – except a dog for hunting or farming – his reward will decrease each day by one or two qeeraats. It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘Whoever keeps a dog, except a dog that is trained for hunting or a dog for herding livestock, his reward will decrease each day by two qeeraats.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5059; Muslim, 2941; according to another version narrated by them both, “one qeeraat”). The word qeeraat refers to a large amount of reward; if a person’s reward decreases by one qeeraat, that means that he is sinning, for losing reward is like earning sin, both indicate that something is haraam because of the consequences it leads to. The impurity of dogs is the greatest of animal impurities. The impurity of a dog can only be removed by washing seven times, one of which should be with earth. Even pigs, which the Qur’aan states are haraam and describes as an abomination (rijs) are not naajis (impure) to such an extent. Dogs are impure and filthy, but unfortunately we find that some people are attracted to the ways of the kuffaar and their filthy habits, so they have started to keep dogs unnecessarily for no reason, keeping them, training them and cleaning them even though they can never be clean, even if they were washed with the waters of the ocean, because they are essentially impure. Our advice to them is to repent to Allaah and to get the dogs out of their homes. But in the case of dogs which are needed for hunting, farming and herding livestock, there is nothing wrong with that because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave permission for that. If you throw this dog out of your house, you will no longer be responsible for it, so do not keep it with you. 2 – The ruling on touching a dog If you touch it when it is not wet, then your hand does not become impure, but if you touch it when it is wet, this means that the hand becomes impure, according to the opinion of many scholars, and the hand must be washed seven times, one of which should be with earth. With regard to vessels, if a dog has licked a vessel (i.e., drunk from it), then the vessel must be washed seven times, one of which should be with earth, as was proven in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere, in the hadeeth narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a dog licks the vessel of any one of you, let him wash it seven times, one of which should be with water.” It is better if the washing with earth be the first washing. And Allaah knows best. See Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 11/246; Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/447. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question: does touching dogs and/or dogs' saliva nullify wudoo'? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Touching dogs or their saliva does not nullify wudoo’ because if tahaarah is done according to the rules of sharee’ah, nothing can nullify it except things for which there is evidence in sharee’ah. There is no such evidence that touching dogs or their saliva have this effect. It was not mentioned by the scholars among the things that nullify wudoo’. Ibn Qudaamah mentioned in al-Mughni (1/264) things that nullify wudoo’, and he did not mention touching dogs or their saliva. Then he said: “These are all the things that nullify tahaarah, and it cannot be nullified by anything else according to the view of the majority of scholars…” But there is no doubt that dogs’ saliva is very dirty and extremely naajis (impure), and it can only be removed by washing seven times, one of them with earth. There is a difference between this and something which nullifies tahaarah. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question: A simple question. What is one to do when a dog licks a) The skin of a person I understand that you are supposed to rub soil/mud on to the affected area, but what if the clothing is delicate e.g a suit and might spoil? Is dry cleaning not enough? Thank you. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. The scholars said that leftover water from which a dog has drunk and the saliva of dogs are naajis (unclean, impure), and that vessels and garments licked by a dog must be washed. It is reported in the Sunnah how a Muslim should purify these things if that happens. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim reported from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a dog licks the vessel of any one of you, let him throw away its contents, then wash it seven times.” Muslim added: “the first time with earth.” (Al-Bukhaari bi Haashiyat al-Sindi, 1/44; Muslim, 1/234). The meaning of the word translated here as “lick” means if a dog puts its tongue into water, or whatever, regardless of whether or not it actually drinks. The hadeeth refers to vessels, but the scholars did not distinguish between vessels and other things in this regard. Al-‘Iraaqi said: “Vessels are mentioned because this is the usual scenario.” The vassel or garment must be washed seven times, one of them being with earth. This is the opinion of Ibn ‘Abbaas and Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with them), according to one report. It was also the opinion of Ibn Seereen, Taawoos, al-Oozaa’i, al-Shaafa'i, Ahmad, Thawr, and others. (Al-Majmoo’, 2/586; al-Mughni, 1/46’ al-Muhallaa, 1/146; Nayl al-Awtaar, 1/74). It is not the last washing that has to be done with earth, so there is no room for the objection mentioned in the question that this will make the clothes dirty. The clothes will be washed with water (after the washing with earth), and once they are dried and ironed, they will be cleaner than before. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com) |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| Fatimah |
| 08/05/02 at 22:45:52 |
| [slm] Question: Is it permissible to have a CAT in the house according to Islam and its teachings ?. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Firstly: It is permissible to keep cats in the house, and there is nothing wrong with that because cats are not harmful or naajis (impure). With regard to cats not being harmful, no one disputes that, rather they are useful because they eat snakes, rats bugs and other things that may be in the house or yard. With regard to cats not being naajis, this is known from the hadeeth of Kabshah bint Ka’b ibn Maalik, who said that Abu Qutaadah – her husband's father – entered upon her and she poured water for him to do wudoo’, and a cat came to drink from it, so he tipped the vessel for it to drink. Kabshah said: “He saw me looking at him and said, “Do you find it strange, O daughter of my brother?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “They (cats) are not naajis, rather they are of those who go around amongst you.”’” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 92; al-Nasaa’i, 68; Abu Dawood, 75; Ibn Maajah, 367. classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. Ibn Hajar narrated in al-Talkhees that al-Bukhaari classed it as saheeh). Secondly: It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A woman entered Hell because of a cat which she tied up and did not feed, nor did she let it loose to feed upon the vermin of the earth.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3140; Muslim, 2242). The vermin of the earth means insects and mice, etc. This hadeeth does not denounce the woman for keeping a cat, but it demonstrates that the woman’s sin was in not feeding it or leaving it to eat from the vermin of the earth. Thirdly: The great Sahaabi Abu Hurayrah (literally “Father of the Kitten”) was so called because he used to love cats and keep them. He became well known by this name and people forgot his real name, until the scholars disputed concerning his real name and there were nearly thirty different opinions as to what it was. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said in al-Istee’aab: “The most correct view is that his name was ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Sakhr but none of them disputed that he was Abu Hurayrah.” Fourthly: Note: It is permissible to keep cats but it is not permissible to buy or sell them; they may be given as gifts or given away. That is because of the hadeeth of Abu’l-Zubayr who said: “I asked Jaabir about the price of dogs and cats. He said, ‘The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade that.’” (Narrated by Muslim, 1569). And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Praise be to Allaah. There is nothing wrong with keeping animals for which there is no Islamic prohibition on keeping them (such as dogs and pigs). There are reports in the Sunnah which indicate that some of the Sahaabah kept permissible animals for farming purposes or for fun and for pleasure. It was narrated from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he had a young brother who had a nughar (a small bird or nightingale). The bird died, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw him looking sad and grieved, so he joked with him, and said to him words which implied approval of his keeping this bird. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him, “O Abu Umayr, what happened to the nughayr?” And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that a woman entered Hell because of a cat “which she did not feed, neither did she let it eat from the vermin of the earth.” From this it may be understood that if she had fed it, she would have been saved from that threat. And it was said that Abu Hurayrah was so called because of a cat (hirr, dim. hurayrah) which used to accompany him. So keeping permissible animals, so long as you do not neglect them, is something which is permitted and it may even be one of the means of earning reward, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “In every living being there is reward.” But if you keep animals and neglect and abuse them, it may be one of the means that lead to sin and the threat of Hell, as in the hadeeth about the woman who neglected her cat until it died. We would also like to point out that Islam preceded both western and eastern organizations in proclaiming the rights of women, animals, workers, employers and so on. Indeed, the greatest rights which it proclaimed are the rights of Allaah over His creation and the rights of people over Allaah. We would also point out that care and concern for human beings should take precedence over the care of animals, and that the reward for that is greater. [The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:] “Ward off the Fire even with half a date [i.e., by giving half a date in charity]” and “I and the one who sponsors an orphan will be like these two in Paradise” – and he gestured with his index finger and the one next to it. And there are other similar ahaadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| Fatimah |
| 08/05/02 at 22:48:43 |
| [slm] Rabbits are not impure because we are permitted to eat them, and we are not permitted to eat impure things... Allahu Alim |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| eleanor |
| 08/06/02 at 00:41:59 |
[slm] okay what I have heard: pigs don't sweat - therefore their meat is impure dogs sweat through their tongue - therefore their saliva is impure.... put it this way: would you want to wash your hands if someone rubbed their armpit across them... :P peace eleanor |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| Ameeraana |
| 08/06/02 at 18:54:08 |
| :)I am very glad that cats are accepted to have in the homes of Muslims. :) While I absolutely love dogs also, I prefer to keep cats as my pets. My little girl (cat) is even now demanding for my undivided attention by blocking my view to the computer screen. Ah well, I guess I have to give her the loving she needs since she just suffered 3 stressfull days with my 5 year old niece over at my house!! :P The cutest thing she does is sometimes she will jump up on the back of the computer chair and rest against my neck and sleep there!! Its so cute!! :-* |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| jannah |
| 08/06/02 at 22:37:16 |
| Just a minor note, you can keep a dog for security purposes outside of the house or on a farm. But because of the issues of impurity it wouldn't be wise to keep it in the home. |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| bhaloo |
| 08/07/02 at 00:37:12 |
| [slm] [quote author=Ameeraana link=board=madrasa;num=1028564714;start=0#8 date=08/06/02 at 18:54:08] :)I am very glad that cats are accepted to have in the homes of Muslims. :) [/quote] I don't have a cat, but a neighbor of mine does and the cat is always in my backyard doing its business in the dirt. I don't know how to make it stop. :( |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| ltcorpest2 |
| 08/07/02 at 10:28:16 |
| on Aug 6th, 2002, 6:54pm, Ameeraana wrote:I am very glad that cats are accepted to have in the homes of Muslims. I don't have a cat, but a neighbor of mine does and the cat is always in my backyard doing its business in the dirt. I don't know how to make it stop. we have tht same problem. When you do not have a pet, all the animals in your neighborhood think they have free reign in your backyard. Bahloo, i am hoping that you posted this because you don't like cats. I really can't stand them. Also, if you have small children you have to be careful. They carry a virus that can be deadly to babies (it escapes me now what it is called). and have you heard of cat scratch fever? my wife's grandfather almost died from it. |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| mwishka |
| 08/07/02 at 11:56:21 |
| came back here to say that, i find most of islam to be good-intentioned, but there are parts of it that make no sense to me and which i simply can't understand (like pretty much everything to do with women's menstrual cycles, for example). these things about dogs strike me that way. in fact, though i myself have cats, i was raised in a family with a lot of animals always, and can't imagine taking a dislike to any creature. i know that lots of my questions are, well just unacceptable here, so i don't ask them, and i'm not at all going to get into this one, except to say that the seeming easy acceptance of these on-line answers very nearly made me de-register, feeling i could take no more of this kind of assignment of uncleanliness where i saw none. my solution was to go read other stuff, but i found myself just getting mad at everything i read, and my rule is that i don't write when i'm mad...... there were lots of things in ummah i wanted to reply to, but i would have been sharp had i done so, soooooo.......i told the happy story of my recovering wasp instead...... :) i'm still not sure how to deal with the information in this topic. it really troubles me....... :( mwishka |
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| Fatimah |
| 08/07/02 at 12:09:02 |
| [slm] I don't dislike dogs..I just dont keep them in my house. We need to be kind to all creatures... Dont forget the hadith about that man who saw a thirsty dog and went down in the well and filled his shoe with water and gave it to the dog to drink. Allah forgave his sins for doing that. |
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| theOriginal |
| 08/07/02 at 12:25:41 |
| [slm] Ahhhh the cat-dog debate. Unfortunate as it is, I hate cats too. I don't know what it is, I think they're reeeeeeally annoying, and they make me remeasure my intellectual capacity as a human being. (I know, I'm extreme). And I gotta agree, I never understood why the dogs are not allowed as pets. They make really loyal pets, we used to have 2 guard dogs when we lived in Somalia (for security reasons), and you just gotta love em. Can anyone, perhaps, give a LOGICAL reason as to why they are not allowed? And of course, if none of you can, and you say that "it is because Islam says so", then I will accept, although grudgingly so. Wasalaam. SF. |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| ltcorpest2 |
| 08/07/02 at 12:47:38 |
| Ahhhh the cat-dog debate. Unfortunate as it is, I hate cats too. I don't know what it is, I think they're reeeeeeally annoying, and they make me remeasure my intellectual capacity as a human being. (I know, I'm extreme). amen or ameen, |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| jannah |
| 08/07/02 at 13:38:42 |
| [quote]And I gotta agree, I never understood why the dogs are not allowed as pets[/quote] It's pretty logical to me. The dog's saliva is. Najiss (impure). You'd have to wash everything a million times. |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| muqaddar |
| 08/07/02 at 13:47:08 |
| [slm] Cats have personality..dogs don't dogs are wolves at puppy stage..a cat is a grownup cats are not interested in power or leadership dogs are obsessed with who the leader of the pack is I LOVE CATS ! |
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| ltcorpest2 |
| 08/07/02 at 17:58:04 |
| i am not a fan of either, but for some reason i knew you would like cats muqaddar. I might think of getting fish someday. |
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| muqaddar |
| 08/07/02 at 18:19:35 |
| [slm] cats.....hate water ! oops thats not right.. i was born in the year of the tiger...and tigers love water.... apart from squid, dolphins, whales and killerwhales...i hate fish except on a dish... |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| Ameeraana |
| 08/07/02 at 21:38:24 |
| If another cat always does its business in ones backyard and it is an annoyance, one, not so cruel way to keep them at bay is to buy a spray bottle, fill it with water, and whenever you see that cat in your yard, spray it. Most cats will run away, and hopefully for you, stay away. Ahhh, but if it were my cat, she wouldn't mind the spray of water at all...she hates baths but if you are just spraying or pouring water on her out of a cup, she will just lay there and watch it... :) Dogs are cute cute cute too...but I think cats are easier to take care of. I think the most beautiful of the dogs are wolves... I love watching nature shows about them.. but then again, I love all animals!! I haven't read about anything in the Qur'an on dogs yet, only heard about it from friends... when I get to it, hopefully the Qur'an tells why dogs are impure... most dogs will do anything for their owners and love them unconditionally. The reason they learn all those tricks and obey humans much is because their owner is the leader of the pack whom they need to please. They are considered as impure in Islam, but dogs really are amazing..just look at all those dogs that guide their blind owners around and give them peace of mind. Many dogs can also sense seizures that are about to happen to humans and can warn them about it. If dogs are ok for security reasons, then they are probably ok in these situations--at the airport, the police use their K-9s all the time when bags are left unattended, or when passenger bags are received and later something inside is vibrating or making any suspicious noises. If a passenger tests positive for explosives, or is suspected of transporting drugs... they do lots of work for the security of the airports. Speaking of, does anyone know what or which Surah/Surahs tell of dogs being impure? |
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| humble_muslim |
| 08/07/02 at 23:07:16 |
| From Mwishka : "came back here to say that, i find most of islam to be good-intentioned, but there are parts of it that make no sense to me and which i simply can't understand (like pretty much everything to do with women's menstrual cycles, for example)." As far as I know, the only Islamic rulings concerning a woman's cycle are that : i) women cannot make the ritual salat in this state, but can do EVERY other act of worship ii) Sex is not allowed in this state iii) a woman cannot be issued a divorce in this state. What do you fail to understand about this ? "these things about dogs strike me that way. in fact, though i myself have cats, i was raised in a family with a lot of animals always, and can't imagine taking a dislike to any creature." Now we are not talking about "dislike" here. There is a story about a man who goes to Paradise because he gives water to a thirsty dog. Where is the "dislike" here ? The fact is that Islam is VERY clear about how righteous being good to animals is, and how evil being cruel to animals is. Even when we slaughter an animal for eating, we are supposed not to let it look at other animals being slaughtered. The basic fact is that a dog's saliva is unclean. Now if a human being, let alone an animal, were to put his saliva on me, I would wash it off pretty damn soon! And I'm sure we've all seen dogs poking their noses around excrement. " i know that lots of my questions are, well just unacceptable here, so i don't ask them, and i'm not at all going to get into this one, except to say that the seeming easy acceptance of these on-line answers very nearly made me de-register, feeling i could take no more of this kind of assignment of uncleanliness where i saw none. " Well, I for one am not unquestionably accepting the on line answer. The answer said : "Dogs are impure and filthy, they can never be clean, even if they were washed with the waters of the ocean, because they are essentially impure." Before accepting this, I would want to see the sayings of the Prophet (SAW) proving this to be the fact. Mwiskha, NO QUESTIONS ARE UNACCEPTABLE in Islam. If I told you some of the questions the Prophet (SAW) was aksed in his lifetime, you would be shocked. Ask away, as much as you like. We may not have all the answers, but we will try our best to answer! And please don't de-register, you would be soooooo missed! And one final thing. It may surprise you to know that I, a firm believer, still don't understand some aspects of Islam. But I understand the vast majority of Islam, and that's why I don't allow the issues I do not understand to shake my belief. |
| NS |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| humble_muslim |
| 08/07/02 at 23:22:08 |
| [slm] Ok, to follow up from my previous post, it is NOT a universal opinion amongst the Islamic scholars that dogs are impure. Here is what I found at http://www.angelfire.com/mo2/scarves/dogs.html : "Regarding a dog licking a person with his tongue or touching him with his body then this does not invalidate the wudoo according to the majority of the scholars. But they differed in this aspect: Is the dog Najis (filthy) where it is then obligatory to wash the place the dog touched or not? The Malikiyah said : the dog is pure. And this is the predominant opinion. So it is not obligatory to wash the body or the clothes, but he must still wash a bowl that was touched or licked. The Ahnaf and some of the Hanabilah said: His saliva is Najis (filthy) but his body is not. Ashafi'iyah and some of the Hanabilah said: His saliva is Najis and his body is also Najis. Those that ruled with the dog being najis said that one must wash seven times the body and the clothing that was affected by the dog. And some of them said one must only wash the place once with dirt, similarly to when washes the bowl that was affected and Allah knows best. " It should be clear from this that what most of the scholars agree on is that the saliva of a dog is impure. As for the dog itself, it's being pure is only an OPINION, and not necessarily a fact in Islam. Hope this sets the record straight, and may Allah SWT forgive me if I have said anything incorrect. |
| NS |
| 08/07/02 at 23:23:36 |
| humble_muslim |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| Fatimah |
| 08/07/02 at 23:31:39 |
| [slm] I just wanted to point out in the hadith that says the Prophet [saw] said to kill dogs...well, this once really upset me (because I couldnt understand why). So me and my husband read up on it and we found out that those dogs at that time had diseases like rabies and stuff..so thats why he said to kill them. It does not mean for us to go kill every dog we see. We must treat all animals with care. Allahu Alim. |
| 08/07/02 at 23:33:36 |
| Fatimah |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| humble_muslim |
| 08/08/02 at 05:39:33 |
| [slm] "i know that lots of my questions are, well just unacceptable here, so i don't ask them" Moderators, what is the ruling on this board for asking questions, especially from those non muslims who wish to know more about Islam ? |
| NS |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| Ameeraana |
| 08/08/02 at 16:51:15 |
| I too, searched around online to search about dogs in Islam and about the ordering of the killing of dogs, here is some of what I found: stray dogs are a nuisance and health hazzard. Generally they congregate in packs and reports of human and animal deaths and serious injuries are not uncommon when dogs are on the loose. Dogs tend to defecate indiscriminately in the open, causing a nuisance for pedestrians and a health hazzard for children, e.g. in playgrounds. If the dog has been kept confined for an extended period, he will be all the more happy at his new found freedom and run further amok. It was in lieu of this that the Prophet (S) ordered the killing of dogs in Medina. According to Abdul-Hamid Siddiqi, it was due to an outbreak of rabies that this order was pronounced because after Jabir reported the killing of the dog that accompanied the people of the desert and the Prophet rescinded the order, dogs which had two white spots on the eyes were still to be killed because they were ‘devils’ (Muslim, 3813). Siddiqi writes, ‘the word "devil" here stands for ferocious’. The two spots on the eyes may signify some kind of madness, which is what an animal with rabies essentially is, an anjing gila (lit. mad dog) to use the Malay term. It is also apparent from the hadith literature, that there were significant numbers of stray dogs (Muslim, 3814). Siddiqi expands on his position that not all dogs were to be killed but only the ones that posed a threat explaining that "the word used in the hadith is al-kilab which means particular dogs and not all dogs...later on when it was found that his Companions were killing them indiscriminately he forbade them to do so.." [1] Interestingly the two men who narrate the story of killing the dog which accompanied the people of the desert and their she-camel, Abdullah ibn Umar and Jabir ibn Abdullah, later recounted hadiths which show a great respect for animals (e.g., Bukhari, 7.424, Muslim, 5281). Here is more from another site: Why is it that dogs are looked down upon in the so-called Muslim world ? Why has tradition made it so difficult to keep a dog in your home ? Why would a "Muslim" Taxi driver refuse to allow a blind man and his guide dog into his cab ? Dogs are wonderful creatures of God. They bond with humans, protect them and serve them and that has been true almost since God placed man on earth. Does it make sense then that Muhammed (or any messenger of God) would place prohibitions on these loving creatures when God does not ? How do we know that Muslims are not forbidden to be around dogs? We look at God's word, at the Quran. In the story of the men of the cave in Sura 18, it becomes clear that God sees dogs as part of men's lives. 18:18 "You would think that they were awake, when they were in fact asleep. We turned them to the right side and the left side, while their dog stretched his arms in their midst." Hadith tells us that angels won't enter a room where there is a dog. That means that for 309 years that the sleepers were in the cave, no angel ever entered. Yet God says "We turned them...." The use of "we" clearly indicates the participation of angels. There is absolutely no reason to mention the dog as part of this story, except to make it clear to future generation that dogs are permitted to live among people, right "in their midst." And 18:22 clearly shows that the dog was counted right along with the believers. "Some would say, they were three; their dog being the fourth, while others would say, Five; the sixth being their dog, as they guessed. Others said, seven, and the eighth was their dog. Say, My Lord is the best knower of their number. Therefore, do not argue with them; just go along with them. You need not consult anyone about this." There are books of the Bible that don't make it into all Bibles. They are recognized by some sects but not by others. These are called "apocrypha." One such book is entitles "Tobit." It is a wonderful narrative. It reminds me of Luqmaan in the Quran. A faithful man counsels his son to worship God always, to be righteous, to give charity and never begrudge the gift, to be humble and to be fair in all business dealings. In this book of Tobit, the son, Tobias, goes off on a journey to help his father. God sends with him an angel in the form of a man, and chapter 5 verse 16 says; "So they went out and departed and the young man's dog was with them." And as they return home, after all the adventure and good things that happen , in chapter: " After this Tobias went on his way, praising God because He had made his journey as success....So they went their way, and the dog went along behind them." There is no other mention of the dog in the whole narrative. It is just like the people of the cave. There is no reason to mention the dog at all, except to show that it's a perfectly natural thing to be accompanied by your dog. God certainly does not prohibit it. |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| muqaddar |
| 08/08/02 at 17:02:20 |
| [slm] Ameerana *takes hat off and bows* sis thats awesome, i'm going to use that one next time on my mom when she says angels don't enter a house where there's a dog jazakalla |
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| ltcorpest2 |
| 08/08/02 at 20:02:03 |
| Dogs tend to defecate indiscriminately in the open, causing a nuisance for pedestrians and a health hazzard for children, actually it is cats that are a huge problem around playgrounds, they bury their feces and are a big danger to kids, I will have to look it up (as to what illness they spread), but if you have a sand box at home, be very very careful to cover it up becasue cats love sand boxes, and the kids never see the poop and when they do, it is hard to distinguish it from anything and they are much more likely to handle it with awful consequences. |
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| bhaloo |
| 08/08/02 at 21:55:16 |
| [slm] Ameerana some of the information you took is from a non-Muslim site, not an Islamic site, those people call themselves submitters, they reject any hadith (I just looked up the article that you posted). I'd like to ask people that are not Muslim to refrain from attempting to answer Islamic questions at this time because you may not be aware of what are authentic sources and what are not. The information from that site should be rejected. Thank you. Regarding dogs, here is what Sheikh Munajjid said: According to Islaamic Sharee’ah, it is not permitted to keep a dog except within narrowly-defined limits, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained: "Whoever keeps a dog, his good deeds will decrease every day by one qeeraat (a unit of measurement), unless it is a dog for farming or herding." According to another report: ". . . unless it is a dog for herding sheep, farming or hunting." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 2322) Dogs are extremely naajis (impure, unclean). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If a dog drinks from the vessel of any one of you, let him wash it seven times" (reported by Muslim, no. 279). According to another report: ". . . and clean it the eighth time with earth." (Saheeh Muslim, no. 280). It is forbidden in Islaam to sell a dog and to receive payment for it, as is reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaari from Abu Mas’oud al-Ansaari: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade (accepting) the price of a dog. (al-Fath, no. 2237) The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us not to resemble dogs by placing our forearms on the ground during sujood (prostration), as in reported in the hadeeth narrated by Anas ibn Maalik, according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Do sujood properly; none of you should spread his forearms like a dog does." (al-Bukhaari, Fath, no. 822). Whoever keeps a dog in his house is denied the blessing of the angels’ presence in his house, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 3225). Keeping dogs nowadays is the habit of the kuffaar, who adopt them as friends, kiss them, let them lick them and their clothes, sleep with them and even leave them money in their wills. Keeping a dog is an imitation of the kuffaar. Some Muslims may claim that they need to keep a dog at home for purposes of protection, to which we respond that nowadays there are burglar alarm systems and other measures one may take for security purposes, and there is no need to keep a dog, praise be to Allaah. It only remains for us to say that the fact that it is forbidden to keep a dog and interect closely with it does not mean that we should not be kind or feel compassion towards dogs if we see them in a pitiful state. These are two entirely separate matters. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that "a man saw a dog biting the dust because of thirst, so he took his shoe and started to scoop water up with it until the dog’s thirst was quenched. Allaah appreciated his good deed and granted him entry to Paradise for it." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 174). According to another report, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whilst a man was walking he became very thirsty, so he went down to a well and drank from it. When he came out, he saw a dog panting and biting the soil because of thirst. The man said, ‘He is suffering the same as I suffered,’ so he filled his shoe (with water), came out and let the dog drink until his thirst was quenched. Allaah appreciated his good deed and forgave him because of it." The people asked, "O Messenger of Allaah, will we be rewarded for how we treat animals?" He said, "In every living thing there is a reward." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath, no. 2363). And Allaah knows best. |
| 08/08/02 at 21:56:17 |
| bhaloo |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| sofia |
| 08/08/02 at 23:51:17 |
| Interesting story: 'Isa, alayhis salaam (Jesus, upon him be peace) once greeted a pig on the street and was asked about it (original teachings of Jesus also forbade eating the meat of pigs, just as in Judaism and Islam). He replied, I fear lest my tongue be accustomed to evil speech. Though it seems that a lot of the comments posted here about animals (I hate cats, I hate dogs) are made somewhat in jest, I just wanted to throw a quick reminder out that animals, from an Islamic point of view, are not to be messed with. Torture, ill-treatment or starvation of animals are crimes and there are strict punishments for it, whether we're talking about Islamic law or secular law. When you look up animals/insects in the Qur'aan, you'll see whole chapters named after them (The Cow, The Bee, The Spider, The Cattle, The Ant, The Elephant, The Steeds). Like mankind, animals/insects are created in communities that worship God. When looking at ahadith (narrations), there are numerous accounts for how to treat animals. One example: it is unlawful to make a target out of anything which has a soul (imagine if we realized humans count in that category). When you look up dogs in the Qur'aan, you'll see the story about the people of the cave and their dog. (Al-Kahf). Or that food hunted by trained animals, which includes dogs in certain conditions, can be eaten (Ma'idah:4). When you check the ahadith, you'll see that the Prophet (s) once shielded a dog and her newborn puppies from the Muslim army (or ordered someone specifically to move them to safety). Or the story about the man from an earlier community who was sooo thirsty that he stopped at a well to drink. When he saw a dog licking the earth in obvious dehydration, he filled his shoe with water to feed the dog (a similar narration is told of a prostitute who is forgiven for doing the same), for which he was awarded Paradise. When asked if there is a reward for doing good to an animal, the Prophet (s) said, Yes, there is a reward for doing a service to anything which has a soul. The only time it is allowable to kill an animal for other than for food, is if it is a danger to humans (i.e., a rabid dog), Allahu'alim. Although most dogs today are domesticated (and waaay over-bred, like many other animals, considering how many animlas are "put out" every year due to lack of resources in pounds), in many parts of the world to this day, a high percentage of dogs still carry life-threatening organisms that are harmful to humans. In still other parts of the world, dogs are kept for hunting, agricultural needs or herding other animals (certain breeds have natural "herding" abilities, even if domesticated from birth), which are all allowable in Islam. Interesting site on the subject. http://www.familypractice.com/journal/abfpjournal_frame.htm?main=/journal/1998/v11.n02/1102.13/art-1102.13.htm "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 4.5 million bites occur annually, almost 800,000 of which are serious enough to require medical attention. Bites to children represent more than 50 percent of the total number cases. Twenty-six percent of dog bites in children compared with 12 percent in adults require medical care.[3] Not only do dog bite injuries lead to serious infections, disability, and deformity, but deaths can occur as well. Between 1989 and 1994, 109 bite-related fatalities were reported, 57 percent of which were in children younger than 10 years old.[4] A State Farm insurance underwriter reported that the number of claims from dog bites increases 1 to 2 percent each year, and in 1996 the State Farm payout for dog bite claims went up 25 percent. In 1995 State Farm paid $70 million on 11,000 claims and estimates that the total annual insurance cost for dog bites is about $2 billion.[5] " And also on pigs: http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v281n19/ffull/jwr0519-2.html http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/Quduri_Mukhtasar/khinzeer.htm Also, mwishka brought up an interesting point on the Islamic viewpoint on menstruation. Anything particular about it? Or just the concern that women can't pray during this time? Actually, women *can* pray during this or just about any time. While the physical act of prayer is characteristic of and of paramount importance in Islam, one can be rewarded for more than just the physical prayer; i.e., there are forms of 'ibaadah other than this that a woman can participate in, like dhikr (literally, remembrance, specifically of God, such as reciting some of His virtues or calling on one of His names), supplications, study circles, and according to some scholars, reading and memorizing the Qur'aan (other scholars contend one must be in a physical state of purity when touching the Qur'aan, whether man or woman, but even most of these scholars say a woman can recite any verses she has memorized during this time). The only thing she is free from doing is the physical action of praying. I'm sure we've all met someone who goes through a pretty rough time during that time of month. I know of some women who literally are in the fetal position for days due to painful menstruations, with a variety of concomitant conditions. How could she be forced to pray and/or possibly be punished if she's barely mobile during this time? (Not praying while physically/mentally being able to do so without any valid excuse carries a pretty severe punishment for Muslims, if not made up, according to Islamic teachings). Clearly, not within the spirit of Islam. It's actually a mercy from God not to oblige every woman from carrying out the physical aspects of prayer while menstruating A woman is not barred from the spiritual aspect of 'ibaadah/worship at any time, nor is she isolated from the community during that time of the month (unlike orthodox Judaism, you can eat with a woman who is menstruating and/or eat of her food). The Prophet (s) did not stay away from his wives while they were menstruating (except intimately), and even recited the Qur'aan while laying his head on A'ishah's lap. Once, when a group of Muslims along with the Prophet (s) had journeyed to Mecca to make Hajj (I believe) and were pretty close to reaching the site, A'ishah realized she was menstruating and began to cry. The Prophet(s) asked her what was wrong, and when she told him, he let her know that this was something all the women from the time of Adam were to go through, and she could carry out all of the rituals of Hajj, except the Tawaf (physically walking/running around the Ka'abah), and even ordered her brother to take her personally so she wouldn't feel left out. More importantly, a woman's physical prayer, or any other form of 'ibaadah is rewarded in the exact same way/by the same measure of a man. |
| NS |
| 08/09/02 at 00:12:58 |
| sofia |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| muqaddar |
| 08/09/02 at 17:23:41 |
| [slm] We used to keep the cat litter tray in the cellar and the door open so the cat could go downstairs and do it's thing when we wern't in My mum has an aversion to cat-flaps..she thinks a burglar could contort himself and crawl in....of course then he'd have had to face a VERY angry and territorial cat ... ;D |
| 08/09/02 at 17:24:15 |
| muqaddar |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| Ameeraana |
| 08/11/02 at 01:10:28 |
| Muqaddar, at least your cat would defend your (oops, her) home against a burglar....my cat unfortunately, would want to become a burglar's friend!! ;) She is friendly with everyone...but she runs from children... she once didn't mind children, umm, the first few days she first saw one (my niece 5yrs old), although my niece never "intenionally" harmed her by constantly tryint to pick her up. She avoids children now. |
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| Ameeraana |
| 08/11/02 at 01:17:05 |
| And, by the way, I got some of the information on dogs from an earlier post I made from the site [Edited by Admin] Sure looks like an Islamic website to me.... if its not authentic then I apologize. [Admin Note: Questionable site removed] |
| 08/11/02 at 02:06:10 |
| jannah |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| Raindrops |
| 08/12/02 at 19:36:58 |
| I read a couple of things in different points in time and they just sort of clicked :-[.....but whatever i'm writting is just my opinion and not necessarily correct. 1) Dogs are homosexuals . 2)They lick their own genitals. 3)Their whole life revolves around food and sex. We are well aware of the importance of keeping good companions according to islamic teachings.......and the sort of surroundings that one keeps does have an effect on ones personality....... I was quite surprised to read somewhere that ancient greek scholers also believed in this fact which is similar to 'you are what you eat' (pork??) or simply you are whom you live with.......refering to the hadith about a person being on the faith of one's friends etc. I'm sure I'm not making much sense by now. ???....so I'll just leave it at that........I'm not used to public speaking :(....it'll take sometime before I get the hang of it. :).........please bear with me :-* |
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| Fatimah |
| 08/13/02 at 02:28:16 |
| [slm] I've never heard of this before. (not saying that it's not true) 1) Dogs are homosexuals . 2)They lick their own genitals. 3)Their whole life revolves around food and sex. Even if it were true, I really don't think this is why we shouldnt have them for pets. Birds of the same gender often mate with eachother..yet they are halal for us to keep. I believe cats clean themselves down there too, yet they are also halal for us to keep. And I really don't agree with number 3 :) Perhaps the food part is true though :P Salam |
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| Traveler |
| 08/13/02 at 05:25:37 |
| [slm] While reading the post where it mentions the Angles not entering a house hold if it has a dog in it. As far as I remember the hadith which mentions this, it does not say Angels in general but only the Angles of "Rahma"(Mercy). I think Angels of Mercy are different from other Angels. And this I guess would explain the story of the people of the cave. I couldn't find the hadith to quote it but I'm pretty sure it says Angels of Rahma. Anybody familiar with this hadith, correct me if I'm wrong. Traveler |
| 08/13/02 at 05:35:14 |
| Traveler |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| Traveler |
| 08/13/02 at 05:34:30 |
| [slm] On the issue of hating dogs and pigs. I would like to inform everyone that they are the creation of Allah. I personally, don't think it is right to hate anything which is created by Allah. Dislike towards a creature is an insult to its Creator. There might be a prohibition on keeping dogs in the house but there is no divine injuction to hate it. |
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| Fatimah |
| 08/13/02 at 05:54:06 |
| [slm] You are correct, it is the Angels of mercy, but it's not in a hadith that I know of, its the explanation of the hadith by many scholars. Allahu Alim |
| 08/13/02 at 05:55:06 |
| Fatimah |
| Re: cats and dogs and all cute things furry |
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| muqaddar |
| 08/13/02 at 15:25:21 |
| [slm] Ammerana a neighbours kid once visited our house he was like 4 ish and he chased our cat up and down the stairs...now our cat likes a chase about as much as I like keema with aloo and matar... but everything has a limit.... Anyway the cat had enuff, it stopped dead in it's tracks turned round and stared at him...cat ADVANCED one step...kid RETREATS one step... next moment kid is running and the Billi (henry) is chasing... kid runs and climbs onto sofa..henry reaches up ..taps him with a paw and walks off back outside....man that cat had such a self-satisfied walk... you know like the bee gee's song...# stayin' alive...#... anyway we named her henry before we found out she was female... ;D ;D ;D friends still tease me about it |
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