KUALA TERENGGANU – Muslims are not encouraged keeping dogs as pet to be hugged, kissed, stroking and being friends all day.
Kuala Nerus MP Dr. Khairuddin Aman Razali said there was a hadith (saying) from Prophet Muhammad that deemed a dog’s lick as ‘najis’ (unclean).
“No Islamic teachings throughout the ages have encouraged it (mengharuskannya). It all states suggested based on Sahih Bukhari and Muslim Hadith except Ibn Abd al-Barr (die 463 AH),
“viewed makruh (hated by god),” he said, when contacted
In another hadith, Khairuddin who is also PAS Majlis Syura Ulama members said, prophet Muhammad was saying that, anyone who has a dog not a dog to keep livestock and not a dog to protect the land aor plant is indeed less than the reward of two qirat (measurement) daily.
“those who try to illustrate as if keeping a dog for a good friend of a kindly, is unfair act treatment in Islam an overriding a fundamental law of Islam,” he added.
Similar opinion voiced by Perlis Mufti, Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, reported by Bernama.
“To avoid being licked by a dog which always has its tongue out, with the animal’s saliva regarded as unclean from the religious aspect and harmful, according to science, Islam forbids keeping dogs in the house without a valid reason,” said Mohd Asri on his Facebook page.
His statement was in reference to the viralled incident of a tudung-clad Muslim woman who kept her pet dog in the house and allowing the dog to lick her, after she posted it onto her Facebook page.
Mohd Asri said the Prophet’s hadith as narrated by renowned Islamic scholars Bukhari and Muslim mentioned reduced daily blessings for letting dogs in the house , except keeping the animal (outside the house) for hunting purposes and for guarding livestock.
He said that based on that hadith, keeping dogs for the reasons mentioned was deemed “makruh” (inappropriate but not a sin) although some ulama viewed it as haram (forbidden).
He added that many studies found that a dog’s bite, saliva and faeces could be detrimental to health and that was why Islam discouraged Muslims from keeping dogs as pets.
