Are Dogs Haram? Facts and FAQs about Dogs in Islam
Are Dogs in the Quran?
Dogs hold a special place in the Quran.
Surah Al-Kahf narrates the story of the People of the Cave.
It mentions how their dog lay stretched at the entrance while they slept inside the cave for centuries. Their dog was so important that people always included him in the count of those present in the cave.
It mentions how their dog lay stretched at the entrance while they slept inside the cave for centuries. Their dog was so important that people always included him in the count of those present in the cave.
And you would have thought they were awake, though they were asleep. We turned them over, to the right and left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance.
Surah Al-Kahf, 18:18
Surah Al-Kahf, 18:18
Some will say, “They were three, their dog was the fourth,” while others will say, “They were five, their dog was the sixth,” ˹only˺ guessing blindly. And others will say, “They were seven and their dog was the eighth.”
Surah Al-Kahf, 18:22
Surah Al-Kahf, 18:22
The Quran emphasizes that all animals on Earth, from birds in the sky, fish in the sea, to the dogs around us belong to communities, just like humans.
In other words, Allah SWT gave all animals, including dogs, their own social structures, interactions, and roles within their own communities.
And there is no creature on [or within] the earth or bird that flies with its wings except [that they are] communities like you. We have not neglected in the Register a thing. Then unto their Lord they will be gathered.
Surah Al-An'am, 6:38
Surah Al-An'am, 6:38
Are There Hadith About Dogs?
Islam teaches us to be kind to animals and a Hadith narrates how a woman's sins were forgiven because she gave water to a thirsty dog.
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "A prostitute was forgiven by Allah, because, passing by a panting dog near a well and seeing that the dog was about to die of thirst, she took off her shoe, and tying it with her head-cover she drew out some water for it. So, Allah forgave her because of that.
Sahih al-Bukhari
Sahih al-Bukhari
This Hadith confirms how much Allah SWT values compassion and kindness toward all animals, including dogs.
Another Hadith narrates that when a dog licks a utensil, we should wash it seven times.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The purification of the utensil belonging to any one of you, after it is licked by a dog, lies in washing it seven times, using sand for the first time.
Sahih Muslim
Sahih Muslim
This Hadith only concerns the cleanliness of a dog's saliva. It also implies that dogs can live amongst humans.
Some Hadiths call for the killing of dogs but these are not a statement that dogs are bad and deserving of death. That would contradict other Hadith that narrate how the Prophet PBUH praised compassion to dogs and other animals (see above).
These Hadith arose during a time when rabies was a significant concern around the world, including Arabia, when preventative vaccines were not available.
Dogs were considered to be rabies vectors and killing them was a popular way to prevent the spread of the disease. This is supported by Hadiths that include rabid dogs in a list of animals that posed a threat to people in the Haram.
Today, we have vaccines to prevent rabies in dogs and other animals and other effective ways to prevent the spread of the disease without killing animals.
Dogs were considered to be rabies vectors and killing them was a popular way to prevent the spread of the disease. This is supported by Hadiths that include rabid dogs in a list of animals that posed a threat to people in the Haram.
Today, we have vaccines to prevent rabies in dogs and other animals and other effective ways to prevent the spread of the disease without killing animals.
Can Muslims Have Dogs?
Yes, Muslims are allowed to have dogs. This is supported by interpretations of the Quran, Hadiths, and opinions from respected Islamic scholars.
Numerous Hadiths recognize how dogs can protect homes and farms. The story of the People of the Cave in the Quran illustrates how devoted Muslims kept a dog as a companion.
Significant Muslim scholars such as Egypt’s Grand Mufti, Shawky Allam has ruled that Muslims can have dogs as companions. Former Grand Mufti, Ali Gomaa, also stated that there is nothing wrong, or impure, about Muslims keeping a dog as a companion in their homes.
Are Dogs Haram?
No, dogs are not haram. The Quran does not state or suggest that dogs are forbidden and actually contains a positive story about a group of people who lived with a dog (Surah Al-Kahf). One of the most famous Hadith about animals narrates how a person who gave water to a thirsty dog was forgiven by Allah SWT for their sins. Islamic scholars like Imam Malik and numerous Grand Muftis in Egypt have all stated that dogs are not inherently impure and emphasized that dogs should be treated with kindness.
Can Muslims Have Dogs in The House?
Yes, Muslims can have dogs in their homes according to many scholars. The misconception that a household with a dog is deprived of Allah's mercy SWT is not supported by all Islamic scholars. Mercy in Islam is not conditional upon the presence or absence of certain animals but upon our deeds and intentions. Being kind to animals, including dogs, and providing them shelter in our home, is a good deed and an expression of mercy.
Should Muslims Care About Dogs?
Allah SWT subjected all of His creation to us so that we could care for all of it as responsible stewards.
The people asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?" He said, "(Yes) There is a reward for serving any animate (living being) ."
Sahih Al-Bukhari
Sahih Al-Bukhari
As His viceregents on Earth, we have a duty to care for the animals around us, including animals. We do not get to pick and choose which animals we care about.
Dogs are part of Allah’s creation and are a sign for those who believe.
How Can Muslims Help Dogs?
Every year around the world, tens of millions of dogs suffer and die because there aren’t enough homes to care for them.
We currently face this overpopulation crisis because dog breeders and pet stores are disrupting the perfect balance that Allah SWT created by forcing dogs to breed litters of puppies even though there aren't enough homes to care for them all.
Social media trends and celebrities are influencing people to buy puppies and pure-bred dogs from breeders and pet stores instead of adopting homeless dogs from animal shelters or the streets.
Open your home and adopt a homeless dog from a shelter or rescue one from the street.
Dogs are often bred and raised by humans before they became homeless, and therefore have little chance of survival on their own. Many starve, get hit by cars, attacked, or die from treatable diseases.
Dogs are often bred and raised by humans before they became homeless, and therefore have little chance of survival on their own. Many starve, get hit by cars, attacked, or die from treatable diseases.
Note that Allah SWT did not create dogs as play things or objects to amuse us. The Quran reminds us that all animals, including dogs, are Allah’s creation and all belong to Him, not us.
When you open your home to a dog in need, you are not keeping the dog as a "pet". You are doing a good deed for one of Allah's animals and saving a life.
To Allah ˹alone˺ belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth so that He may reward the evildoers according to what they did, and reward the good-doers with the finest reward.
Surah An-Najm, 53:31
Surah An-Najm, 53:31