Today I came across a post shared by one of my friends on Facebook. It was from a page called "Pakistan Animal Rights Movement". In that post the author tried to convey that Allah has praised dogs in the Quran, yet the Muslims hate dogs and abuse them for no reason. I wrote a response to that article which is given below.
The Orginal Post:
Dogs are mentioned in the Quran 5 times, not just once, NO WHERE does
God call the dogs dirty animals or give any indication that they should
be avoided or treated the way many Muslims think they should because
majority of the Muslims don't know the teachings of Quran, They are just
blindly following their religion and blindly following their sects and
Ulemas.
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⦿ DOGS ARE FRIENDS OF HUMAN:
In Quran chapter 18, the story of a group of youths is described, who
hid inside a cave to escape a religious persecution. God made them fall
in sleep and they had woken up some 300 years later. When the people of
the cave were sleeping, THEIR DOG ACCOMPANIED THEM. This dog did not
cause a break in the supply of God's mercy to them. For they were
continually been fed by God.
GOD MENTIONS NOTHING WITHOUT
PURPOSE. HE WANTED TO SHOW HIS PREFERENCE OF DOG AS FAITHFUL COMPANIONS
OF HUMANS AND THEIR BENEFICIARY NATURE.
In fact, in the very same chapter God said:
• ”We have mentioned in this Qur'an all kind of examples for the
benefit of people, but, more than anything else, man is argumentative!
(Quran 18:54)
Actually the story of the people of the cave, in
Sura 18, God is telling us these righteous people were in the cave with
their dog, if it is not righteous to have dogs, God would not have told
us that story in which the dog has to be remembered as being there.
WE HAVE TO KNOW THE QUALITY OF GOD, IF WE WERE TO WORSHIP GOD
CORRECTLY. WHEN GOD SAYS SOMETHING HE MEANS IT, AND WHEN HE DOES NOT, HE
MEANS IT AS MUCH.
If God did not curse the dog, it is because
God wants us to know that He created that beautiful creature and He
expects us to make all use and companinonship with that animal that
accompanied these righteous people of the cave.
Muslims are not forbidden to be around dogs. It becomes clear that God sees dogs as part of men's lives.
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⦿ ALLAH DOESN'T ABANDON PEOPLE WHEN DOG IS PRESENT AND THE ANGELS WERE INVOLVED:
The people of the cave (Ashab e Kahf) were being taken care off by turning their sides continuously to prevent bed sores.
• ”And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And WE
turned them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his
forelegs at the entrance". (Quran 18:18 part)
THERE WAS
SOMETHING ELSE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM (to turn their side) and people
could be afraid of seeing them. AND ALLAH IS TALKING ABOUT ANGELS HERE
and that means angels use to pass by that dog.
If not, then it 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.
Yet God says "We turned them...." The use of "WE" clearly indicates the participation of ANGELS.
If angels really hated dogs, it would have been quite easy to escape
death by having a dog at your place, keeping Azrael (The angel of Death)
away from your house.
Ashab-e-Kaif had kept dog with them.
“It was that dogs duty to protect those young men who left their houses for the sake of Islam, so their dog sat outside their cave.
“It was that dogs duty to protect those young men who left their houses for the sake of Islam, so their dog sat outside their cave.
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 Quran 18:22 clearly shows that the dog was counted right along with the believers.
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⦿ SALIVA 0F DOG DOESN'T MAKE A FOOD IMPURE TO EAT:
• ”They ask you what (is) made lawful for them. Say, "Are made lawful
for you the good things and what you have taught (your) hunting animals,
ones who train animals to hunt you teach them of what Allah has taught
you. So eat of what they catch for you, but mention (the) name (of)
Allah on it”
(Quran 5:4, literal word to word translation)
(Quran 5:4, literal word to word translation)
Here Allah is praising the dogs. If the dog hunts for you then it is
Halal without any (Zabiha) and God said, it is but his will, THAT LETS
YOU TRAIN THE DOG, what you have trained of hunting animals, AS ALLAH
HAS TAUGHT YOU.
SO, THEIR SALIVA IS NOT IMPURE.
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⦿ ALLAH IS PRAISING THE DOGS AND TELLS ITS STANDARD AND QUALITIES IN QURAN AND HADITH.
1 - The dog was protecting the righteous men sleeping in cave. IT WAS HIS DUTY.
2 - If a dogs hunts for a human it is Halal without any (Zabiha). THIS QUALITY IS JUST MENTIONED ABOUT THE DOGS.
3 - God said, it is but his will, THAT LETS YOU TRAIN THE DOG, what you
have trained of hunting animals, AS ALLAH HAS TAUGHT YOU.
4 - According to a Hadith,
God once forgave a sex worker who just gave water to a dying dog in her shoe.
God once forgave a sex worker who just gave water to a dying dog in her shoe.
Sahih Bukhari hadith (3467) narrates: “Allah had once forgiven a
prostitute. She passed by a dog panting near a well. Seeing that thirst
had nearly killed him, she took off her shoe, tied it to her scarf, and
drew up some water. Allah forgave her for that.”
IT CLEARLY TELL
US THAT HOW MUCH ALLAH LOVES THE ONE WHO TAKE CARE OF HIS CREATION, that
just by watering a thirsty dog, Allah even forgave a sex worker, a
Prostitute.
Also, Non other Hadith is present addressing any other animal, like it addressed a dog.
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⦿ ALLAH HAS RESEMBLED ONE OF THE NATURES OF THE DOGS IN A PARTICULAR TYPE OF HUMANS, HERE IS WHY:
• In Surat al-A`raf, God is blaming the one who has been guided to the
truth yet chooses to follow their desires. He likens that type of person
to a dog that pants whether you chase him, he pants, or you leave him,
he [still] pants. (Qur’an, 7:176).
The ayah describes a man (his
name was Bal’am) who received Allah swt’s Hikmah and he knew that it
was the Truth. But still he chose to throw them away.
SO HIS
DESCRIPTION IS THE DESCRIPTION OF A DOG: if you chase him, he lolls his
tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls his tongue out.
Such is the description of the people who reject Our Ayat (proofs,
evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). So relate the
stories, perhaps they may reflect.
(Quran 7:176)
(Quran 7:176)
SUCH
PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOUR ARE LIKE PANTING DOGS. It is in the nature of the
dogs kept by the creator that they keep lolling their tongues out for
getting something and they dont feel shame in doing this act. But to Men
ALLAH gave intellect to think but still if they are blind for acquiring
material benefits only or follow blindly their false believes and
rejects the clear truth when it comes to them, so much so that they
sacrifice Allah swt’s ayahs so there this kind of behaviour is resembled
to the nature of a dog.
The verse simply refers to how dogs
often pant all the time regardless if they are active, scared or just
sitting there, they don't have intellect like men to know the truth.
WHEREAS A HUMAN SHOULD THINK, PONDER AND REACT TO THINGS ACCORDINGLY;
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO DIVINE GUIDANCE.
SO WE SHOULD USE OUR
INTELLECT PROPERLY AND SHOULD TREAT ALLAH'S CREATURES WITH COMPASSION.
IF THAT IS NOT THE CASE THEN WHY AND HOW IS ISLAM A DIFFERENT RELIGION?
AND WHAT MUSLIMS SHOULD BE PRAISED FOR? VIOLENCE? HATRED? INJUSTICE?
It is obvious and basic Common sense that tells you that DOGS ARE
ALLAH'S CREATION and Allah will not tell people to treat them badly or
to kill them brutally or unlawfully.
EVERY ANIMAL HAS BEEN
CREATED FOR A PURPOSE. It is a duty upon every human being to respect
Allah’s creation. If we ill treat any of His creation, we will be
questioned about it on the Day of Judgement and we will face the
consequences here in the world and hereafter.
THE QURAN DOESN'T MENTION ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT DOGS, SO CLEARLY, THIS ANTI-DOG ATTITUDE IS NOT INSPIRED BY THE HOLY QUR’AN.
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The problem with cultural Islam is that much of it is an exaggeration
of scripture. People go overboard in their interpretation or application
of our scripture. People need to see the context of the hadiths to
understand it, the time, the situation and the purpose. But most people
do not know the scholarly discourse on such ahadith, even many scholars
do this mistake and misinterprets the hadith without knowing its true
wisdom and the actual context and misguides the people. Especially when
it comes to combining the texts or understanding their application in
juristic derivation."
My Comment:
I think this post is quite
misleading. We are allowed to keep dogs for protection, hunting or
herding etc, but we are not allowed to keep them in our houses. This
does not mean that we shouldn't be kind to them and not treat them well.
Ashab-e-Kahaf's dog was a guardian dog and they did not keep it in their home. And the women who gave water to a dog was forgiven for her kindness. But no where does that hadith say that she kept the dog as a pet in her house.
You can find plenty of sahih ahadith on this matter. The author of this post has seemingly exhibited a behavior of "pick and choose". He only took the ayaat and ahadith that supported his narrative, and ignored everything that went against his per-conceived notions. That is not academic behavior. People who want to know the truth and follow it do not do this.
Let me quote a couple of ahadith that the author didn't mention (perhaps because he couldn't explain them).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Angels do not enter a house that has either a dog or a picture in it." (Sahih Bukhari: 59/128)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever keeps a (pet) dog which is neither a watch dog nor a hunting dog, will get a daily deduction of two Qirat from his good deeds." (Sahih Bukhari: 72/6)
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "If a dog drinks from the utensil of anyone of you it is essential to wash it seven times (to make it clean)." (Sahih Bukhari: 4/38)
Ashab-e-Kahaf's dog was a guardian dog and they did not keep it in their home. And the women who gave water to a dog was forgiven for her kindness. But no where does that hadith say that she kept the dog as a pet in her house.
You can find plenty of sahih ahadith on this matter. The author of this post has seemingly exhibited a behavior of "pick and choose". He only took the ayaat and ahadith that supported his narrative, and ignored everything that went against his per-conceived notions. That is not academic behavior. People who want to know the truth and follow it do not do this.
Let me quote a couple of ahadith that the author didn't mention (perhaps because he couldn't explain them).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Angels do not enter a house that has either a dog or a picture in it." (Sahih Bukhari: 59/128)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever keeps a (pet) dog which is neither a watch dog nor a hunting dog, will get a daily deduction of two Qirat from his good deeds." (Sahih Bukhari: 72/6)
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "If a dog drinks from the utensil of anyone of you it is essential to wash it seven times (to make it clean)." (Sahih Bukhari: 4/38)
Aftermath:
I had posted that comment on the original post on that page and it started to generate likes and supportive comments. I didn't receive a single negative comment on this. But a couple of hours later, my comment was deleted and I was blocked from that page. This has actually confirmed my earlier impression that the author is not looking to find and follow the truth, he is just "picking and choosing" to propagate his per-conceived ideas.
If the author gets to read this, my message to him is that he is welcome to discuss this topic with me on any forum of his choice. He is free to keep dogs, snakes or even pigs as his pets. That is his choice. But he has no right to bend Islam according to his will. Justifying your actions by twisting, bending and molding Islam is far worse than just committing such actions. Only Allah Almighty and the Prophet (peace be upon him) has the right to declare something lawful or unlawful in Islam. You and I have no right to change anything in Islam.
If the author gets to read this, my message to him is that he is welcome to discuss this topic with me on any forum of his choice. He is free to keep dogs, snakes or even pigs as his pets. That is his choice. But he has no right to bend Islam according to his will. Justifying your actions by twisting, bending and molding Islam is far worse than just committing such actions. Only Allah Almighty and the Prophet (peace be upon him) has the right to declare something lawful or unlawful in Islam. You and I have no right to change anything in Islam.