Question:

I have one question and I hope I could be as clear as possible. I have heard that selling or buying dogs is Haraam, in the sense of being in the business itself; or for example since we have a dog in our garden and now we are leaving the villa so we have to give the dog away or sell it. So if we sell it is it Haraam? I do know that dogs are dirty thus they are Haraam but if we do not touch them, and just leave them as guards, is it still Haraam?

Fatwa:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

As regards selling dogs, in principle it is forbidden to sell, buy or keep dogs and their price is forbidden. The Prophet said: "Whoever keeps a dog, two Qeeraats (a huge portion) of the reward of his good deeds is deducted daily unless the dog is used for guarding a cattle or for hunting." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]; in a different narration reported by Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, the following expression is added: "…or a farm dog." Imaam Al-Bukhari and Muslim, may Allah have mercy on them, also reported that the Prophet forbade the price of a dog, and informed us that its price is evil.

However, some scholars permitted buying and selling dogs, and permitted their price in cases when it is lawful to keep a dog; their evidence is the narration reported by An-Nasaa'ee which reads: "The Prophet forbade the price of a dog with the exception of the price of a hunting dog."

Ibn Hajar said: 'The narrators of this narration are trustworthy; and since it is permissible to keep a dog for the above purposes, then it is permissible to sell and buy it for the purposes for which it is permissible to keep dogs, and this view is closer to the truth.'

The ruling of trading in dogs is the same with regard to buying and selling them. Therefore, keeping dogs, selling them and buying them, and trading with them, [all of these] are forbidden in principle, unless they are only used for the purposes which are permissible to keep them for, i.e. for guarding a farm, a cattle or for hunting, and there is no harm in all this.

With regard to the ruling of touching a dog, scholars are not agreed over the rule regarding the saliva and hair of dogs. The prevailing opinion is that its saliva is impure based upon evidence that the Prophet ordered washing of recipients which were licked or lapped by a dog. Since there is no evidence establishing the impurity of the fur or hair of the dog, then it is considered pure.

So, if some saliva of the dog touches you, you should remove it, as it is impure. But the scholars have two different opinions regarding how to remove this impurity. Some believe that it should be washed seven times, the same as in the case of licking someone. Other scholars believe that it could be washed as any other impurity i.e., till removed completely (once, twice, …..). So, you have the choice to do one or the other.

On the other hand, touching the fur of the dog, wet or dry does not require you to wash, as the fur of the dog is pure.

Allah knows best.

Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb