The Prophetic tradition is rich with teachings that emphasise compassion toward all living creatures. We are familiar with the ḥadīth, “Be merciful to those on earth, and the One in the heavens will be merciful to you,” and the narration of the woman forgiven for giving water to a thirsty dog. Numerous reports describe cats as tawwāfūn—animals that move freely around humans without causing impurity—and the Qur’ān itself honours the dog that guarded the Companions of the Cave. These sources collectively demonstrate that Islam mandates kindness, care, and ethical treatment of animals, regardless of their nature. Yet there remains the question of how Islam defines care for animals, and what its boundaries are.
Animal Care in Islam
The contemporary world has witnessed a proliferation of movements advocating animal welfare, often wrapped in ideological currents incompatible with Islamic teachings. For example, vegetarianism is increasingly promoted under the banner of humanism and compassion. While Islam does not obligate anyone to eat meat, it forbids declaring unlawful what Allah has permitted. Consuming lawful meat, obtained through ethical and merciful slaughter, is both permissible and spiritually sound. However, Islam explicitly prohibits cruelty, neglect, or needless suffering during the breeding, transportation, or slaughtering of animals. Hunting for mere sport is similarly forbidden.
Pet Ownership
Islam does not prohibit keeping pets, but “what” is kept and “how” they are kept are subject to strict ethical standards. Perhaps the first code of conduct is care! Warning against cruelty against pets, the Prophet: “A woman entered Hell because of a cat which she had tied—neither feeding it nor allowing it to feed itself from the earth.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 3318)
Even when we care, what has the sharia permitted us to keep as pets? Animals such as cats, birds, and fish are allowed. The Prophet himself loved cats, and many of the Companions kept birds and other gentle creatures. However, animals considered inherently harmful, filthy, or religiously prohibited—such as pigs or dangerous predators—are not suitable as pets.
The issue of dogs needs careful discussion in today’s context. In recent years, popular culture has turned owning dogs into a lifestyle trend, often leading people to overlook the limits set by Islamic law on this matter. Some try to justify this by misrepresenting fiqh discussions, and on social media, evidences are sometimes quoted out of context to support personal choices. Those who disagree are quickly labelled as “extremists,” which shifts the conversation away from a fair and constructive discussion.
When approaching this topic, the first question that needs to be asked is simple: Is keeping dogs haram in Islam?
To begin with, there is broad agreement among the Islamic schools of thought that keeping dogs inside the home in the way commonly seen today is not permitted. Dogs are allowed only for clear and necessary purposes, such as guarding, herding, or hunting. The Prophet said: “Whoever keeps a dog, one qirāt is deducted from his good deeds every day, except for a dog used for herding, farming, or hunting.” (Bukhārī, Muslim). Based on this, most scholars also allowed dogs used for security purposes by analogy.
The main area of disagreement among scholars is not about keeping dogs, but about purity; rather, it is whether contact with a dog makes a person or object impure. This discussion is based on the well-known hadith that instructs washing a vessel seven times if a dog licks it. From here, scholars asked: Is a dog itself considered pure (ṭāhir) or impure (najis)?
There are three main scholarly views on this issue:
1. The view that dogs are entirely pure (ṭāhir):
This is the opinion of Imam Mālik. In the Mālikī school, living beings are considered inherently pure, including a dog’s saliva. However, this view does not mean that keeping dogs in the home is allowed. Mālikī scholars still do not permit keeping dogs indoors or consuming their meat.
2. The view that dogs are entirely impure:
According to one opinion within the Shāfiʿī school and a view reported from the Hanbalī school, a dog’s saliva, and even its fur, is impure. Based on this view, if someone touches a dog, they need to wash the area that came into contact with it.
3. The view that a dog’s fur is pure but its saliva is impure:
This is the position of Imam Abū Ḥanīfa and another reported view from Imam Aḥmad. According to this opinion, touching a dog’s dry fur does not cause impurity, but its saliva is considered impure.
It is unfortunate, however, that modern trends, heavily influenced by social media, entertainment industries, and Western lifestyles, have led to a sharp rise in recreational dog ownership among Muslims. Some view it as a hobby, while others see it as a marker of status or modernity. Yet, it is well known that it is haram to keep them in our houses.
The Menace of Pets Over People
A more troubling cultural shift is also the prioritisation of pets—particularly dogs—over human familial ties. In many Western societies, the rise in pet-centric lifestyles is closely linked to declining birth rates, changing family structures, and increasing social isolation.
Pets are increasingly regarded as family members, and significant financial resources are devoted to their care—even as many individuals shy away from the responsibilities of raising children. This trend reflects hyper-individualism, an aversion to long-term obligations, and emotional detachment from traditional family bonds. For some, pets become substitutes for meaningful human relationships, especially in fast-paced, fragmented social environments.
While Islam encourages kindness to animals, it firmly rejects any worldview that elevates animals above human priorities or disrupts the natural order of family life.
Conclusion
Islam teaches mercy, justice, and ethical treatment toward all creatures. But then, Qur’ān and Sunnah uphold the sanctity, dignity, and unique status of human life. Children are a divine trust, a source of joy, and a form of ongoing charity (ṣadaqah jāriyah). Pets, though blessings, must never replace or overshadow human responsibilities.
In addition, it should be emphasised that Islam’s emphasis on mercy towards animals does not create an open-ended permission that overrides fiqh rulings. Whether it concerns dogs or any other animals, our approach should be guided by sound knowledge and the established scholarly tradition, not by the influence of popular culture.
*The views expressed in this content are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of İdrakpost.
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