

Dog is impure including its hair = Opinion of Imām ash-Shāfi'ī.Dog is pure including its saliva = Opinion of Imām Mālik.But if the house is in the countryside and there is no one else around, then it is permissible to keep a dog to guard the house and the people who are in it guarding the members of the household is more important than guarding livestock or crops.”Īs for the saliva of dog being Nājis (impure) Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said there are several opinions: They should get rid of this dog and not keep it.

Ibn al-‘Uthaymīn رحمه الله said: “Based on this, if a house is in the middle of the city there is no need to keep a dog to guard it, so keeping a dog for this purpose in such situations is haraam and is not permitted, and it detracts one or two Qirāt from a person’s reward every day. The most correct view is that it is permissible, by analogy with these three and based on the reason that is to be understood from the hadeeth, which is necessity.”

Imām an-Nawawī رحمه الله said: “There is a difference of opinion as to whether it is permissible to keep dogs for purposes other than these three, such as for guarding houses and roads. It was narrated that ‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما said: The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “Whoever keeps a dog, except a dog for herding livestock or a dog that is trained for hunting, two Qirāt will be deducted from his reward each day.”Īs for what is a Qirāt, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Like two great mountains.” i.e keeping a dog without necessity will make its owner lose two Qirāt (four mountains) of reward each day, and Allāh’s Aid is sought.

It was narrated from Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever keeps a dog, except a dog for herding, hunting or farming, one Qirāt will be deducted from his reward each day.”
