It has been reported by Abu Hurairah that the Prophet of Allah said, ‘whosoever owns a dog then everyday two carats from his good deeds will be reduced, except for guarding dog or walking dog’

Issues:

1-     It is prohibited to own or to buy a dog for other prescribed reasons,because, reduction of ones good deeds only occur in the case where the owner of such commodity is incurring a major sin.

2-     Is it allowed to own a dog for other prescribed reasons?

a.     Imam nawawi said ‘the scholars have disagreed in allowing owning a dog for other than these 3 reasons, like gaurding houses, routes. The most correct opinion is that it is allowed to own them for such reasons, basing upon analogy of those 3 reaons and taking into consideration the ‘legal reasoning’ behind allowance of them which is ‘need’. So aslong as there is a ‘need’ to own them for other than those prescribed reasons, it would be allowed.

b.    Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen said, ‘so upon this, if the house is in the vicinity of other houses, or in the middle of a country, there is no need to own a dog to safeguard his property. So owning a dog in such cases would be seen as prohibition not permissible, leading the reward from his good actions decreasing with two amount of carats every day. So it is upon them to distant themselves from this dog and not to own him. However, if the house was in an open area, away from other inhabitants, and there is no one surronding them, then in that case it would be allowed to own him for guarding the house and those living inside it. And safeguarding the house is more important than looking after crops, or cattles etc.

3-     Reasons for decrease in good deeds?

a.     It is said because the Angels do not enter in a house where dogs resides.

b.    Because it may harm the passer by

c.     Because some of these dogs are devils (like the pure black dog)

d.    Because owning them is in contrary to the commandment of Prophet

e.     Because the dog may lick in a utensil, so the owner maybe unaware of this, hence the dog may have made filthy something which was pure, so the owner may have made ablution from that container licked by the dog which became filthy, so his ablution was incorrect, and therefore the prayer he prayed was also invlaid. So the reduction from his good deeds would be for due to this reason.

4-     The amount of germs found in dog:

a.     The doctors have talked on various occassions that dogs sliver is very filthy, and we know from the cases where a person was bitten by a dog and had to be given several jabs of medicine. So, owning of dog is really not the characteristics of a Muslim where he is engaged in a filthy commodity.

So our advice to this brother is to abstain from this dog, and to revive his commitment to his family. The scholars have also agreed that dogs sliver is filthy and would need to be washed 7 times, so why would you want to risk in carrying filthy in places of worship such as your house?