Muslims do not hate dogs, and Islam forbids cruelty to them. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told of a man whom God forgave for giving water to a thirsty dog (Sahih al-Bukhari 2363). What Islam does have are purity rules about dog saliva and limits on keeping dogs as indoor pets, and the schools of Islamic law differ on both.
Many people meet the question when a Muslim friend hesitates around their dog, or a taxi driver is unsure about a guide dog. That hesitation is about ritual cleanliness before prayer, not dislike. This guide sets out what the Quran and hadith say, where scholars agree and where they differ, so you can see the full picture.
Key takeaways
- The Quran mentions a dog with honor in the story of the Companions of the Cave, who "stretched his forelegs at the entrance" while they slept (Quran 18:18).
- The Quran permits eating game caught by trained hunting animals, which classical scholars applied to hunting dogs (Quran 5:4).
- Sahih al-Bukhari 2363 records that God forgave a man who drew water from a well in his shoe for a thirsty dog, and the Prophet said there is reward for kindness to every living creature.
- Sahih Muslim 279 instructs washing a vessel seven times, once with earth, after a dog drinks from it, which is the basis of the purity rulings.
- The Maliki school holds that a living dog is ritually pure, the Hanafi school holds only its saliva is impure, and most Shafi'i and Hanbali scholars hold the whole dog impure.
Why do some Muslims seem to dislike dogs?
The impression usually comes from three things, none of which is hatred.
- Purity before prayer. Muslims pray five times a day and must be in a state of ritual cleanliness. In the Shafi'i school, which is widespread in Southeast Asia, East Africa and parts of the Middle East, contact with a wet dog requires a special sevenfold wash. People who follow it often keep their distance to avoid the extra washing.
- Hadith about keeping dogs. Some hadith discourage keeping a dog without a purpose, which shapes attitudes to dogs as indoor pets.
- Culture. In many Muslim-majority cities, dogs are mostly strays or working animals, so people grow up without close contact. This is a cultural habit, and it varies a great deal between countries.
None of these permits harming a dog. Islamic law treats cruelty to any animal as a sin, and the guide to what Islam is explains how good treatment of all creation is part of faith.
What does the Quran say about dogs?
The Quran mentions dogs a handful of times, and never with contempt. The best-known passage is in Surah al-Kahf, which tells of young believers who fled persecution and slept in a cave for many years. Their dog stayed with them, guarding the entrance:
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. If you had looked at them, you would have turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror.
A few verses later, the dog is counted alongside the sleepers themselves: "the fourth of them being their dog" (Quran 18:22). Many Muslims read this surah every Friday, so the loyal dog is a familiar figure. Our guide to Surah al-Kahf and its benefits covers the full story.
The Quran also permits game caught by trained hunting animals: "Lawful for you are [all] good foods and [game caught by] what you have trained of hunting animals" (Quran 5:4). Classical commentators applied this to trained hunting dogs.
The man forgiven for giving water to a dog
The most quoted hadith on dogs is about mercy. A man traveling in the heat found a well, climbed down and drank. When he came out, he saw a dog panting and eating mud from thirst. He went back down, filled his leather shoe with water, held it in his mouth as he climbed, and gave the dog a drink. The Prophet said God thanked him for his deed and forgave him.
The Companions asked whether there is reward for serving animals. The Prophet replied that there is a reward for serving any living being (Sahih al-Bukhari 2363). A similar report describes a sinful woman forgiven for the same act of kindness to a dog (Sahih al-Bukhari 3321).
These hadith show that God values compassion toward dogs enough to forgive sins because of it. The Quran also describes animals as "communities like you" (Quran 6:38), and God's names include Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem, the Most Merciful, whose mercy reaches all creation.
Is it haram to touch a dog? Purity rulings by school
The purity question rests mainly on a hadith in Sahih Muslim 279: if a dog drinks from a vessel, it should be washed seven times, the first with earth. Scholars agree on this hadith but differ on what it implies about the rest of the dog.
| School | Dog's body and fur | Dog's saliva | Practical result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maliki | Pure while alive | Pure; the sevenfold wash is an act of worship, not a sign of impurity | Touching a dog does not affect prayer |
| Hanafi | Pure | Impure | Wash only where saliva touched |
| Shafi'i | Impure | Impure | Wash seven times, once with earth, after wet contact |
| Hanbali (main view) | Impure | Impure | Same as Shafi'i |
A few points help make sense of the table:
- Dry contact is treated lightly in every school. Touching a dry dog with dry hands does not transfer impurity in the view of most scholars.
- Touching a dog does not break wudu. Ritual ablution is broken by specific things such as using the toilet or sleep, not by touching an animal. At most, the affected skin or clothing is washed. Our guide on how to perform wudu lists what does break it.
- Ibn Taymiyyah, a well-known Hanbali scholar, is often cited as favoring the Hanafi position that only the saliva is impure.
A Muslim generally follows the school taught in their community, but many scholars allow following another valid school when there is need, which is why some Muslims who live with dogs follow the Maliki view.
Is it haram to own a dog?
Here the hadith draw a clear line between dogs kept for a purpose and dogs kept without one. In Sahih al-Bukhari 2322, the Prophet said that whoever keeps a dog other than one for guarding a farm or livestock loses a portion (qirat) of reward every day. Other versions also mention hunting dogs.
Permitted purposes
Scholars across the schools agree that dogs may be kept for:
- Guarding livestock, farms and, by extension in many modern rulings, homes and property.
- Hunting, based on Quran 5:4.
- Herding animals.
Many contemporary scholars add other genuine needs, such as police and rescue work. Guide dogs for blind people are widely accepted. The Office of the Mufti in Singapore, for example, ruled the use of guide dogs permissible and encouraged Muslims to be kind to those who rely on them, applying the Maliki view on hunting dogs to ease the purity question (MUIS advisory).
Dogs as indoor pets
The majority view is that keeping a dog purely as a pet is disliked or not permitted, based on the hadith above and on a hadith that angels of mercy do not enter a house containing a dog (Sahih al-Bukhari 3225). Scholars apply this mainly to dogs kept inside the home without need. Some, especially in the Maliki tradition, treat keeping a pet dog as disliked rather than forbidden.
A Muslim who already lives with a dog, for example a new Muslim with a family pet, is not asked to abandon it. Scholars advise keeping the animal's care in mind, since mistreating or neglecting it would itself be sinful.
Dogs in the Prophet's time
One report surprises many readers. Abdullah ibn Umar said that during the Prophet's lifetime dogs used to come and go through the mosque in Madinah, and people did not sprinkle water over the places they passed (Sahih al-Bukhari 174). Scholars discuss what this shows about purity, but it also shows that dogs were a normal part of life, not something to be driven away.
Why do Muslims love cats?
Cats hold a special place in Muslim culture, and there are good reasons for it. When a cat drank from the water a Companion was using for ablution, he tilted the bowl for it and explained that the Prophet said cats are not impure, because they are among the animals that move around among you (Sunan Abi Dawud 75, graded hasan sahih by al-Albani). This means cats can live in the home without purity concerns.
The Companion Abu Hurayrah, one of the most prolific narrators of hadith, got his nickname from a small cat he carried with him. Abu Hurayrah means "father of the kitten" (Jami at-Tirmidhi 3840, graded hasan).
Kindness to cats is also a serious matter. The Prophet said a woman entered the Fire because of a cat she tied up, neither feeding it nor letting it find its own food (Sahih al-Bukhari 3318). The same principle applies to dogs, horses and every other animal.
Read about the Companions of the Cave on Quran Universe
You can read Surah al-Kahf on Quran Universe with the Arabic text, word-by-word meanings and Tafsir Ibn Kathir, including verse 18:18 about the faithful dog. To understand how hadith such as the thirsty-dog story were preserved and graded, see our guide to what hadith is.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Muslims hate dogs?
Muslims do not hate dogs, and Islam forbids cruelty to them. The Prophet Muhammad praised a man whom God forgave for giving water to a thirsty dog (Sahih al-Bukhari 2363). Some Muslims keep their distance because of purity rules about dog saliva before prayer, and because in many Muslim-majority countries dogs are mainly working animals rather than pets.
Is it haram to have a dog?
Keeping a dog for a purpose such as guarding, hunting, herding or guiding a blind person is permitted by scholars across the schools. Keeping a dog purely as an indoor pet is considered disliked or forbidden by the majority, based on Sahih al-Bukhari 2322 and 3225, while some Maliki scholars treat it as only disliked.
Is it haram to touch a dog?
No, touching a dog is not a sin. The question is about ritual purity. The Maliki school holds a living dog is pure, the Hanafi school holds only its saliva is impure, and the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools hold the dog impure. In those last two, wet contact is washed seven times, once with earth. Touching a dog does not break wudu.
Why do Muslims not like dogs as pets?
The hesitation comes from hadith that discourage keeping dogs without a need, including one saying angels of mercy do not enter a house with a dog (Sahih al-Bukhari 3225), and from purity rules before prayer. It is not about the animal's worth. The Quran honors the dog of the Companions of the Cave in Surah al-Kahf.
Why do Muslims love cats?
The Prophet taught that cats are not impure because they live among people (Sunan Abi Dawud 75), so they can share a Muslim home without purity concerns. The famous Companion Abu Hurayrah was nicknamed "father of the kitten" (Jami at-Tirmidhi 3840). Cruelty to cats is condemned in Sahih al-Bukhari 3318.
Can a Muslim have a guide dog?
Yes. Guide dogs serve a genuine need, and many scholars and religious bodies permit them. The Office of the Mufti in Singapore ruled that blind Muslims may use guide dogs and encouraged kindness toward those who rely on them. Scholars compare guide dogs to the working dogs, such as hunting and guard dogs, that the hadith already permit.