Can you touch a dog according to Islam? - briefly
According to Islamic law, dogs are considered impure (najis) and their saliva is also deemed impure. Therefore, physical contact with a dog should be avoided unless it is necessary or for a valid reason, such as self-defense.
Can you touch a dog according to Islam? - in detail
In Islamic law, the status of dogs is complex and often debated among scholars. The Quran itself does not explicitly forbid touching or keeping dogs as pets. However, there are several hadiths (sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad) that provide guidance on this matter.
One of the most commonly cited hadiths regarding dogs states: "Whoever keeps a dog, except for hunting, herding, or farming, will have his good deeds subtracted by one qirat each day." A qirat is a measure of reward in Islamic belief, and this hadith suggests that keeping a dog for companionship alone may be discouraged. However, it does not prohibit touching dogs outright.
Another relevant hadith narrates an incident where the Prophet Muhammad saw a man stroking his dog. The Prophet asked the man about the dog's purpose, and upon learning that it was a guard dog for the property, he did not rebuke the man. This indicates that while dogs may not be kept purely as pets, there are permissible reasons for having them, such as protection or assistance in work.
In terms of ritual purity (taharah), dogs are considered impure in Islamic law. According to some interpretations, touching a dog could potentially render one's hands impure, requiring washing before performing prayers or other religious rituals. However, this does not mean that contact with dogs is forbidden entirely; it simply requires additional precautions to maintain ritual cleanliness.
In summary, while Islamic law discourages keeping dogs purely as pets and considers them ritually impure, it does not strictly prohibit touching dogs. The permissibility of having a dog depends on the purpose it serves, such as guarding, hunting, or assisting in work. As with many aspects of Islamic jurisprudence, interpretations may vary among different schools of thought and scholars.