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I'll repeat the questions since apparently the 1st post is not visible for some reason. If there are no Muslims here please advise where I can ask these questions. Thanks.
"Please bear with me as I don't know too much about Islam. I have a few questions regarding how Muslims feel about pets such as cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets etc. Do they keep these animals for pets in their homes? What does Islam teach about kindness to animals and not abusing or neglecting them? Are those who are cruel to animals punished? Thank you for your time."
Good question. I remember reading years ago somewhere that Muslims believe that animals are dirty and that they do not allow them into their homes, and that would include pets such as cats and dogs. I am not sure if this is true since I know more than one Muslim family with pets. These pets live in the house and are very loved.
Dogs are the only animals not allowed to be kept as pets. Exceptions are made for herding, guarding livestock and crops.
Cats, birds, and other traditional pets are allowed.
Owners must be kind to all animals, and not treat them cruelly. This is evident by the following 2 hadiths, one of which describes the punishment of a woman who mistreated a cat, and a prostitute who was forgiven for being kind to a dog:
Ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Prophet said: “A woman went to Hell because of a cat which she tied up, and did not feed it or let it eat of the vermin of the earth.” [Bad’ al-Khalq, 3071]
Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “A prostitute saw a dog lolling around a well on a hot day and hanging his tongue from thirst. She went down into a well and drew some water for it in her shoe, so Allah forgave her.” [Sahih Muslim 2245]
Dogs are the only animals not allowed to be kept as pets. Exceptions are made for herding, guarding livestock and crops.
Cats, birds, and other traditional pets are allowed.
Thank you for your answer. I wonder why dogs would not be allowed to keep as pets and cats would.
I know of Muslims who do own dogs and keep them as pets. They are not working dogs, just pets. I assume that not everyone follows the traditional rules?
Good question. I remember reading years ago somewhere that Muslims believe that animals are dirty and that they do not allow them into their homes, and that would include pets such as cats and dogs. I am not sure if this is true since I know more than one Muslim family with pets. These pets live in the house and are very loved.
Thank you for replying. I think it's the moderate Americanized Muslims that keep pets. I may be wrong. We all hear things that aren't always true.
Dogs are the only animals not allowed to be kept as pets. Exceptions are made for herding, guarding livestock and crops.
Cats, birds, and other traditional pets are allowed.
Owners must be kind to all animals, and not treat them cruelly. This is evident by the following 2 hadiths, one of which describes the punishment of a woman who mistreated a cat, and a prostitute who was forgiven for being kind to a dog:
Ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Prophet said: “A woman went to Hell because of a cat which she tied up, and did not feed it or let it eat of the vermin of the earth.” [Bad’ al-Khalq, 3071]
Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “A prostitute saw a dog lolling around a well on a hot day and hanging his tongue from thirst. She went down into a well and drew some water for it in her shoe, so Allah forgave her.” [Sahih Muslim 2245]
Thank you for this information. I did not believe that Muslims were allowed to be cruel and abusive to animals. We have a community of Muslims not too far from me all kinds of rumors are flying.
I think the definition of unclean needs to be clarified. Unclean does not specifically mean "Dirty" technically it is referring to non-edible.
That includes not only dogs but also any animal we can not eat.
Some dogs exist because of Muslims, notably the Saluki and the Afghan hound.
While we are required to wash if we touch a WET dog or if a dog slobbers or licks us, they are not specifically any dirtier than many other animals.
We are not actually prohibited from having a dog as a pet, but do believe we will loose a percentage of any rewards we have for each day we keep one as a pet.
I think the definition of unclean needs to be clarified. Unclean does not specifically mean "Dirty" technically it is referring to non-edible.
That includes not only dogs but also any animal we can not eat.
Some dogs exist because of Muslims, notably the Saluki and the Afghan hound.
I am familiar with those breeds.
Quote:
While we are required to wash if we touch a WET dog or if a dog slobbers or licks us, they are not specifically any dirtier than many other animals.
I think many of non-Muslims wash after a dog slobbers on us or we pet wet dogs.
Quote:
We are not actually prohibited from having a dog as a pet, but do believe we will loose a percentage of any rewards we have for each day we keep one as a pet.
Where does that belief originate from? Not from the Qu'ran I assume.
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If there are no Muslims here please advise where I can ask these questions. Thanks.
I think it's the moderate Americanized Muslims that keep pets. I may be wrong. We all hear things that aren't always true.
