Dogs and islam

[Hoppinggreen]

My neighbour ( who is a total arsehole, nothing to do with his religion he just is) has told me that I must keep my dog on a lead at all times when he is outside our house because if it accidentally touches him he will be unclean and will have to wash his clothes or even throw them away. To clarify my dog is a puppy so he is usually on the lead as his recall isn't 100% yet and he has never got any closer than 6 feet from said neighbour.
I have asked a Muslim friend ( who actually has a dog) and she said its rubbish but another Muslim friend says that some people do actually believe this.
Obviously I wish to be respectful of anyone's religion and I am very careful that my dog keeps away from him( and anyone else who might not like dogs for any reason) but I was wondering what the actual position is in Islam or does it vary as i know there is not just one kind of Islam

[reallyanotherone]

I used to have a lovely muslim landlord.

I was looking after a friends dog when he came for rent and didn't mention that the contract said no pets he just said because he was on his way to mosque he couldn't touch the dog or he'd have to shower and change.

Just keep the puppy away.

[Hoppinggreen]

Yes I am keeping him away but apparently I have to have him on a lead at all times " just in case" I know that Muslims can't touch dogs on the way to the mosque as they have to be spiritually clean.
Other neighbours have dogs and I'm the only one he's said this to - I suspect it's more to do with my objecting to his planning permission recently than anything else . According to his wife ( who doesn't like him much) he isn't very devout and drinks alcohol and never visits the mosque.
He is pretty vile and is that neighbour who bursts the kids footballs and complains of vandalism if they chalk on the communal driveway. We live in a cul de sac and he's " that" neighbour if you know what I mean. To clarify there are 2 other Muslim families here too, 2 of the children come round to play and they are a bit wary of the dog but aren't too bothered about him.
I would like to know the " official" position so I know if he is just issuing my dog as an excuse to have a go at me.

[Aoibhe]

Aren't dogs supposed to be on a lead at all times anyway? 😕

(Outside, obviously)

[davos]

Its the same as any religion. Some people observe different parts of it.

I know some Muslims who (like pp said) wouldn't go near dogs on their way to pray

Some Muslims who have dogs

And once our landlord called to say the electrician who was coming was Muslim and didn't want our dog to be anywhere near him for religious reasons. So dh took the dog for a walk while he was there.

[davos]

Aren't dogs supposed to be on a lead at all times anyway?

No they have to be under control. I always have mine on one as her recall isn't the best yet.

[mathsmum314]

Is this in England? WTF?

[Heratnumber7]

Isn't it up to neighbour to keep away from dog, and not vice versa?

Though tbh I hate dogs and would want you to keep it away from me too if I asked nicely. I am not a "total arsehole" though.

[Hoppinggreen]

Yes in England, not sure why that matters though.
Heart I would happily (and do) keep pup away from everyone at all times - usually because he is muddy!!! Also, I know not everyone does like dogs
If any of my other Muslim neighbours had asked and calmly explained why it's a issue I wouldn't mind at all but arsehole shouted at me that he was " going to report me" . Couldn't tell me who to when I asked though.
To clarify again my dog has never been anywhere nearer than about 6 from him and I had hold of him that time too ( the dog, not the neighbour) and the 2 other Muslim families here have never said anything - in fact their children often play in our garden with mine.

[MrsMushrooms]

There isn't really an official Muslim position on this (Stewart Lee actually does a really interesting bit on this where he talks about the fact that there isn't a central authority to go to within Islam to clarify these things) but there certainly is some cultural / religious anxiety around dogs to some followers of Islam, so your neighbour isn't just making it up!

[Calippo]

Hi OP,

There is a difference if opinion where some regard just the saliva as unclean and others regard even touching the dog as unclean. Islam only encourages keeping dogs for necessity, such as guard dogs, herding etc, therefore most Muslims tend to just keep away from dogs and not very many have them as pets.

[Missgraeme]

I watched a telly programme last week about a Muslim woman who had a guide horse as having a guide dog would have brought great shame to her family as dog saliva is classed as so unclean.

[MadisonMontgomery]

This is fascinating. I have a Muslim work colleague, and she was once telling me that in the country her family are from no one has dogs as a pet - only as a guard dog or something, and she can't get her head around the English love of dogs, but i didn't realise there was a religious basis in this.

[OddBoots]

There won't be an official answer, Islam has as many different interpretations as Christianity and different groups of Muslims will believe different things.

[OhThatThingAgain]

I'm married to a Muslim, we have pet dogs. We shut them out when older relatives visit because they don't want to bathe before praying. We have a sitting room pets are not allowed in to observe their preferences.

As for a neighbours telling you to keep your dog on a lead??? As long as it isn't jumping on them or on their property tell them to 'do one'. Since when were dogs banned? Has the dog actually touched the neighbour?

[moonstruckl8]

Different rules about dogs depending on which school of orthodoxy the person follows/was brought up in/is prominent where their parents came from. they fall under the range of impure and that class of rules sometimes has surprisingly more adherence than other areas. Eg you might meet a muslim who drinks and smokes but won't eat bacon as it's considered an unclean animal. Or a muslim who happily Sleeps around with several partners but follows the rule on ritual impurity bath before prayer. Another who doesn't pray/fast but wont touch a dog because it's hair/saliva is unclean. Someone of the Jewish or Hindu faith might understand that concept of pure/impure but I know to christians/ ppl from a christian culture who don't have that religious concept it seems peculiar.

[Hoppinggreen]

oh my dog has never been within 6 feet of him. He yelled at me from his car which is around 20 ft from mine as I loaded my dog into it.
The reason I think hes just being a dick is that he is one anyway and everyone else here gets on really well but he has fallen out with a few people. Also he ( according to his wife) never visits the mosque, drinks and has had multiple affairs so I was thinking he was just getting back at me for objecting to his planning permission last year, especially since he hasn't said the same to other dog owning neighbors.
Anyway, whatever his reasons ( genuine or otherwise) I will keep my dog away - but not on a lead at all times just in case - as I would keep him away from anyone who doesn't like him

[JeSuisLeLoup]

As oh said Muslims have to redo their abolitions if they have touched a dogs saliva. however it's not a major thing. It sounds like his issues with the dog have nothing to do with Islam.

[OhThatThingAgain]

Your neighbour is an arse. This isn't a religious thing. He has other issues. Just ignore him.

My SIL who is very observant allowed me to use her car to take my dog to the vet when he was very ill! (my car got a flat tyre, nothing terrible). We just put lots is blankets in the back seat. She hasn't had to sell her car or burn it, this guy is a loon.

Muslims I know are usually pretty generous when it comes to emergencies. He is a nut job!