Having a dog in Islam isn’t permissible unless they’re kept for farming or herding livestock, as our beloved prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said:
“Whoever keeps a dog, his reward for good deeds will decrease by one qeeraat every day, except dogs used for farming or herding livestock.” [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2322.]
But how about breeding and selling dogs? Is it haram to breed and sell dogs? Can you do it for hunting or watchdogs if it’s halal to keep them? Let’s find out.
Is it haram to breed and sell dogs?
There’re different opinions regarding the breeding, selling, and buying of dogs. Some of the earlier scholars said that it’s haram to breed and sell dogs of any kind.
While others allowed buying and selling dogs that are allowed in Islam like hunting and watchdogs, and forbade other kinds.
The Shafi`is, the Hanbalis, and the majority of Malikis agreed that it’s not allowed to sell and breed dogs (of any breeds, even hunting and watchdogs). They came up with their opinion based on the authentic Hadith that says:
“The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the lady who practices tattooing and the one who gets herself tattooed, and one who takes Riba (usury) and the one who gives it. He also prohibited taking money for dogs and the money earned by prostitution, and cursed the image-maker.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Regarding the Hanafis madhab they permitted selling all kinds of dogs, except vicious dogs that bite people.
Ibn Qudamah said in his famous book Al-Mughni: “Selling dogs is not permitted, even if they are trained for hunting.
The scholars of the [Hanbali] madh-hab [school of Fiqh] agreed that selling dogs, regardless their kinds, is unacceptable. This opinion is held by Al-Hasan, Rabi`ah, Hammad, Al-Awza`i, Ash-Shafi`i and Dawud.
Abu Hurayrah disliked taking money for selling dogs, while Jabir ibn `Abdullah, `Ata’ and An-Nakh`i permitted taking money for that. According to one of Abu Hanifah’s narrations, it is permissible to sell all kinds of dogs and take money for selling them, except vicious dogs that bite people.
The Malikis disagreed on this matter; some of them said that it is not permissible, while others stated: dogs which are allowed to be bred are permitted to be sold, but this is not desirable.”
Breeding and selling dogs in hadith and sunnah.
There’re different hadiths that show that it is haram to breed and sell dogs in islam, here are some of them:
Abu Juhayfah narrated that:
“The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade the price of a dog.” [Al-Bukhari (1944) narrated that]
Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari narrated that “the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade the price of a dog, the wages of a prostitute and the fee of a fortuneteller.” [Al-Bukhari (2083) and Muslim (2930)]
‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that:
“The Messenger of Allah forbade the price of a dog, and if a person comes asking for the price of a dog, then fill his hand with dust.” Al-Hafiz said: Its isnad is sahih; it was classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Abi Dawud.” [Abu Dawud (3021)]
Abu Hurayrah narrated that:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“The price of a dog, the fee of a fortuneteller and the wages of a prostitute are not permissible.” Al-Hafiz said: its isnad is hasan. Al-Albani classed it as sahih in Sahih Abi Dawud.” [Abu Dawud (3023)]
Al-Nawawi said in Sharh Muslim:
“The prohibition on the price of a dog and the fact that it is among the most evil of earnings and is something vile indicates that it is haram to sell dogs; the transaction is not valid and the price is not halal and the one who destroys it is not obliged to repay its value, regardless of whether the dog is trained or not, or whether it is one that it is permissible to keep or not.
This is the view of the majority of scholars, including Abu Hurayrah, al-Hasan al-Basri, Rabi’ah, al-Awza’i, al-Hakam, Hammad, al-Shafi’i, Ahmad, Dawud, Ibn al-Mundhir and others.
Abu Hanifah said:
The sale of dogs that bring some benefit is permissible, and the one who destroys them must repay their value. Ibn al-Mundhir narrated from Jabir, ‘Ata and al-Nakha’i that it is permissible to sell a hunting dog but not any other kind… The evidence of the majority is these hadiths.”
Al-Hafiz said: “The apparent meaning of the prohibition is that it is haram to sell them. This is general in meaning and includes all dogs, trained and otherwise, and whether it is permissible to keep them. This also implies that the one who destroys them is not obliged to repay their value. This is the view of the majority.”
Ibn Qudamah said in al-Mughni:
“There is no dispute that sales of dogs are invalid, no matter what kind of dog it is.”
It says in Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daimah (13/36):
“It is not permissible to sell dogs, and their price is not halal, whether they are guard dogs, hunting dogs or any other kind, because of the hadith narrated by Abu Mas’ud ‘Aqabah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade the price of a dog, the wages of a prostitute and the fee of a fortuneteller. Sahih – agreed upon.”
Shaykh Ibn Baz said: “The sale of a dog is invalid.” (Majmu’ Fatawa Ibn Baz, 19/39)
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (8/90): “It is not permissible to sell dogs; even if they are sold for hunting, that is not permissible.”
What if they are guard dogs?
Based on the above hadiths selling all kinds of dogs even guard dogs are not permitted in Islam. the ones who say that selling hunting dogs and watchdogs is allowed took the following hadith as evidence: al-Nasai (4589) narrated from Jabir ibn ‘Abd-Allah (may Allah be pleased with him), that “the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade the price of dogs and cats, except for hunting dogs. “
However, the last part “except for hunting dogs. “is weak. Then what about playing with a dog or touching a dog? You can learn about it in Is it haram to Play with a Dog and is dog haram to Touch.
When is it permissible to buy a hunting or guarding dog?
If a person needs a dog for hunting or guarding and cannot find anyone to give him a dog except by selling it, it is permissible for him to buy it, and the sin will be on the seller because he has sold something that he is not permitted to sell.
Ibn Hazm said in al-Muhalla (7/493):
“It is not permissible to sell a dog at all, whether it is a hunting dog or a herding dog, or any other kind. If a person is forced to buy a dog and cannot find someone to give him one, then he may buy it, and it is halal for the buyer and haram for the seller, and the buyer may take back his money whenever he is able. This is like a bribe in order to ward off oppression and ransoms for freeing prisoners and appeasing an oppressor. There is no difference.”
Then, what about having a protection dog? Read Is it haram to have a dog for Protection to learn more about it.
Is it haram to sell pet food (and other pet care products)?
Selling pet food and their care products is not haram in Islam as long as the food doesn’t contain anything that is haram in the Islamic Sharee’ah like blood. You might also be wondering, if dog walking jobs is haram or not, so read, is dog walking haram to find out.
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