What is the ruling concerning having dogs in and around the home?
Assalamu Alaikum. What is the ruling concerning having dogs in and around the home? Jazakallah Khair.
Wa Alaikum Assalaam,
الجواب و بالله التوفيق
It will be permissible to only have a watch dog/security dog for protecting the home/premises. The dog should be kept in a certain place and should not be made to enter inside the house and around the house, less the areas be soiled with impurities and dirtiness. The Prophet (S.A.S) has stated, ‘The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or there are pictures.’ (Bukhari, Muslim).
One must therefore be careful as to where one allows the dog to move about. The watch dog is allowed based on a tradition, and so it should be kept only for the purpose of securing the property. It cannot be taken as a pet dog since having a pet dog is not permissible. During the period of the night, the security dog maybe allowed to move about around the premises since this is the time it is needed to watch all around on the compound.
And Allah Knows Best.
Mufti Waseem Khan.
28/1/16.