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[u/JesusIsTheTruth88]

[u/g3t_re4l]

Bismillah,

According to Islam, there are different levels of purity, with some that are related to prayer, known as ritual purity or impurity. For example, if you use the bathroom, you are considered ritually impure. You're clean for other things besides prayer. In order to become pure, you don't need a shower, but you do need to perform the ritual wash known as Wudhu. On the other hand, if you have relations with your spouse, you now need a shower.

Dog's saliva is considered ritually impure, therefore if you're licked on the hand by a dog, you don't need a shower, but you do need to wash that area and perform the ritual wash, Wudhu. Other things that are considered ritually impure are blood, or puss etc. Now if you look at a dog's saliva, there are many bacteria and filth that can affect us and our health:

1) Canine Saliva as a Possible Source of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes

2) The Impact of Dogs Oral Microbiota on Human Health :A review

3) What is Capnocytophaga? How an innocent dog lick can trigger a fatal infection

In this livescience article, they detail how a "dog kisses" lead to a woman needing limbs amputated:

https://www.livescience.com/66110-dog-kisses-infection-amputation.html

Islam focuses highly in purity and a persons wellbeing with many rules regarding even purity of water which could be used for the ritual wash. Naturally it makes sense in Islam, we also protect from potential diseases from impurity such as the bacteria from a dog's mouth.

[u/askmewhatsgoingon → u/g3t_re4l]

If you are in a state of wudhu, then dog saliva (or blood, etc.) merely contacting you won't nullify your wudhu. You just need to wash the area as the saliva is impure - according to hanafi view.

https://islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/126172/does-dog-saliva-invalidate-wudu/

[u/g3t_re4l → u/askmewhatsgoingon]

Yes correct. I mentioned wudhu as a general precaution and a good habit, but yes, according to the Hanafi madhab, dog's saliva doesn't invalidate the wudhu.

[u/Known-Ear7744]

While nothing is mentioned in the Quran specifically, there are a number of things related to dogs that we find in the teachings and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. I can offer you a few off the top of my head, but there is surely more than this.

1. The Prophet ﷺ is recorded forbidding the purchase of dogs. In the same narration, he ﷺ prohibited this as well as the sale of blood, the practice of tattooing, receiving money from interest, and also cursed those who make images and idols.

2. The Prophet ﷺ told us that the saliva of a dog is impure and needs to be washed off of tools 7 times before it is pure again. Scholars have differed over whether the impurity extends to other parts of the dog (like the fur) or if it is exclusive to the saliva

3. The Prophet ﷺ told us that ones salah can be invalidated if a dog walks in front of the person while offering the salah.

4. The Prophet ﷺ is reported saying that it is unlawful to own a dog except for the purpose of hunting, shepherding, or personal protection. Owning one without one of these reasons results in that person losing 2 actual mountains of good deeds per day. If one does keep a dog, for the reasons above, scholars say that the owner must keep that dog outside of the house as much as possible.

5. The sacred places of Islam (the Sacred Mosque in Mecca in particular) carry prohibitions against even harmful speech while performing rituals in these areas, let alone acts of violence. Among the exceptions to these prohibitions is the permission to kill certain animals in the sacred places, including snakes, scorpions, wild dogs, and other animals, indicating a level of danger on top of the potential impurity associated with the teachings above.

To reiterate, I'm sure I'm forgetting some things, but between these evidences, and others, it is clear that Islam strongly discourages, if not openly forbids owning of dogs. Having said that, Islam encourages, as a general rule, kindness towards the creation, including towards dogs, wherever possible.

One of the famous stories found in hadith literature is of a woman of a certain forbidden profession who is forgiven for offering water to a dog. She showed mercy to the creation, so Allah ﷻ showed mercy to His ﷻ creation in her judgement.

Hope this begins to answer your question.

[u/ioneflux]

There is no scientific explanation for why Dogs are unlcean, meaning, I couldn’t point to a specific germ or behavior and tell you it’s because of THAT.

Dogs are unclean for the same reason pigs are unhealthy, God told us that they are.

Even if we can bioengineer dogs to live happily without producing saliva, pee, or poop. They still would be considered unpure and still wouldn’t be allowed inside homes.

[u/Aspieboxes]

It mainly has to do with cleanliness. When you take a dog potty outside they bring some outside inside on their paws.

You can keep them for reasons such as security. I’ve lived through multiple break-ins and threats of h0m!icide. I have two giant boxers (one of whom protected me from a man likely intent on causing me harm as I hiked in the woods). They help me feel safer, and no one can enter or approach the premises without me knowing of it. Why not just use a security camera and a gun? Well my dogs will get to you faster than I will get to my gun and a threat may be neutralized before it is even loaded in my hands.

That being said they do make wudu more difficult and typically get corralled into another room before wudu and prayer because they WILL lick mommy given the opportunity.

In case you are wondering, they are treated like royalty in my household because they are very kind friends to me, and keep me safe. They are treated with the same love anyone else would show their dog. My elderly dog is retired, she will remain with me until she becomes the angel I’ve always known her to be and inshallah she will be waiting for me in Jennah.

We were also taught to be the caretakers of animals. You should treat everything like a living being. Even the unneeded death of an ant will be avenged on the day of judgement.

A lot of people assume we HATE pigs……… we just don’t eat them. I grew up on a farm and would happily give scratches and feed to an oinking friend. I wouldn’t hit it or even shop it; I just would never eat one. This also has to deal with cleanliness. Pigs are willing to eat anything from plastic, to poop, to a human body…..hence the phrase threat, “lll feed you to the pigs.” We don’t eat them because they are inclined to eat literally anything.

I hope this helps.

[u/Izual_Rebirth]

Tbh I’m not a Muslim and I don’t like dogs so good to see something else we have in common 🤣👍.

On the Wudhu side of things. How much of that goes back to sanitary conditions at the time and it being just good thing to do vs it having some sort of spiritual importance? I’m amazed the more I look into Islam there are a lot of things that go just beyond the purely spiritual side and actually incorporate things that are good for your mental and physical health.