Is it haram to have a dog?

The hadith praise a man who gave a thirsty dog water, and they also talk about keeping one. Here is what they say.

18 October 202618 Oct 2026 · 4 min readShare this post

Your child wants a puppy. A friend says you should get a dog to guard the house. Or a neighbor's dog licks your hand, and you wonder if you need to wash before you pray.

So is it haram to have a dog? Here is what the hadith say, and where scholars differ.

Are dogs bad in Islam?

No. Allah mentions dogs in the Quran without blaming them. In the story of the young men who slept in the cave for years, their dog stayed with them, lying at the entrance.

The Prophet ﷺ told the story of a thirsty man who climbed down a well to drink. When he came up, he saw a dog so thirsty it was licking the wet mud. He went back down, filled his shoe with water and gave the dog a drink. Allah was pleased with what he did and forgave his sins because of it.

The companions asked if there is reward even for helping animals. He said yes, there is reward for helping any living thing.

There is reward for helping any living thing.

So why do people say keeping a dog is haram?

Because of two other hadith.

In the first, the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever keeps a dog loses some of his reward every day, unless the dog is for hunting, guarding animals or guarding a farm.

In the second, he said angels do not enter a house that has a dog or a picture in it. Scholars say this means the angels of mercy, not the angels who write down our deeds.

So the hadith do not ban all dogs. They allow working dogs.

Can I keep a dog as a pet?

Most scholars, in all four schools, say keeping a dog only as a pet is not allowed, because of the hadith about losing reward. Some scholars say it is disliked, not haram.

A dog to guard your home is allowed by many scholars. An-Nawawi said guarding a house is the same kind of need as guarding a farm.

What about guide dogs?

Many scholars today allow guide dogs for the blind, and dogs used by police and rescue teams. The reason is the same as the farm dog: the person needs the dog for a real job.

So if a blind Muslim comes into your shop with a guide dog, the dog is there because they need it.

Is a dog dirty?

The Prophet ﷺ said that if a dog licks your bowl, wash it seven times, the first time with earth. All scholars accept this. They differ on the rest of the dog.

The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools say the whole dog is impure. The Hanafi school says only its saliva is impure. The Maliki school says a living dog is pure, and the bowl is washed only because the Prophet ﷺ told us to.

Most Muslims follow one of these four schools of Islamic law, usually the one their family or their local masjid follows. If you don't know which one you follow, ask the imam at your masjid.

What if a dog touches me?

If the dog is dry and your hand is dry, you don't need to wash anything. Touching a dog does not break your wudu.

If a dog licks you, the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools say to wash that spot seven times, once with earth. The Hanafi school says to wash off the saliva. The Maliki school says you don't have to wash.

If you are not sure, wash the spot seven times, once with earth. That way you are covered on every view. And there is no need to panic or be rude to a dog owner.

One last thing

This week, put a bowl of water outside your door for the birds, cats or dogs near your home. A man had his sins forgiven for one shoe full of water.

Source: Quran 18:18; Sahih al-Bukhari 2363; Sahih Muslim 2244; Sahih al-Bukhari 2322; Sahih Muslim 1574; Sahih Muslim 1575; Sahih al-Bukhari 3225; Sahih Muslim 2106; Sahih Muslim 279; al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim (on keeping dogs and the angels); Ibn Rushd, Bidayat al-Mujtahid (the four schools on the dog)

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