Dogs and Islamic Law

Verses from the Qur'an in English and Arabic with Partial Qur'anic Commentary by the Medieval Spanish Scholar al-Qurtubi
arabic

Above is a rather negative image of dogs found in Surat al-A'raaf, verse 176:

"And had We willed, We would surely have elevated him therewith but he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desire. So his description is the description of a dog: if you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls his tongue out. Such is the description of the people who reject Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). So relate the stories that perhaps they may reflect."

Yet here is a dog who bravely performed God's commands in the story of the "Seven Sleepers in the Cave":

We narrate unto thee their story with truth. Lo! they were young men who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance. [18:13]

And We made firm their hearts when they stood forth and said: Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We cry unto no Allah beside Him, for then should we utter an enormity. [18:14]

These, our people, have chosen (other) gods beside Him though they bring no clear warrant (vouchsafed) to them. And who doth greater wrong than he who inventeth a lie concerning Allah? [18:15]

And when ye withdraw from them and that which they worship except Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave; your Lord will spread for you of His mercy and will prepare for you a pillow in your plight. [18:16]

And thou mightest have seen the sun when it rose move away from their cave to the right, and when it set go past them on the left, and they were in the cleft thereof. That was (one) of the portents of Allah. He whom Allah guideth, he indeed is led aright, and he whom He sendeth astray, for him thou wilt not find a guiding friend. [18:17]

And thou wouldst have deemed them waking though they were asleep, and We caused them to turn over to the right and the left, and their dog stretching out his paws on the threshold. If thou hadst observed them closely thou hadst assuredly turned away from them in flight, and hadst been filled with awe of them. [18:18]

And in like manner We awakened them that they might question one another. A speaker from among them said: How long have ye tarried? They said: We have tarried a day or some part of a day, (Others) said: Your Lord best knoweth what ye have tarried. Now send one of you with this your silver coin unto the city, and let him see what food is purest there and bring you a supply thereof. Let him be courteous and let no man know of you. [18:19]

For they, if they should come to know of you, will stone you or turn you back to their religion; then ye will never prosper.[18:20]

And in like manner We disclosed them (to the people of the city) that they might know that the promise of Allah is true, and that, as for the Hour, there is no doubt concerning it. When (the people of the city) disputed of their case among themselves, they said: Build over them a building; their Lord knoweth best concerning them. Those who won their point said: We verily shall build a place of worship over them. [18:21]

(Some) will say: They were three, their dog the fourth, and (some) say: Five, their dog the sixth, guessing at random; and (some) say: Seven, and their dog the eighth. Say (O Muhammad): My Lord is Best Aware of their number. None knoweth them save a few. So contend not concerning them except with an outward contending, and ask not any of them to pronounce concerning them. [18:22]



Canine Hero of the Qur'an

He faithfully guarded the Threshold to the Cave of "The Seven Sleepers" of Ephesus [Turkey] while God brought the religion of Jesus out of persecution and into the world.

I have made a selection of Qur'anic commentaries on the first time the dog is mentioned in the Qur'an (18:18) from the Royal Jordanian Arabic search page. Please read for information; I am preparing an article on the subject of dogs in Islam for publication in which I will inshallah mention these and many more classical Arabic sources about dogs.

Barbara R. von Schlegell