In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا طَـٰٓٮِٕرٍ۬ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيۡهِ إِلَّآ أُمَمٌ أَمۡثَالُكُم‌ۚ مَّا فَرَّطۡنَا فِى ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ مِن شَىۡءٍ۬‌ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّہِمۡ يُحۡشَرُونَ

There is not a moving (living) creature on earth, nor a bird that flies with its two wings, but are communities like you. We have neglected nothing in the Book, then unto their Lord they (all) shall be gathered. [Surah Al-An’aam. Verse 38]

Some people have started debating whether cats and dogs are causing harm on earth – that the meat eaten by an average canine has twice the carbon footprint as driving a SUV 10,000 kilometres. Others suggest that we should turn our pets into vegetarians with the help of our local vet. Indeed, instead of blaming our adorable cats and useful dogs, we should pay attention to the evil consequences of our deeds on this earth. Allaah [The Exalted] said:

ظَهَرَ ٱلۡفَسَادُ فِى ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ أَيۡدِى ٱلنَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعۡضَ ٱلَّذِى عَمِلُواْ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ

Evil (sins and disobedience of Allah, etc.) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of people have earned, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allah, and begging His Pardon).] [Surah Ar-Room. Verse 41]

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said, “This verse was revealed regarding the state of affairs of the world- the relationship between it and the events that occur. You see how the occurrence of those evil actions and defects (of the people) affects the harvest, vegetation and the animals in every era, and the manner in which those evil (affairs) necessitates other evils. And whenever the people initiate oppression and wickedness, their Lord (The Blessed and Most High) brings about- from those evils and defects (of theirs)- deficiencies and harm in their nourishments, fruits, atmospheres, bodies, outward appearances and manners, as a justification for their deeds, acts of oppression and wickedness. The majority of the illnesses and the general evil affairs are remnants of the punishment afflicted upon the people of the previous nations; then there remained from that what remains, as a surprise punishment against those who remain upon the (evil) deeds of those previous nations. This is a just judgement and just decree. And indeed the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] has indicated to this in his statement concerning plagues, that it is a remnant of an affliction or punishment that was sent by Allaah to the Children of Israa’eel. (1)

Consequences of Persisting Upon Evil, Whilst Receiving More Provision

Allaah [The Most High] said:

وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
وَأُمْلِي لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ

Those who reject Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), We shall gradually seize them with punishment in ways they perceive not. And I respite them; certainly My Plan is strong. [7:182-183]

[سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم – We shall gradually seize them with punishment] – by granting them plentiful provision and respite until they think that they will neither be taken to task for their disobedience nor punished, so they increase in disbelief and transgression, and evil upon evil. And through this their punishment is increased and multiplied, so they harm themselves in ways they perceive not. This is why Allaah said: [إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ -certainly My Plan is strong]. (2)

[ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ – We shall gradually seize them with punishment in ways they perceive not]: Imaam Sufyaan Ath-Thawree [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said that this means: “Whenever they commit (major) sins, Allaah bestows a blessing on them and make them forgetful of seeking forgiveness”. (3)

Allah Will Not Change The Good Condition of a People As Long As They Do Not Change Their State of Goodness Themselves

Allaah [The Most High] said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ

Verily! Allah will not change the good condition of a people as long as they do not change their state of goodness themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allah). [Soorah Ar-Ra’d: Ayah: 11]

Ibnul Jawzee [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: Whoever loves that the state of affairs should become rectified then let him strive in rectifying (his) deeds. Allaah (The Mighty and Majestic) said:

[وَأَن لَّوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسْقَيْنَاهُم مَّاءً غَدَقًا – If they had believed in Allah, and went on the Right Way, We should surely have bestowed on them water (rain) in abundance] (4)

And in a hadeeth reported by Abdullah Ibn Umar [may Allaah be pleased with him and his father], Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said, “They do not withhold charity from their wealth, except that rain will be withheld from the sky and had it not been for the animals, there would be no rain at all”. (5)

The Dogs Are Less Harmful Than The Khawaarij

Shaikh Falaah Ismaa’eel [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said, “And that which is worthy that one should be aware of – in order to be acquainted with their danger – is that which Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] wished if he were to meet them and what he described regarding what he would do to them, that he would slaughter them in a manner similar to the manner in which Aad and Thamood were slaughtered, even though they are from the Ummah and from the people of the Qiblah, and especially when one recalls the statement of Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] about dogs, that ‘Had dogs not been a community amongst the communities, I would have commanded that all of them be killed'”. (6)

Therefore, a sensible person compares and ponders regarding what the Messenger of guidance and mercy wished to do to these Khawaarij – despite their (devotion) in worship, prayer, fasting and recitation of the Qur’aan – as opposed to what he forbade himself and others from doing to dogs. Indeed, this is a great proof regarding the danger due to the continuation of this thought [i.e. Fasle Takfeer] and this type of people in the Ummah [i.e. the Khawaarij], because they weaken the Ummah and preoccupy it with [internal problems, strife etc]”. (7)

Brief comment on the Hadeeth: “Had dogs not been a community amongst the communities, I would have commanded that all of them be killed”. Al-Khattaabee [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said, “The meaning of this statement is that the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] hated that a community amongst the communities and a species amongst the creation would disappear until all of them cease to exist, because indeed there is not a creature from Allaah’s creatures except that there is some wisdom behind their existence and some welfare. So, when this is the case regarding this affair and there is no way of killing all of them, then kill the evil ones amongst them – the black ones- and leave the others, so that you benefit from them as guard dogs”. (8) [NB: Only the authorities in the Uk are allowed to take the life of an animal and any individual who does so will be found guilty of animal cruelty. So beware!]

Dogs we can keep:

Abdullah Ibn Umar [may Allaah be pleased with him and his father] said, “Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said, ‘Whoever keeps a dog, except a dog for herding livestock or a dog that is trained for hunting, two qiraats [i.e. great reward] will be deducted from his reward each day'”. (9)

Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saaleh Al-Uthaymeen [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said, “Due to this, if a house is located in the middle of the city, then no need of having a dog to guard it. Therefore, to have a dog for this reason in such circumstances is unlawful and impermissible, and it takes away one or two qiraats from a person’s reward each day. However, if the house is located in the countryside and no is present, then it is allowed to have a dog to guard the house and the people residing in it. To guard people of a household is more important than guarding livestock or crops. (10)

The Hunting Dog

Allaah [The Most High] said:

يَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ مَاذَآ أُحِلَّ لَهُمۡ‌ۖ قُلۡ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتُ‌ۙ وَمَا عَلَّمۡتُم مِّنَ ٱلۡجَوَارِحِ مُكَلِّبِينَ تُعَلِّمُونَہُنَّ مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ‌ۖ فَكُلُواْ مِمَّآ أَمۡسَكۡنَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱسۡمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡهِ‌ۖ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلۡحِسَابِ

They ask you [O Muhammad)] what is lawful for them [as food]. Say: “Lawful unto you are At-Tayyibat [all kind of Halal (lawful-good) foods which Allah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits, etc.)]. And those beasts and birds of prey which you have trained as hounds, training and teaching them [to catch] in the manner as directed to you by Allaah; so eat of what they catch for you, but pronounce the Name of Allah over it, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Swift in reckoning”. [Surah Al-Maa’idah. Aayah 4]

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said:

Indeed, Allaah [Glorified be He] declared the prey of the untrained hound a dead meat and unlawful to eat, and He declared lawful the prey of the trained hound. This is from that which shows the nobility of knowledge, because Allaah did not declare lawful except the prey of the trained hound. Had it not been that knowledge and teaching has a special distinguished virtue and nobility, the trained and untrained hound would have been the same. (10.1)

The Permissibility of Keeping Dogs for Hunting, Guarding and Herding―and it is Harām to Keep them as Pets or to Buy and Sell them. By Shaikh Abu Khadeejah [may Allaah preserve him]

The Permissibility of Keeping Dogs for Hunting, Guarding and Herding―and it is Harām to Keep them as Pets or to Buy and Sell them.

Bulūgh al-Marām: The Book of Purification – ‘The Dog’s Licking and the Cat’s Intermingling.’ By Abu Khadeejah [Lesson 12] 

Bulūgh al-Marām: The Book of Purification – ‘The Dog’s Licking and the Cat’s Intermingling.’ By Abu Khadeejah [Lesson 12]

Bulūgh al-Marām: The Book of Purification – ‘The Dog’s Licking and the Cat’s Intermingling..Part 2’ By Abu Khadeejah [Lesson 13] – Salafi Sounds

Bulūgh al-Marām: The Book of Purification – ‘The Dog’s Licking and the Cat’s Intermingling..Part 2’ By Abu Khadeejah [Lesson 13]

Bulūgh al-Marām: The Book of Purification – ‘The Dog’s Licking and the Cat’s Intermingling..Part 3’ By Abu Khadeejah [Lesson 14]

Bulūgh al-Marām: The Book of Purification – ‘The Dog’s Licking and the Cat’s Intermingling..Part 3’ By Abu Khadeejah [Lesson 14]

The Sale of Cats & Dogs

The Sale of Cats & Dogs

Treatment of Animals in Islam ― Whoever has animals must treat them well or let them go!
https://www.abukhadeejah.com/treatment-of-animals-in-islam-treat-them-well-or-let-them-go/

Finally, our adorable cats and useful dogs are more useful than the callers to Shirk, Kufr and sin- those who are even proud to concoct principles and beautify falsehood to oppose the path of the Prophets [peace be upon them]. Allaah [The Exalted] said:

وَكَذَٲلِكَ جَعَلۡنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِىٍّ عَدُوًّ۬ا شَيَـٰطِينَ ٱلۡإِنسِ وَٱلۡجِنِّ يُوحِى بَعۡضُهُمۡ إِلَىٰ بَعۡضٍ۬ زُخۡرُفَ ٱلۡقَوۡلِ غُرُورً۬ا‌ۚ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ‌ۖ فَذَرۡهُمۡ وَمَا يَفۡتَرُونَ

And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies – Shayaateen (devils) among mankind and jinns, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion (or by way of deception). If your Lord had so willed, they would not have done it, so leave them alone with their fabrications.” [Soorah Al-An’aam: Ayah 112]

Allaah [Glorified be He] stated that they aid one another in opposing the command of the Prophets with what some of them inspire others of adorned speech, so that the gullible and feeble minded people are misled by it. He [The Most High] stated the reason behind a perpetrator’s [adorned speech] and the reason why it is accepted by the people; then He [The Most High] mentioned [in ayah 113 Al-An’aam] the effects it has on those ignorant souls. When those souls incline towards such adorned speech and become pleased with it, they carry out what it calls them to do -in speech and action. Therefore, ponder upon these verses and the sublime meanings they convey, for they clarify the roots of false principles and alert a person against them. And if you ponder upon the statements of the people of falsehood, you will indeed find them clothed with expressions and presented in a good light with sophisticated terms, which are quickly accepted by those deprived of sound discernment-to the extent that the wicked sinners would give (good) names to the greatest types of wicked deeds. (11)

And Allaah knows best.

[Ref 1: An Excerpt from ‘Badaa’i-ul At-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imaam Ibnu Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah: page: 313: Vol:2. slightly paraphrased

[Ref 2: An Excerpt from ‘Tayseer Al-Kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan’ by Imaam Sadi. slightly paraphrased]

[Ref 3: Al-Mukhallisaat 2352]

[Ref 4: An Excerpt from ‘Saydul Khaatir’ page: 6]

[Ref 5: Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah. Number 4019. Declared ‘Hasan’ By Imaam Al-Albaanee. Publisher: Maktabah al-Ma’aarif. 1st Edition]

[Ref 6: Saheeh Al-Jaami 9452]

[Ref 7: An Excerpt from Naz’atut Takfeer. Pages 24-25. slightly paraphrsed]

[Ref 8: An Excerpt from Ma’aalim As-Sunan 4/132. slightly paraphrased]

[Ref 9: Reported by Bukhaari 5163 and Muslim 1574.

[Ref 10: An Excerpt from Majmoo Fataawa Ibn Uthaymeen 4/246. slightly paraphrased]

[Ref 10.1: An Excerpt Mihtaah Daarus Sa’aadah. 1/55. Slightly paraphrased]

[Ref 11: An Excerpt from As-Sawaa-iq al-Mursalah of Imaam Ibnul Qayyim: 2/438). Slightly paraphrased]