The Dogs

يُكْرَهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي دَارِ الرَّجُلِ الْمُسْلِمِ الْكَلْبُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is detestable for a Muslim to allow a dog to live in his house.”’

مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَتَّخِذُ كَلْباً إِلَّا نَقَصَ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مِنْ عَمَلِ صَاحِبِهِ قِيرَاطٌ.

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from ibn Bukayr from Zurarah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Whoever keeps a dog, every day one Qirat (a certain unit of measurement) is reduced from the (good) deeds of his owner.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْكَلْبِ نُمْسِكُهُ فِي الدَّارِ قَالَ لَا.

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), if we can keep a dog in the house. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, you must not do so.’”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص‌ لَا خَيْرَ فِي الْكِلَابِ إِلَّا كَلْبَ صَيْدٍ أَوْ كَلْبَ مَاشِيَةٍ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ‘There is nothing good in dogs except hunting dogs or that which guards cattle.’”

لَا تُمْسِكْ كَلْبَ الصَّيْدِ فِي الدَّارِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ بَيْنَكَ وَ بَيْنَهُ بَابٌ.

‘You must not keep a hunting dog in the house unless there is a door between you and the dog.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ كَلْبِ الصَّيْدِ يُمْسَكُ فِي الدَّارِ قَالَ إِذَا كَانَ يُغْلَقُ دُونَهُ الْبَابُ فَلَا بَأْسَ.

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), if a hunting dog can be kept in the house. He (the Imam) said, ‘If a door can be closed in front of it, then it is not harmful.’”

الْكِلَابُ السُّودُ الْبَهِيمُ مِنَ الْجِنِ‌[1].

“One of the two Imam, (abu Ja‘far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said that dogs of one color, all black are from Jinn.’”

كُنْتُ مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فِيمَا بَيْنَ مَكَّةَ وَ الْمَدِينَةِ إِذَا الْتَفَتَ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ فَإِذَا كَلْبٌ أَسْوَدُ بَهِيمٌ فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ قَبَّحَكَ اللَّهُ مَا أَشَدَّ مُسَارَعَتَكَ وَ إِذَا هُوَ شَبِيهٌ بِالطَّائِرِ فَقُلْتُ مَا هَذَا جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَقَالَ هَذَا غُثَيْمٌ بَرِيدُ الْجِنِّ مَاتَ هِشَامٌ السَّاعَةَ وَ هُوَ يَطِيرُ يَنْعَاهُ فِي كُلِّ بَلْدَةٍ.

“Once I was with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), on the road between Makkah and al-Madinah and I saw on his left side a dog of one color, all black. He (the Imam) said, ‘What is the matter with you, may Allah disfigure you, how fiercely you rush!’ It then resembled a bird. I then asked, ‘What is this? I pray to Allah to keep my

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ الْكِلَابُ مِنْ ضَعَفَةِ الْجِنِّ فَإِذَا أَكَلَ أَحَدُكُمُ الطَّعَامَ وَ شَيْ‌ءٌ مِنْهَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَلْيُطْعِمْهُ أَوْ لِيَطْرُدْهُ فَإِنَّ لَهَا أَنْفُسَ سَوْءٍ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Dogs are weak Jinns. If one of you eat food and something of it (dog or jinn) is in front of you, feed it or send it away because they have evil souls.’

سُئِلَ عَنِ الْكِلَابِ فَقَالَ كُلُّ أَسْوَدَ بَهِيمٍ وَ كُلُّ أَحْمَرَ بَهِيمٍ وَ كُلُّ أَبْيَضَ بَهِيمٍ فَذَلِكَ خَلْقٌ مِنَ الْكِلَابِ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَ مَا كَانَ أَبْلَقَ فَهُوَ مَسْخٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَ الْإِنْسِ.

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about dogs. He (the Imam) said, ‘Every dog of one color, all black or all red or all white is a creature of Jinn in the form of dog; but that of spotted colors is a metamorphosed of Jinn and man.’”

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص رَخَّصَ لِأَهْلِ الْقَاصِيَةِ فِي كَلْبٍ يَتَّخِذُونَهُ‌[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, granted permission to the people of al-Qasiyah (country side) to keep dogs.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْكَلْبِ السَّلُوقِيِّ قَالَ إِذَا مَسِسْتَهُ فَاغْسِلْ يَدَكَ‌[2].

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the dog from al-Saluqiy (name of a place in Yemen). He (the Imam) said, ‘If you touch it you must then wash your hands.’”