72/6. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5481 — Why Purpose Matters in Keeping Dogs
A (pet) dog
Keeping Dogs in Islam: Hunting and Livestock Guarding
Sahih Bukhari : 5481
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5481
حَدَّثَنَا الْمَكِّيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا حَنْظَلَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَالِمًا، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " مَنِ اقْتَنَى كَلْبًا إِلاَّ كَلْبٌ ضَارٍ لِصَيْدٍ أَوْ كَلْبَ مَاشِيَةٍ، فَإِنَّهُ يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أَجْرِهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ قِيرَاطَانِ ".
`Abdullah bin `Umar Narrated from:
I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "If someone keeps a dog neither for hunting, nor for guarding livestock, the reward (for his good deeds) will be reduced by two Qirats per day."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5481In-book reference : Book 72, Hadith 7USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 67, Hadith 390
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5481
This hadith about keeping dogs repeats the same clear teaching with slightly different wording. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says that if someone keeps a dog neither for hunting nor for guarding livestock, the reward for his good deeds is reduced by two Qirats each day. The focus is on purpose. A hunting dog and a livestock guard dog are named as valid uses in the text, while keeping a dog outside those needs is warned against. The hadith also makes the matter personal: it speaks about a person’s own reward, not just an outside rule. For readers searching for pet dog in Islam hadith, this narration points them back to care, need, and religious accountability.
What we learn from this hadith
- The hadith connects dog keeping with a clear, stated need.
- Hunting and guarding livestock are mentioned as exceptions.
- Reward can be reduced through repeated daily actions.
- The wording encourages a Muslim to think before keeping animals without need.
