18/16. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1486 — All-Black Dog Ruling
What Has Been Related About Killing Dogs
Hadith About Dogs as a Nation Among Nations
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1486
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1486
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَنْصُورُ بْنُ زَاذَانَ، وَيُونُسُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُغَفَّلٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لَوْلاَ أَنَّ الْكِلاَبَ أُمَّةٌ مِنَ الأُمَمِ لأَمَرْتُ بِقَتْلِهَا كُلِّهَا فَاقْتُلُوا مِنْهَا كُلَّ أَسْوَدَ بَهِيمٍ " . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ وَجَابِرٍ وَأَبِي رَافِعٍ وَأَبِي أَيُّوبَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُغَفَّلٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَيُرْوَى فِي بَعْضِ الْحَدِيثِ " أَنَّ الْكَلْبَ الأَسْوَدَ الْبَهِيمَ شَيْطَانٌ " . وَالْكَلْبُ الأَسْوَدُ الْبَهِيمُ الَّذِي لاَ يَكُونُ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ مِنَ الْبَيَاضِ . وَقَدْ كَرِهَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ صَيْدَ الْكَلْبِ الأَسْوَدِ الْبَهِيمِ .
'Abdullah bin Mughaffal Narrated from:
The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Said: "If It Were Not That Dogs Were Part Of A Nation Among The Nations, Then I Would Order To That All Of Them Be Killed. So Kill Every One Of Them That Is All Black."
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1486In-book reference : Book 18, Hadith 28English translation : Vol. 3, Book 16, Hadith 1486
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1486
This hadith about dogs says that dogs are a nation among nations. Because of that, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not order that all dogs be killed. The text then gives a specific command about the all-black dog. The Arabic report also explains that the all-black dog is the one that has no whiteness in it. The explanation should not turn this into a general statement against every dog, because the hadith itself starts by saying that dogs are an ummah among other nations. The main teaching is that the ruling in this narration is limited and specific, not a blanket order for all dogs.
What we learn from this hadith
- The hadith states that dogs are a nation among nations.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not order all dogs to be killed in this narration.
- The command in the text is about the all-black dog.
- The report defines the all-black dog as one with no whiteness.
