18/17. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1489 — Dog Ownership and Reward
What Has Been Related About How Much Is Deducted From The Reward Of One Who Keeps A Dog
Hadith About Dog Ownership and Daily Reward
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1489
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1489
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ بْنُ أَسْبَاطِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْقُرَشِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُغَفَّلٍ، قَالَ إِنِّي لَمِمَّنْ يَرْفَعُ أَغْصَانَ الشَّجَرَةِ عَنْ وَجْهِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ يَخْطُبُ فَقَالَ " لَوْلاَ أَنَّ الْكِلاَبَ أُمَّةٌ مِنَ الأُمَمِ لأَمَرْتُ بِقَتْلِهَا فَاقْتُلُوا مِنْهَا كُلَّ أَسْوَدَ بَهِيمٍ وَمَا مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يَرْتَبِطُونَ كَلْبًا إِلاَّ نَقَصَ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ قِيرَاطٌ إِلاَّ كَلْبَ صَيْدٍ أَوْ كَلْبَ حَرْثٍ أَوْ كَلْبَ غَنَمٍ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَجْهٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُغَفَّلٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
'Abdullah bin Mughaffal Narrated from:
I Was One Of Those Who Held Up The Branches From The Tree Away From The Face Of The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) While He Was Delivering The Khutbah Saying: 'If It Were Not That Dogs Were A Nation Among Nations, Then I Would Order That They Be Killed. So Kill Every One Among Them That Is All Black. There Is One Inhabiting A Home In Which They Keep A Dog But Their Deeds Are Decreased By One Qirat Every Day - Except For A Hunting Dog, Or A Farm Dog, Or A Sheep Dog.'
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1489In-book reference : Book 18, Hadith 31English translation : Vol. 3, Book 16, Hadith 1489
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1489
This hadith about dog ownership brings together two points. First, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that dogs are a nation among nations, so he did not command all of them to be killed. Then he mentioned the all-black dog. Second, the hadith says that a household keeping a dog loses one qirat from their deeds every day, except for a hunting dog, a farm dog, or a sheep dog. The wording is balanced: it gives a warning, but it also gives clear exceptions. This makes it useful for searches like dog in Islam hadith and keeping dogs in Islam.
What we learn from this hadith
- The hadith does not give a blanket order against all dogs.
- It warns about keeping a dog without one of the named purposes.
- The exceptions include hunting, farming, and sheep-related needs.
- The text connects daily ownership with daily effect on deeds.
