Dogs in Islam
by Lydia Kelley

Why is it that dogs are looked down upon in the so-called Muslim world ?
Why has tradition made it so difficult to keep a dog in your home ?
Why would a "Muslims" Taxi driver refuse to allow a blind man and his
guide dog into his cab ?

Dogs are wonderful creatures of God. They bond with humans, protect them and serve them and that has been true almost since God placed man on earth. Does it make sense then that
Muhammed (or any messenger of God) would place prohibitions on these loving creatures when God does not ?

How do we know that Muslims are not forbidden to be around dogs?
We look at God's word, at the Quran.

In the story of the men of the cave in Sura 18, it becomes clear that God sees dogs as part of men's lives. 18:18 "You would think that they were awake, when they were in fact asleep. We turned them to the right side and the left side, while their dog stretched his arms in their midst."

Hadith tells us that angels won't enter a room where there is a dog. That means that for 309 years that the sleepers were in the cave, no angel ever entered. Yet God says "We turned them...." The use of "we" clearly indicates the participation of angels. There is absolutely no reason to mention the dog as part of this story, except to make it clear to future generation that dogs are permitted to live among people, right "in their midst."

And 18:22 clearly shows that the dog was counted right along with the believers. "Some would say, they were three; their dog being the fourth, while others would say, Five; the sixth being their dog, as they guessed. Others said, seven, and the eighth was their dog. Say, My Lord is the best knower of their number. Therefore, do not argue with them; just go along with them. You need not consult anyone about this."