Dogs: Are they really impure?
Many Muslims believe that dogs are impure (najis/ نجس) and that touching them invalidates wudu/Ablution. Some hadiths even suggest that dogs should be killed. But does the Quran actually support this belief?
In this article, we will explore:
✅ What the Quran really says about dogs
✅ How often "dog" (كلب) and "najis" (نجس) appear in the Quran
✅ Linguistic analysis from Lane’s Lexicon
✅ Did the messenger have the right to declare something haram?
✅ How dogs are portrayed in Hadith
✅ How dogs are treated in Muslim countries today
What does the Quran say about dogs?
The Quran mentions dogs (كلب) four times, and never calls them impure:
🔗 Direct link to "كلب" in the Quran: Click Here
| Verse | Context |
|---|---|
| 7:176 | A metaphor comparing a disbeliever to a panting dog |
| 18:18 | The dog of the companions of the cave, shown as loyal and protective. |
| 5:4 | Hunting dogs are allowed to catch food for humans. |
📖 Lane’s Lexicon definition of "كلب"
In Edward William Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon, the word "كلب" (kalb) is defined in several ways and has many usages in Arabic. Here's a breakdown of the key meanings and examples that Lane provides:
Main Definition:
كلب (kalb): Dog
Figurative and Insulting Use:
A contemptible or despicable person: "Kalb" is sometimes used to insult someone by calling them a "dog," implying baseness or low status.
Does the Quran portray dogs as impure or as loyal companions?"
The "Najis" argument: What does the Quran really say?
Many claim that dogs are najis (impure), but the Quran mentions this word only once:
🔗 Direct link to "نجس" in the Quran: Click Here
| Verse | Context |
|---|---|
| 9:28 | Refers to the spiritual impurity of polytheists. |
📖 Lane’s Lexicon definition of "نجس"
Regarding "نجس" (najs), Lane's Lexicon defines it as "unclean, dirty, filthy, or impure." It also notes that the term is used in both a literal sense, referring to physical impurity, and in a figurative sense, such as describing an incurable disease.
If the Quran never uses "najis" for dogs, where does this belief come from?
The Messenger cannot declare things Haram.
A crucial principle in Islam is that only Allah can declare something haram. The messengers role was to judge by the Quran only.
📖 Quran 6:114
"Shall I seek a judge other than Allah, while it is He Who has sent down to you the Book explained in detail?"
📖 Quran 5:92
"Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and beware! But if you turn away, then know that the duty of Our Messenger is only to deliver (the Message) clearly."
📖 Quran 66:1
"O Prophet! Why do you prohibit (haram) what Allah has made lawful for you?"
If the Prophet himself was corrected for prohibiting something Allah made lawful, then how can later scholars or hadiths declare dogs haram when the Quran does not?
Contradictory hadiths
The Quran does not condemn dogs, yet some hadiths portray them negatively. This contradiction raises an important question: Do these hadiths align with the Quran, or do they conflict with its message?
Contradictory Hadiths
📖 Sunan Ibn Majah 3203
It was narrated from Salim that his father said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah raising his voice and commanding that dogs be killed, and dogs were killed, except for hunting dogs or dogs kept for herding livestock.”
📖 Sahih Muslim 1572
Abu Zubair heard Jabir b. 'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with him) saying:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered us to kill dogs, and we carried out this order so much so that we also kill the dog coming with a woman from the desert. Then Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) forbade their killing. He (the Prophet further) said: It is your duty the jet-black (dog) having two spots (on the eyes), for it is a devil.
The problem with these hadiths
1. They contradict the Quran. If dogs were impure, the Quran would say so.
2. They contradict themselves. First, all dogs were to be killed. Then only black dogs. This is not consistent with divine revelation.
3. They reflect pre-Islamic superstition. Pre-Islamic Arabs feared black dogs as omens. Did this belief influence hadith narrations?
"Would the Messenger really call a black dog ‘a devil’ when the Quran makes no such distinction?"
Rethinking our treatment of dogs in muslim societies
In many Muslim-majority countries, dogs suffer unspeakable cruelty—poisoned, shot, beaten, or left to starve. Why? Because of a belief that they are impure.
📖 Surah Al-An'am (6:38):
"There is no creature on earth nor a bird that flies with its wings except that they are communities like you. We have not neglected in the Book a thing. Then to their Lord they will be gathered."
Dogs are among Allah’s creations. Nowhere in the Quran does it say they are filthy or unworthy of compassion. In fact, Surah Al-Kahf (18:18) tells of a dog who loyally accompanied the People of the Cave—an honorable mention, not a condemnation.
Yet, in some places, dogs are treated as vermin instead of living beings deserving of care. This isn't Islam. This is cruelty.
It’s time to ask ourselves:
Are our attitudes toward dogs shaped by the Quran —or by cultural bias? If all creatures belong to Allah, who are we to mistreat them?
We must do better. Speak up. Act. Support shelters. Educate others.
Because mercy isn’t just a value—it’s a duty.
"Does Islam justify the mistreatment of Allah’s creatures?"