I'm not a big follower of reality television, but was happy to hear about TLC's new reality show "All-American Muslim." We know that personal contact is the best way to break down stereotypes, but with Muslims less than 2% of the U.S. population, many Americans will never get to know a Muslim. Meeting us through reality television might not be ideal, but it's better than nothing.
After watching "All-American Muslim" for a few weeks, I now believe that the show is good for our community beyond the way it might lessen prejudice against Muslims. The additional benefit is that the show has engaged our community in discussing some of the many challenges we face making distinctions between critical religious values and flexible cultural practices. In the fourth episode, the issue of Muslims having dogs in the home came up, and this is worth further discussion.
In this episode, newlywed Arab-American Shadia tells Jeff, her Irish-American convert husband, that she does not want his dog to move with them to their new home. Shadia has allergies, and her asthma is exacerbated by the dog's hair. This is an understandable and common dilemma. But Shadia bolsters her position with statements about the impermissibility for a Muslim to have dogs in the home. Her father will not pray in the house if the dog is there, she says, because dog hair is impure and a prayer space needs to be pure. Later, Shadia backs off from the religious argument, admitting that the main reason she doesn't want a dog in the house is "I wasn't raised with dogs; I'm not used to them." I appreciated this moment of honesty. The use of a religious norm as a trump card in an argument we want to win is a temptation we all face.
So what is the Islamic position about dogs? In fact, there are a variety of opinions according to different legal schools. The majority consider the saliva of dogs to be impure, while the Maliki school makes a distinction between domestic and wild dogs, only considering the saliva of the latter to be impure. The question for Muslims observant of other schools of law is, what are the implications of such an impurity?
These Muslims should remember that there are many other impurities present in our homes, mostly in the form of human waste, blood, and other bodily fluids. It is fairly common for such impurities to come in contact with our clothes, and we simply wash them off or change our clothes for prayer. When you have children at home, it sometimes seems you can never get away from human waste. But we manage it, often by designating a special space and clothing kept clean for prayer.
Some Muslims object to having a dog in the home because of a prophetic report that angels do not enter a home with dogs in it. If a Muslim accepts this report as authentic, it still requires an analysis of context to determine its meaning and legal application. Ordinary people are not recipients of divine revelation through angelic messengers, so it is possible that this statement, although in general form, might suggest a rule for the Prophet's home, not all homes. This interpretation is strengthened by the fact the Qur'an states that angels are always present, protecting us and recording our good and bad actions.
Whatever the implications of this report, there is no doubt that the Qur'an is positive about dogs. The Qur'an allows the use of hunting dogs, which is one of the reasons the Maliki school makes a distinction between domestic and wild dogs - since we can eat game that has been in a retriever's mouth. But most compelling is the Qur'anic description of a dog who kept company with righteous youths escaping religious persecution. The party finds shelter in a cave where God places them in a deep sleep; the Qur'an (18:18) says:
You would have thought them awake, but they were asleep And [God] turned them on their right sides then on their left sides And their dog stretched his forelegs across the threshold
This tender description of the dog guarding the cave makes it clear that the animal is good company for believers. Legal scholars might argue about the proper location of the dog - that he should stay on the threshold of the home, not inside - but home designs vary across cultures. In warm climates, an outdoor courtyard is a perfectly humane place for a dog - its physical and social needs can be met in the yard. This is not the case in cold climates, where people stay indoors most of the day for months at a time.
Extreme concern about the uncleanliness of dogs likely arose historically as Islam became more of an urban phenomenon. In medieval cities, as in modern cities in underdeveloped countries, crowding of people and animals leads to the rapid spread of disease and animal control is not a priority. A few run-ins with an aggressive or diseased animal can result in excessive caution, fear and negativity.
I have long felt badly that many Muslims fear dogs as a result of negative experiences and that they resort to confused religious reasoning to shun them. It is one of the reasons why I try to introduce my students and friends to my very sweet, very large dog Ziggy. 
Ziggy came into our home to be like the dog in the cave: to keep company to my child who lies in exile from the world because of a debilitating illness. He has been nothing but a blessing - guarding the house while we sleep, forcing me to exercise daily, and showing us, as he happily follows our tiny cat around the yard, that if cats and dogs can get along so well, then we people have no excuse.
There is another reason why I love having my dog around. Ziggy came from Tennessee. He was rescued by an animal control officer who uses her own resources to save dogs who would otherwise be destroyed in a few days. Tina saves as many dogs as she can by bringing them home and putting them up for adoption on the internet. When I called Tina to speak about adopting Ziggy, she had 65 dogs she had rescued out in her yard. After being disheartened by some terrible things that have come out of Tennessee lately - mosque burnings and anti-Shari`ah legislation among them - I love looking at Ziggy and thinking about the woman with the thick southern accent and big heart who saved his life.
Follow Ingrid Mattson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@IngridMattson
It's the best way i can describe what i got out of this i hope i made sense .
Whats wrong with that? Sharia isnt compatible with the rule of decent law...
I am pretty sure that there is a low percentage, if at all, of blind muslims who have guide dogs.
I have experienced Muslims' fear of dogs on a few occasions. I was allowed to bring my Labrador Retriever to work at a particular office building. There was a Muslim organization of some type in the lower floor of the building. When the Muslims on the lower floor would see me coming down the stairs, the men would look fearful, and one little girl ran away as fast as she could. Out of respect, I tried to take alternate routes through the building when I could. But there was a language barrier that prevented me from discussing the issue with them.
I also had a Muslim imam (who offered to explain some passages in the Koran that I had questions about) cite the "angels will not enter a house with a dog in it" belief. I definitely thought that was the orthodox belief on the issue and did not realize there were positive examples of dogs in the Koran.
I also found your comment about game that had been in a retriever's mouth not being unclean quite refreshing, as I'm a bird hunter and trainer of hunting dogs.
Christians (like myself) and Muslims have many bridges to cross (and to mend), but I think articles like this are a start. Thank you.
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http://www.fetchmasters.com
Muslims who are anti-dog are simply uneducated about their own books and teachings!
http://www.askimam.org/fatwa/fatwa.php?askid=641f19b6fa6eae0edbc43c5717d2c948
May Allah guard us from innovations.
Why are you on the internet? That's an innovation.
Matteson’s latest misrepresentation and foray takes the absurdity to a new level. These folks are not interested in Islam but a version of Islam which uses an Islamic language to be interpreted by them with no scholarly input (and please she is no scholar) to make the religion fit with their desires and acceptance into western societies. In other disciplines, they would be called charlatans and quacks. For Muslims, the confusion that Matteson, ISNA and their ilk sow (in an environment devoid of ulema) cannot be underestimated. It is a modernist vision that seeks to free Muslims from established principles of Islamic legality and create a new religion under the name of Islam.
Is Ingrid Matteson, Muzzamil Siddiqi, Imam Majid or the other leaders of ISNA ulema and by what criterion?
Seriously, muslims - return to your 13th century Scientific awesomeness. You produced so many respected philosophers and scientists and pharmacists.
I once got an adoption application for one of my rescues and after their vet references checked out and the home visit was nearly perfect, I adopted to them. The woman called me two days later and said that they regretfully had to return the dog because their Muslim neighbors were highly offended since they could no longer come over for dinner and socializing as they had been doing for years. From what I could gather, they refused to set foot in their house as long as the dog was there because of some obscure religious reasons. I dashed right over and got the dog back and I did not refund the adoption fee because this whole thing seemed so damn ludicrous.
I cant tell you how much your article means to me. I have only been a muslim for 9 months. I am an american. I rescue retired racing greyhounds. I have 5 greyhounds living with me. Greyhounds cannot live outside. They have thin skin and only one coat. They are susceptible to hypothermia and hyperthermia. A few muslims actually led me away from Islam in my early days, because of the way in which I care for my dogs. After much study it became obvious that culture and an overly oppressive interpretation has been perpetuated in some muslims. DOGS ARE MENTIONED 5 TIMES IN THE QURAN AND NEVER IN A NEGATIVE WAY. I could give many other reasons , both Islamic and scientific why dogs are not "unclean"; however im sure you know them all.
I am a cave dweller ( sura 18:18 ) and I will always defend Allahs innocent creatures.
God Bless You Sis Ingrid
AMANI
Blood, urine and feces may be free from diseases, but they are still ritually impure. One cannot pray if their clothing comes in contact with blood, urine, feces, dog saliva or pig skin.
Also, there is an authentic hadith which Sr. Ingrid failed to mention that states that having dogs in the house will reduce your good deeds by a HUGE amount every day. On the Day of Judgement, a person may see that they do not have any Hassanat (rewards), because they had a dog in their house and it diminished all of their good deeds.
My advice would be to find a good home for your greyhounds and not keep them as pets.
Other Muslims consider the Ahadith to have value as *a* source of Islam, subordinate to the teachings of the Quran, provided that a particular hadith does not contradict the Quran or denigrate the good moral character of the Prophet.
Some Muslims, perhaps most, prefer to follow their school's teachings based on the school's collection of ahadith, without worrying at all about the compatibility of a particular hadith with the Quran.
No one is responsible for the moral consequences of what another person does.
And God knows best!