Ibn ‘Abbas told on Maimuna’s authority that one morning God’s messenger was silent with grief, and said, “Gabriel promised to meet me last night, but he did not do so. I swear by God that he has never broken his promise before.” He then thought of a puppy which he had seen under a (Fustat Mirqat, iv, 484 considers that here it means a couch) tent of his, and when he had given orders and had it put out he took some water in his hand and sprinkled the place where it had been. In the evening Gabriel met him and he said, “You promised to meet me yesterday,” to which he replied, “Yes, but we do not enter a house which contains a dog or a picture.” So next morning God’s messenger ordered that dogs should be killed, even to the extent of ordering that dogs which guarded small gardens should be killed, but leaving out of account those which guarded large gardens. Muslim transmitted it.
Exposition of Hadith from Mishkat al-Masabih 4490
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This noble tradition from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) contains profound wisdom regarding spiritual purity and the presence of angels in Muslim households.
The Spiritual Significance of Angelic Visitation
The delay in Gabriel's arrival demonstrates that angels, being pure spiritual beings, are repelled by certain impurities. The presence of a dog in the dwelling prevented the angel's entry, not due to any deficiency in the angel, but as a manifestation of divine wisdom regarding spiritual environments.
The Prophet's grief shows his deep spiritual connection with divine revelation and his yearning for angelic companionship, which serves as a model for Muslims to value spiritual gatherings and divine communications.
Legal Rulings on Dogs in Islamic Law
The command to remove dogs from houses establishes the general prohibition of keeping dogs as pets within Muslim homes. The exception for hunting dogs, herding dogs, and farm guard dogs is derived from other authentic traditions that specify permissible uses.
The differentiation between small and large gardens indicates the principle of necessity in Islamic jurisprudence. For small gardens, alternative protection methods should be sought, while for large agricultural lands, the necessity permits keeping guard dogs.
Purification Rituals and Spiritual Cleanliness
The Prophet's action of sprinkling water where the puppy had been demonstrates the importance of physical purification after removing impurities. This act symbolizes both the outward cleaning and the spiritual renewal of the space.
Scholars have derived from this that places where dogs have been require specific purification rituals, which is why the majority jurists rule that vessels licked by dogs must be washed seven times, one of them with soil.
Practical Applications for Contemporary Muslims
This tradition teaches Muslims to maintain spiritual purity in their homes by avoiding what repels angels and divine blessings. While the original ruling about killing dogs was specific to that time and circumstance, the enduring principle is to keep homes free from spiritual impurities.
Modern Muslims should understand that the essence of this teaching is to prioritize spiritual cleanliness and create environments conducive to divine remembrance and angelic presence, while applying the juristic principles with wisdom and context.