Local Malay-Muslim dad does right by his children by teaching them not to fear dogs

Over the weekend, the Golden Retriever Club Singapore Facebook page made their Hari Raya Aidilfitri greetings by showing a rare but joyous sight — a Malay-Muslim family petting a dog.

According to Rin Han, the dad had been encouraging his children to pet a golden retriever (a fan of the Portugal football team, nonetheless), teaching them not to be afraid of touching dogs. He even tells them about the “ritual washing” (we’ll explain that later) to be done if they touch the dog’s saliva.

It’s a joyous sight because most Malay-Muslims in Singapore and Malaysia have a slight phobia and misunderstanding of dogs thanks to their religious and traditional upbringing.

Dogs and Islam

Unbeknownst to most of the non-Muslim population here — and probably even some Muslims — dogs are not considered haram (forbidden) in Islam. Muslims can actually keep dogs for certain purposes such as hunting game, guarding livestock, safeguarding houses and protecting crops.

The Quran mentions dogs twice, and interpretations vary among the hadith — the record of statements, actions, and traditions of Prophet Muhammad. Some schools of Islamic law consider canines outrightly unclean (and thus haram to touch), while others consider only dog saliva ritually impure. The touching of a dog’s fur is perfectly fine, according to the Hanafi school of thought.

But what is clear is that the mistreatment of animals is considered a sin. It is forbidden in Islam to treat an animal cruelly or kill it unless it is for food.

“A good deed done to an animal is like a good deed done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as cruelty to a human being,” the Prophet Muhammad said.

Avoiding the touching of dogs in ancient times would make sense — they were health hazards. The animals were born and bred to be hunters, so dogs would be in full contact with carcasses and other unhygienic things. In modern times with science, medicine and sanitation, very little harm can come upon a dog owner or anyone that touches a dog.

But religious tenets are religious tenets, and there are rules for Muslims if dog saliva touches their skin, any part of their clothing or any vessel used for eating. There’s a ritual act of cleansing that involves the washing of an affected area seven times, the first of which should be done with water mixed with soil. That’s it, really.