Dogs again

Im writing or visiting back the issue on dogs. Above show a picture of a man Sheikh Abbas Taha beside a hound circa 1937. That issue you can find chapter 12 of that book between the brother of Sultan of Kelantan who at that time was the Raja Muda or heir to the throne and her sister who was disgusted at his brother's fondness for dogs.This as narrated below was send by email to me.

"The great dog debate revisited - Rusaslina Idrus
AUGUST 04, 2013
LATEST UPDATE: AUGUST 04, 2013 11:29 AM
In the mid 1930s, a member of the Kelantan royal family and his sister
had a disagreement over him keeping a pet dog. She felt that dogs, and
in particular their saliva, were polluting according to Islamic law.
The issue quickly became a matter of public debate with Islamic
experts in the state weighing in with different opinions.
In order to resolve this issue, the Tengku (the dog owner) called for
a public council of debate (a majlis mudzakara) with both sides having
the space to present their arguments regarding dog keeping in Islam.
In January 1937, the mudzakarawas held in Istana Sri Cemerlang and
attended by two thousand members of the public. It was reported to be
the event of the year for the people in Kota Bahru and it continued to
be the talk of the town for many years to come.
On team pro-dog were ex-Mufti Wan Musa Wan Abdul Samad, Haji Abbas b.
Muhammad Taha, a qadi from Singapore and Burhanuddin Muhammad Noor1, a
young man who studied in Delhi and Aligarh.
On the otherside were the mufti of Kelantan Haji Ibrahim bin Haji
Yusof, chief Qadi Haji Ahmad bin Ismail and leading Islamic scholars
and members of the Kelantan Islamic council Haji Abdul Manan and Haji
Abdullah Tahir.
The two teams presented their arguments drawing from a range of
sources including the Quran, the Prophet's (PBUH) hadiths and
tradition and studies on Islamic jurisprudence.
Both teams composed of highly learned scholars with extensive Islamic
training abroad and locally.
At the end of the debate, the Sultan did not declare a winner but left
the people of Kelantan having heard both sides of the arguments to
make their own informed decision2.
In the meantime, the Tengku wanting to have a clearer outcome
submitted a query to the Fatwa Committee of al-Azhar in Cairo
regarding this matter.
In May 1937, the Syaikh of al-Azhar issued a fatwa affirming the
permissibility of dog keeping3. While the matter remains controversial
in Kelantan, the differences in opinion were accepted.
I bring this historical moment up not to be seditious, but because it
illustrates a time in our country where there was space for a public
debate on such religious matters.
Differences in opinion regarding Islamic jurisprudence were
acknowledged and the public given the space to make their own
decisions after weighing the arguments before them.
Indeed, this space for discussion and active knowledge seeking is very
much part of the Islamic tradition since the time of the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH).
Today, in Malaysia, there is little room for any differences of
opinion when it comes to Islam.
If one does not subscribe to the dominant viewpoint, then one risks of
being labelled kafir or thrown into jail.
This week we witnessed a Malay dog trainer arrested by the police with
charges of sedition because she had a view different that the majority
regarding dog handling. For putting up a video of Hari Raya greeting
featuring her dogs with the background of takbirraya, Maznah Mohd
Yusof was deemed to have insulted Islam.
Online, member of the public threw hurtful, demeaning and violent
words at her, some even threatening her life. With the faceless mode
of interaction through social media, people seem to have lost their
humanity and compassion for another fellow human being.
Many of the angry commentators kept insisting that Maznah's action
insulted Islam because dogs are forbidden in Islam.
There is actually nothing in the Quran about dogs being haram and in
fact, references to dogs in Quranare in positive light.
In Surah al-Kahf, a dog was companion to a group of young believers
whom Allah protected from an evil ruler by letting them sleep for many
years in a cave.  The dog is described as guarding the believers
"stretching forth his two fore-legs on the threshold" (18:18).
In Surah al-Maidah (5:4), Allah grants us permission to eat the meat
caught by hunting animals (there does seem to be any dispute that the
reference to hunting animals include dogs).
Among the different Mazhab, there are differing views on Muslims'
handling of dogs. However, even in the strictest Shafie school of
thought, while the saliva and excrements of dogs are deemed najis and
one is required to conduct ritual cleansing (samak) after touching
these, keeping or holding a dog is not haram nor sinful.
I don't want to be accused of making up my own fatwa, so let me quote
a report published by JAIS (the Selangor Islamic Department) in 20104
: "

Menyentuhataumemeganganjingtidaklahberdosaataumenyalahihukum
Islam."
So there, dogs are not haram and it is not a sin to handle a dog. Many
Malays grew up believing dogs as haram and to be avoided at all cost
but this assumption seems to be based more on a cultural than
religious conviction.
The conflict this last week would have been a good opportunity for
learned Islamic scholars in Malaysia to discuss the differences of
opinion regarding dog handling drawing from our rich Islamic scholarly
tradition.
But instead, this issue seems to be driven by a political agenda. It
all seems to be a big performance of who can show they are protecting
the Malaysthe most.
Issues are blown out of proportion to create apprehension in the
community. It is alarming when national leaders chose to further flame
the discord rather than promote tolerance and compassion.
Ramadan is a month of reflection. It is also the sacred month when our
ultimate source of knowledge on Islam was bestowed upon us in the form
of the holy Quran.
As Muslims, seeking knowledge is part of our ibadah. Opening spaces
for discussion and allowing for diversity of opinions will not shatter
but instead strengthened our faith as a thinking and knowledgeable
ummah.
1. Burhanuddin Muhammad Noor was later better known as Dr. Burhanuddin
al-Helmy. He was an influential Malay nationalist and Islamist thinker
and president of PAS from 1956-1969.
2. Information regarding this event sourced from William Roff (1983),
"Whence Cometh the Law? Dog Saliva in Kelantan, 1937" in Comparative
Studies In Society and History, Vol 25, No 2 and Nik Abdul Aziz Nik
Hassan (1979), "Perbahasan Tentang Jilatan Anjing: Suatu Penelitian".
File Arkib Negara 20013/0003384.
3. For those curious to see the dog in question, Google William Roff's
book entitled Studies on Islam and Society in Southeast Asia (2009,
NUS Press) and you will see the handsome Dalmatian sitting proudly
next to Haji Abbas on the book cover.
4. Laporan dan Kajian R&D 18 Mei 2010: Maklumbalas Pegang Anjing.
Jabatan Agama Islam Selangar. http://www.jais.gov.my/rnd/2013/April/MaklumbalaspegangAnjing.pdf
*Rusaslina Idrus is a teacher and academic researcher based in a local
university."

 

I have said enough on it but i want to put a spin to this issue at hand. I know that Islam values highly the privacy of her adherents. laws pertaining to it and the Qur'an and hadiths attest to it. As far as I am concern in Malaysia these law has been trampled and that is sad. A sad day for Justice, a sad day for the Ummah. My question is simple what if I took the picture above, crop it up and write beneath it say Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, Maaf Dzahir Batin. Who is guilty me for downloading it to youtube or facebook etc or Sheikh Abbas Taha and his family? If you say me then you cannot find the girl who has a video message to her friends and family guilty for she has made police report denying the fact that she download it in youtube for it was for her family and friends who knows her and was made 2 years back. Someone else for no apparent reason posted it this year. I think the readers must ponder aloud.

Below is an excerpt from an article in Minda tahjdid a blog by a former Mufti of Perlis. It is in Malay which again validate what Ive said. It is in Malay.

Sementara dalam hadis pula, Nabi s.a.w bersabda:

“Diampunkan dosa seorang pelacur yang melintasi seekor anjing yang berada di tepi sebuah telaga yang lidahnya terjelir. Hampir kehausan membunuhnya. Maka pelacur itu pun menanggalkan kasutnya, lalu dia ikat kasut itu dengan tudungnya lantas dia menceduk air untuk anjing tersebut. Dia diampunkan disebabkan kejadian itu” (Riwayat al-Bukhari).

Betapa seorang pelacur yang buruk sekalipun diampuni dosanya oleh Allah kerana dengan ikhlas memberikan minum kepada seekor anjing. Bagaimana mungkin untuk kita menganggap bahawa Islam tidak menilai sebagai satu perbuatan yang baik jika muslim memberi makan dan minum kepada anjing?!! Jika ada orang muslim yang memberi makan kepada anjing patutlah dipuji.

Bolehkah muslim memiliki anjing?

Dalam al-Quran, Allah menyebut: (maksudnya)

“Mereka bertanya kepadamu (Wahai Muhammad): “Apakah (makanan) yang dihalalkan bagi mereka?” bagi menjawabnya: “Dihalalkan bagi kamu (memakan) yang baik-baik, dan (buruan yang ditangkap oleh) binatang-binatang pemburu yang telah kamu ajar (untuk berburu) mengikut cara pelatih-pelatih binatang pemburu. Kamu mengajar serta melatihnya (adab peraturan berburu) sebagaimana yang telah diajarkan Allah kepada kamu, oleh itu makanlah dari apa yang mereka (binatang-binatang buruan) itu tangkap untuk kamu dan sebutlah nama Allah atasnya (ketika kamu melepaskannya berburu); dan bertaqwalah kepada Allah. Sesungguhnya Allah Maha cepat hitungan hisabNya” (Surah al-Maidah, ayat 4)

Binatang pemburu yang biasa digunakan ialah anjing. Kitab-kitab tafsir seperti Tafsir Ibn Kathir dan selainnya akan menyebut anjing sebagai pemburu utama. Juga perkataan mukallibin dalam ayat ini boleh bermaksud tuan-tuan empunya anjing seperti yang disenarai oleh al-Imam Ibn al-Jauzi (meninggal 597H) dalam Zad al-Masir.

Ertinya, muslim memiliki anjing buruan. Demikian dia boleh memiliki anjing yang menemaninya berjalan atau menjaga keselamatan rumah seperti anjing Ashab al-Kahfi yang disebutkan tadi.

Bolehkah Muslim Memegang Anjing?

Ada yang menyatakan haram memegang anjing kerana najis. Kalau kerana ia najis haram dipegang, maka haram juga seseorang menyentuh najis dirinya, ataupun anaknya ataupun sesiapa di bawah jagaannya ketika membersihkannya. Haramlah juga mereka yang berkerja yang membabitkan bahan-bahan bernajis seperti mencuci tandas ataupun darah ataupun nanah dan lain-lain. Begitu juga dengan doktor veterinar. Maka itu kesimpulan hukum yang cetek.
Najis boleh disentuh tetapi hendaklah dibasuh apabila kita hendak beribadat ataupun berurusan dengan masyarakat. Menyentuh anjing yang kering sepakat ulama tidak najis. Menyentuh anjing basah khilaf pendapat dalam kalangan sarjana. Mazhab Syafie agak tegas dalam hal ini. Namun, pendapat-pendapat mazhab lain lebih luas dan mudah. Sebahagian fuqaha hanya membataskan najis anjing itu hanya jilatannya kerana itu sahaja yang disebut dalam hadis :

“Apabila anjing menjilat bekas seseorang kamu, maka basuhlah sebanyak tujuh kali. Salah satunya dengan tanah” (Riwayat al-Bukhari).

Memelihara Anjing Dalam Rumah

Adapun memelihara anjing dalam rumah tanpa sebab adalah tidak digalakkan oleh Islam. Nabi s.a.w bersabda:

“Sesiapa yang memelihara anjing kecuali anjing buruan ataupun ternakan (menjaga ternakan) maka berkurangan pahalanya setiap hari sebesar qirat (Bukit Uhud)” (Riwayat al-Bukhari dan Muslim)

Berdasarkan hadis ini, maka sekurang-kurangnya memelihara anjing tanpa sebab yang disebutkan berada pada hukum makruh. Ada ulama yang mengharamkan. Namun hadis di atas tidak menyebut dosa, tetapi pengurang pahala sahaja. Maka, hukum makruh dipilih oleh sebahagian fuqaha. Hikmahnya, mungkin atas beberapa sebab yang berkaitan kerohanian dan kemasyarakat.
Islam menyuruh kita mengalukan tetamu. Bukan semua orang suka dengan anjing. Baunya dan juga salakannya boleh menakutkan sesetengah orang. Sesiapa yang pernah pergi ke rumah pemelihara anjing, atau menaiki kenderaan yang ada anjing dia akan tahu baunya yang bukan semua orang dapat bertahan. Salakan anjing dan bulu-bulu di sana-sini bagaikan tidak mengalu-alukan tetamu. Sedangkan Islam agama kemasyarakatan dan hubungan baik antara jiran, saudara-mara dan sahabat handai.
Dari segi keselamatan dan kesihatan juga mempunyai kemerbahayaannya. Gigitan anjing, najis serta jilatannya merbahaya. Banyak kajian yang telah dibuat tentang hal ini. Apabila Islam cuba mengelakkan bahaya anjing yang dipelihara dalam rumah dengan melarang penganutnya berbuat demikian, bukan itu bererti penindasan terhadap anjing. Betapa banyak binatang yang manusia elakkan dari menghampirinya kerana kemerbahayaannya. Itu semua bukan bererti penindasan atau kekejaman!
Dalam hadis tadi, Nabi s.a.w:

“Apabila anjing menjilat bekas seseorang kamu, maka basuhlah sebanyak tujuh kali. Salah satunya dengan tanah” (Riwayat al-Bukhari).

Untuk mengelakkan jilatan anjing yang sentiasa menjelir lidah, yang dianggap najis dari segi agama dan juga bahaya dari segi saintifik maka Islam melarang untuk kita memelihara anjing di dalam rumah tanpa alasan yang diizinkan.
Maka ini ringkasan yang sempat saya coretkan petang ini berhubung dengan sisi pandangan nas-nas Islam berkaitan dengan anjing.

Although i love dogs society here makes it a crime which it is not,here is an excerpt of what I wrote in a comment 2 years back on the same issue!
"
This is a comment i make in American Bedu run by the late Carol Fleming whom as usual the muslims say she is an CIA agent. Her Husband was a saudi diplomat who has pass away of cancer. She too succumb to it this year

wan zaharizan, on June 20, 2010 at 11:13 am said:

It is funny when it comes to dogs. In the Quran Dog is given an exalted position for her story is mention in the chapter of the Cave as the companion of those who slept for a hundred years! The only thing was Dogs and Pigs are said to be najis mughalazah the closest meaning is dirty which is basically not the same, similar yes but not the same!!!!
Even then if it is wet, yet if you keep a hunting dog and if the dog pick up a bird which have fall after you shoot it, the food is halal. You do not need even to slaughter it!!!!! and samak it although the dog has bite it!!!!Samak the closest meaning to it is to clean , to me you can clean it with water and soap it would do in fact all food need to be clean that way!!! But many conservative muslims require a ritual of soil and water. It is just part of belief not of faith!!!
The only one you can find about dog is in the hadiths where the angel jibrail was angry at the dogs barking thus Muhammad pbuh was to have said those who keep dogs th angels would never come in. This was the basis of the values that many cultures says don’t keep dogs!!! For me if it is true then better for me to keep dogs then the angel of death would never come in and I could leave forever!!! How happy I would be then!!!!
There are many hadiths against the keeping of dogs but hadiths is not the Quran and we have to understand that Muhammad is man, a husband an Arab and most importantly a prophet, hadiths must be analyze further to understand.
A very famous story both in Islam and Christian is regarding the prostitute who gave water to a Dog. Because of her act she goes to heaven!! Why these two factors were introduce perhaps it is for us to think. A Prostitute is a human she errs. She might be the scum of the society but she is still a servant of God. A lowly dog is the biggest najis combine the 2 it tell us it is not important so much about dogs or cats,it is about duties the we humans are ask to perform. We must not forget that!!!
A dog too is a creature of God being kind to to God’s creature is ask of us!! Not to malign them or hurt them but to love them. They have the right to exist like we have and for that we are ask to protect them. I hope this explain solve the dilemma whether you can keep dogs or not. My father kept dogs, he loves dogs but since my society have become conservative we can’t anymore~~~

I rest my case~