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Assalam o Alaikum,
I am an ardent animal lover. I have a few stray dogs outside my house whom i feed everyday, and they stay outside my premises.
my neighbours have started stoning the poor creatures because they dont like dogs and they are "na-paak" in islam. infact they want us to get them killed because they keep coming back to our lane.
I have tried to shooh off those innocent creatures by spraying water on them, and they look at me with such sad eyes as if asking me "why are you doing this to us? what have we done?"
I feel like crying.
what does islam say about feeding and treating dogs? Are they supposed to be so deprived of love and mercy in islam?
And right now what should I do? should I stop feeding them?

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    Actually in the maliki madhab dogs aren't even considered najas. There are some hadiths about feeding dogs which is considered as a very good action.
    – Kilise
    Jul 14, 2016 at 15:49
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    No, you won't be punished. Instead you get rewards for behaving with pure intentions towards an animal that can't even speak. Feeding anyone human or animal, with pure intentions is a good thing (in Islam and otherwise), except in certain cases(which are too rare). The thing to worry about is keeping them inside the house, or bounds of house.
    – user9301
    Jul 14, 2016 at 16:45

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There is nothing in Islam that states to hate dogs. We just keep away from dogs inside house because it can be harmful to us. In Quran, you can see dog being a companion of Ashabul kahf (companions of cave, see sura 18). In Sura 5 verse 4, it says that we can use dogs for hunting.

Regarding giving food to dog, there is nothing wrong in it. There is even an hadith in which giving water to dog is praised

A person suffered from intense thirst while on a journey, when he found a well. He climbed down into it and drank (water) and then came out and saw a dog lolling its tongue on account of thirst and eating the moistened earth. The person said: This dog has suffered from thirst as I had suffered from it. He climbed down into the well, filled his shoe with water, then caught it in his mouth until he climbed up and made the dog drink it. So Allah appreciated this act of his and pardoned him. Then (the Companions around him) said: Allah's Messenger, is there for us a reward even for (serving) such animals? He said: Yes, there is a reward for service to every living animal. http://www.sunnah.com/muslim/39/210

Your neighbors may be objecting to you giving food from your house because this will cause stray dogs roaming around near your locality and causing disturbance to them. To avoid this, you can give food to dogs in a non residential area.

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  • "We just keep away from dogs inside house because it can be harmful to us." - could you explain what you mean with "it can be harmful for us"?
    – Kilise
    Jul 20, 2017 at 21:04
  • If dogs get into contact with dogs outside, there are chance of them getting infected with rabies. And through them others in house can also infected. My neighbor died of rabies which he got through this way.
    – Shafeek
    Jul 21, 2017 at 11:04
  • Where do you live?
    – Kilise
    Jul 21, 2017 at 11:08
  • I am from India
    – Shafeek
    Jul 21, 2017 at 11:09

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