Question 2080: Is it permissible to kill a stray dog?

512 21 Sep 2025
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✅ Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 عَنِ السَّکُونِیِّ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: قَالَ أَمِیرُ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ بَعَثَنِی رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَی الْمَدِینَةِ فَقَالَ لَا تَدَعْ صُورَةً إِلَّا مَحَوْتَهَا وَ لَا قَبْراً إِلَّا سَوَّیْتَهُ وَ لَا کَلْباً إِلَّا قَتَلْتَهُ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 528

Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Amir al-Mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sent me to Medina and said: Leave no picture unless you erase it, and leave no grave unless you level it, and leave no dog unless you kill it!

2 عَنْ سُلَیْمَانَ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ الْجَعْفَرِیِّ عَنِ الرِّضَا عَنْ آبَائِهِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَهَی عَنْ قَتْلِ خَمْسَةٍ الصُّرَدِ وَ الصُّوَّامِ وَ الْهُدْهُدِ وَ النَّحْلَةِ وَ النَّمْلَةِ وَ الْضَّفْدَع وَ أَمَرَ بِقَتْلِ خَمْسَةٍ الْغُرَابِ وَ الْحِدَأَةِ وَ الْحَیَّةِ وَ الْعَقْرَبِ وَ الْکَلْبِ الْعَقُورِ.

📚 Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha, Vol. 1, p. 277

Imam Reza, peace be upon him, narrated from his forefathers that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, forbade the killing of five things: the shrike (or) the nightjar, the hoopoe, the honeybee, the ant, and the frog.

And he commanded the killing of five things: the crow, the kite (a bird known for catching mice), the snake, the scorpion, and the biting dog!

3 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ یَحْیَی عَنِ النَّوْفَلِیِّ عَنِ السَّکُونِیِّ عَنْ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَبِیهِ عَنْ عَلِیٍّ فِیمَنْ قَتَلَ کَلْبَ الصَّیْدِ قَالَ یَغْرَمُهُ وَ کَذَلِکَ الْبَازِی وَ کَذَلِکَ کَلْبُ الْغَنَمِ وَ کَذَلِکَ کَلْبُ الْحَائِطِ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 9, p. 80

Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, narrated from his father from Amir al-Mu'minin, peace be upon him, regarding someone who kills a hunting dog: He must pay its compensation, as well as for a hunting falcon, a herding dog, and a garden dog!

4 عَنِ السَّکُونِیِّ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: قَالَ أَمِیرُ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ الْکَلْبُ الْأَسْوَدُ الْبَهِیمُ لَا تَأْکُلْ صَیْدَهُ لِأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهَ أَمَرَ بِقَتْلِهِ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 206

Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Do not eat the game caught by a solid black dog, for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, commanded the killing of such a dog!

5 عَنِ اَلْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنِ اَلْفَضْلِ أَبِي اَلْعَبَّاسِ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: إِذَا أَصَابَ ثَوْبَكَ مِنَ اَلْكَلْبِ رُطُوبَةٌ فَاغْسِلْهُ وَ إِنْ مَسَّهُ جَافّاً فَاصْبُبْ عَلَيْهِ اَلْمَاءَ قُلْتُ لِمَ صَارَ بِهَذِهِ اَلْمَنْزِلَةِ قَالَ لِأَنَّ اَلنَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ أَمَرَ بِقَتْلِهَا.

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 1, p. 261

Fadl said: Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: If your clothes touch a dog while they are wet, wash them, and if they touch it while dry, pour water on them. I said: Why is it in this position? He said: Because the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, commanded its killing!

6 عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: دِیَةُ کَلْبِ الصَّیْدِ أَرْبَعُونَ دِرْهَماً وَ دِیَةُ کَلْبِ الْمَاشِیَةِ عِشْرُونَ دِرْهَماً وَ دِیَةُ الْکَلْبِ الَّذِی لَیْسَ لِلصَّیْدِ وَ لَا لِلْمَاشِیَةِ زِنْبِیلٌ مِنْ تُرَابٍ عَلَی الْقَاتِلِ أَنْ یُعْطِیَ وَ عَلَی صَاحِبِهِ أَنْ یَقْبَلَ.

📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 4, p. 170

Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: The blood money for a hunting dog is forty dirhams, the blood money for a herding dog is twenty dirhams, and the blood money for a dog that is neither for hunting nor for herding is a basket of dirt! It is on the killer to pay, and on the owner of the dog to accept!

✅ Based on the above narrations and others, the killing of biting dogs and solid black dogs has been commanded, but the killing of a hunting dog, a herding dog, and a guard dog has not been permitted, and if someone kills these dogs, he must pay compensation to the owner of the dog. The killing of other dogs is absolute.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر

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