Riyad as-Salihin · Chapter 306

Prohibition of Keeping a Dog except as a Watchdog or Hunting

باب تحريم اتخاذ الكلب إلا لصيد أو ماشية أو زرع

Here the focus narrows to keeping dogs, and the texts permit it for a clear purpose, guarding crops or livestock or for hunting, while discouraging it otherwise. The recurring measure is the qirat, a great unit of reward, drained daily from the keeper who has no such need. The lesson is about weighing what we bring into our lives against its cost to our worship and our reward.

Notice the two hadith largely agree, with the wording moving between one qirat and two; the point is not the exact figure but that needless keeping carries a real spiritual price. The detail of permitted versus discouraged keeping is a matter the scholars work out; for the heart, the takeaway is to keep only what serves a genuine need and not let habit quietly erode our good deeds.

Hadith 1688

Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said:

عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول‏:‏ ‏ "‏من اقتنى كلبًا إلا كلب صيد أو ماشية فإنه ينقص فإنه ينقص من أجره كل يوم قيراطان‏" ‏ ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏ وفي رواية‏:‏ ‏ ‏قيراط‏‏‏.‏

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who keeps a dog other than one for guarding the fields or herds or hunting, will lose two Qirat every day out of his rewards." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

In plain words

Keeping a dog without need, that is, not for guarding crops or livestock or for hunting, costs the owner a measure of reward each day. Keep only what serves a genuine purpose.

Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1688 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 178

Hadith 1689

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏:‏ ‏"‏من أمسك كلبًا فإنه ينقص كل يوم من عمله قيراط إلا كلب حرث أو ماشية‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏ وفي رواية لمسلم‏:‏ ‏"‏من اقتنى كلبًا ليس بكلب صيد، ولا ماشية ولا أرض، فإنه ينقص من أجره قيراطان كل يوم‏"‏‏.‏

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who keeps a dog, will lose out of his good deeds equal to one Qirat every day, except one who keeps it for guarding the fields or the herd." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. In a narration of Muslim, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is reported to have said: "He who keeps a dog for any reason other than to guard his property (lands) or his flock of sheep, his good deeds equal to two Qirat will be deducted every day."

In plain words

Whoever keeps a dog loses a set amount of his good deeds daily, unless it guards fields or herds. The lesson is to weigh what we take into our lives against its cost to our reward.

Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1689 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 179