Q: Is it makrooh-e-tahreemi to keep pet birds? If yes, then what should one do? Can the pet birds be sold, purchased, hired, given to anyone for free? What should I do, can I kill it or do I have to let it go free.

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Keeping dogs

5 years ago By user2

Q: I owned a dog, although I don't currently have one. I became aware of the Hadith that keeping dogs as pets is prohibited, they may be kept for security reasons or as a guide dog for the blind. Based on this, I gave the dog to a person who would care for it and keep it since I acquired it as a pet.

However I borrow the dog from this person once a week, sometimes I borrow it for 1-2 hrs per week. Since childhood I had this wish to keep a dog although I didn’t know till now it was prohibited. I don’t allow the dog in the house while I borrow it. I also wear a tracksuit made of polyester material so that if the dogs saliva comes into contact, I can purify it with soil 7 times. In addition, I have also trained the dog to not lick.

Now with regards to keeping of dogs you may ask me why I’m keeping a dog and I know it’s haram that’s why I have given it to somebody who can care for it but during the week I sometimes play with it since I always had this wish to play with dogs and InshaAllah, I will try my best to get rid of this haram desire but until then can I keep the dog in this way until I’m no longer interested in this dog.

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Riding a cow or sitting in a bullock cart

5 years ago By user2

Q: Is it haram to ride a cow?

What about a bullock cart?

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Keeping security dogs

5 years ago By user2

Q: I would like to buy and keep a dog to start a mobile security dog service business. I would be keeping the dog to patrol empty businesses and warehouses. I will be keeping the dog outside in the small garden in a kennel at home. Is this allowed in Islam? Will I be able to pray in a mosque with the clothes I wear when I’m going to work and using the dog and at home.

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Conducting tests on animals

5 years ago By user2

Q: I am a medical scientist working in a research facility. Our work is to develop new medications and treatments for various diseases.

When we need to test a certain medication to see its effectiveness, side effects, etc, we use lab rats as our test specimens. We first infect the rat with the disease and then inject it with the medication to see the result. In some cases, other animals are used as well.

Recently, this began to bother me, as I realised that we are abusing and harming these creatures. However, we have to test the medications on some subject, and we obviously cannot do so on people. What should we do?