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This content has been automatically translated. View original in Arabic
Peace be upon you and God's mercy. A few days ago, the child Muhammad Islam Al-Nabali - may God have mercy on him - passed away after a dog bit his head. If there were a genuine appreciation for human dignity, a state of extreme alertness would have been declared following this incident to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.
However, unfortunately, despite the repeated incidents of dog attacks and harm to people, appropriate measures have not been taken. Therefore, a serious stand is needed to hold accountable those involved in this file, who are many as we will see. The dignity of man is greater than the whims and interests of the frivolous, and it is time to condemn these people and take the society to task.
The child's father, Yahya, said a profound statement: "By God, if we had followed the law of our Lord, we would not have reached this point." And God Almighty is truthful when He says: "Then We have put you on a law from the command, so follow it, and do not follow the desires of those who do not know." Let us see how violating the Sharia has brought us to this state in the matter of dog attacks.
The first partner is the one who allows the importation of these dogs and their sale for entertainment and imitation of the West. We are not talking here about acquiring dogs for a legitimate reason, but about trading them for entertainment and profit. In the authentic hadith: "The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) forbade the price of the dog." It is not permissible to trade dogs, neither buying nor selling, because this leads to their proliferation and loss of control.
The second partner is the seller who seeks to make money without caring about its prohibition, and there are those who engage in breeding dogs, increasing their numbers, and selling them in our countries in an unregulated manner.
The third partner is the young man or woman who imitates foreign films in acquiring dogs and associating with them without awareness of identity or creed, and without considering issues of impurity and prayer.
Some may say: "These attacks come from stray dogs, not owned ones." The truth is that owned dogs are an integral part of the problem. Through my contact with experts in dog shelters in Jordan, it became clear that some owners abandon their dogs in the streets when they grow old or get sick or their costs increase, turning them into stray and predatory dogs.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) set clear guidelines for acquiring dogs, saying: "Whoever acquires a dog except for hunting or livestock, his reward will be reduced by two Qirats every day."
It is permissible to acquire dogs for guarding or hunting, but not to show them off in the streets. What is happening today is "unjust acquisition"; where someone buys a dog and then gets tired of it, or is unable to afford its treatment, and then throws it into the street. This act combines disobedience to God in unlawful acquisition and disobedience to Him by harming people by releasing these animals.
There are even specialized centers that train dogs to be vicious, so that if they bite, they do not open their jaws until they tear the flesh, and all this happens without monitoring the number of these dogs or their fate.
The fourth partner is those who raise the banner of animal welfare to belittle human life. As Muslims, we do not accept the torture of animals or their brutal killing, for our Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Verily, Allah has prescribed kindness in everything, so if you kill, do so with kindness."
However, when "rabid" dogs (harmful and predatory) spread, the Sharia commands to repel their harm. In the agreed-upon hadith: "Five animals may be killed in both sacred and non-sacred areas: the snake, the black crow, the rat, the rabid dog, and the predatory animal."
How can those who fight the killing of the rabid dog that threatens the lives of children be justified? Their reference is not the Sharia, but foreign institutions that equate the value of man and animal.
The fifth partner is the media that broadcasts triviality into the minds of the youth and incites the breeding of dogs as a modern lifestyle. When I went to condole the family of Yahya - may God have mercy on him - one of his relatives told me that at the time a report about Yahya's death was being broadcast, one of the well-known channels was broadcasting a report on "the gentle treatment of dogs," hosting dogs in the studio to normalize the idea of acquiring them for entertainment, disregarding the feelings of the afflicted and the safety of society.
The sixth partner is the authorities responsible for controlling this phenomenon, who neglect their duty. An expert in dog care told me about a shelter in Amman dedicated to dogs, whose mission is to cause sterility in them, give them the necessary vaccinations, and treat them.
This expert said: "This shelter cost seven million dinars to build, and when I visited it four years ago, I found only one or two dogs there! Despite the presence of an administrative staff and six or seven veterinarians."
Where do these huge sums of money go? Woe to the embezzlers who waste the trusts. He also informed me about cases of corruption related to the theft of narcotic materials used in tranquilizer guns to catch and treat stray dogs, which hinders field work and exacerbates the crisis.
Look how many commands of God and His Messenger (peace be upon him) have been violated in this phenomenon. As Yahya's father said: "By God, if we had followed the law of our Lord, we would not have reached what we have reached."
It must be said to all of them: The law of God is more important than your whims and interests. Our dignity and the safety of our children are more important than your comfort with your dogs and your financial corruption. This is a living example of the saying of our Prophet (peace be upon him) in the hadith of the ship: "If they leave them and what they intended, they will all perish, and if they take them to task, they will all be saved."
When we denounce evil and say that this act is forbidden, we are protecting the entire society because we are in one ship. I saw a video of a small child being attacked by four dogs and bitten until he fell to the ground; we should not wait until this happens to our sons or daughters in the streets.
Raise your voices, honorable people, and spread awareness about this issue. It is not acceptable to reach a stage where we are asked to remain silent about corruption, but also to remain silent about dog attacks resulting from this corruption and following whims.
God is our helper, and peace be upon you and God's mercy.