Why Should We Wash Seven Times after Touching a Dog?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

I’m a 10-year-old Muslim girl, and I was asked the question, “Why do we need to wash 7 times after touching a dog?”

Answer

Thank you for your question. I appreciate and admire your question at your young age, may Allah increase you in knowledge and faith!

Dog Filth

Washing seven times is based on the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be well pleased with him) that the Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “The cleansing of the utensil belonging to one of you, after it has been licked by a dog, is to wash it seven times, and using soil for cleaning at the first time.” [Muslim]

Also, keep in mind that if you touch a dog while he is dry and your hand is dry, there is no purification necessary. But if there is wetness on your hand or from the dog, such as the wetness from a lick, or his nose or his fur is wet, then you should wash the area seven times, one of them with earth or soap.

Hunting and Guarding

Please note that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) allowed people to use dogs for hunting and for the security of herds, so there is much good to be had from dogs, alhamdulillah. [from a hadith of Abu Dawud]

Please see these links for more details:

• Dog’s Saliva [ Shafi’i ]
• Purity and Dogs
• How Should We Handle the Saliva of Dogs?

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.