Jakim tells Muslim pet dog owner to repent

The Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has told a Muslim dog owner to repent, advising her that unnecessarily touching of dogs is forbidden in the school of Islam followed in Malaysia. 

Nurhanizah Abdul Rahman, in a video uploaded to Facebook, shared the story of her relationship with her pet dog Bubu as part of a competition by pet food brand Smart Heart. 

Jakim said her decision to touch a dog for no reason had "caused distress among Muslims because it goes against the mazhab (Islamic school of thought) and customs practised in Malaysia. 

Jakim director-general Othman Mustapha said although Islam provides a cleansing method if a Muslim has touched a dog, it does not mean that it is permissible to touch dogs for no reason. 

"This is just like someone who commits a sin with the excuse that they will repent later. 

"Jakim hopes she will immediately stop what she is doing and repent to Allah. 

She appears to be trying to set a new custom which could lead to actions which malign Islam," he said in a statement. 

Othman, however, noted that Islam also prevents cruelty against dogs, but the Shafie school of thought followed by Muslims in the country bars keeping dogs as pets. 

"We urge her to refer to Jakim on the rules of caring for dogs so a solution can be found for the greater good," he said. 

In the video, Nurhanizah said she had adopted her pet dog Bubu so he would not be caught in an operation against stray dogs. 

Nurhanizah who wears a tudung started feeding Bubu when it was a stray because she felt sorry for it. 

She eventually opened her house gate to let Bubu shelter from the heat and rain under her porch. 

"I had put Bubu up for adoption but there were no takers," she said. 

Nurhanizah said she walks the dog at night so as to not upset Muslims in her community who disapprove of what she is doing. 

She said food laced with poison and faeces have been thrown into her porch, where Bubu stays. 

"A lot has changed in my life (since I adopted Bubu). I have to always be prepared.

"It has taught me to be patient because people don't like seeing me with a dog; it is not a norm in Malay community. 

"I have to be patient and accept it when people throw insults at me, because what else can I do?" she asked. 

In 2014, an event held to desensitise Muslims in Malaysia about dogs received severe backlash after pictures of women clad in tudung hugging dogs circulated online. 

According to the majority of scholars in the Shafie school of thought, dogs fall in the category of najis mughallazah (major impurity) and Muslims who come into contact with its saliva or excrement must perform ritualistic cleansing called "sertu". 

However, the animal can be kept to guard property, as guides, for hunting, as shepherds and similar purposes. 

Scholars from the Maliki and Hanafi schools of thoughts, however, believe the only impure part of the dog is its saliva and sertu must be performed after contact with dog's saliva.- Mkini