Tidak Salah Kita Memelihara Anjing Dalam Islam - Dr. MAZA

Former Perlis mufti Mohd Asri nevertheless questions the motive of a Muslim woman for making a video celebrating Hari Raya with her dogs.

PETALING JAYA: Former Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said it was not wrong for Muslims to care for or even own a dog.

“In fact, it is rewardable in Islam to care for a dog. In a hadith, a prostitute was forgiven by Allah because she gave some water to a dog,” he said.

“There is also a story of a bunch of youths who revolted against the government and were forced to flee to a cave, where they lived for a long time. These youths were joined by a dog.

“Therefore, the dog is not always a bad connotation. They are not our enemies,” he added.

Mohd Asri was responding to a video showing a Muslim woman and her three dogs with ‘takbir raya’ playing in the background.

The video, made three years ago by Maznah Mohd Yusof, 38, also known as Chetz, surfaced recently on Facebook, and quickly provoked a firestorm of protests among Muslims groups.

The video, which lasts 1:44 seconds, portrays her in a black Baju Melayu performing ablutions before preparing kuih raya for her dogs.

It also broadcasts the words ‘Raikanlah Aidilfitri bersama-sama, tanpa mengira spesis, warna, asal usul’ (Celebrate Aidilfitri together regardless of species, colour, origin) while featuring the three dogs.

‘Dog a symbol of insult’

Mohd Asri, however, questioned the woman’s reason for making the video.

“There is also a verse in a hadith that disallowed Muslims from bringing dogs into the house. You can own one for protection, but you have to leave it in the compound,” he said.

“In our society the connotation is bad, why do you want to connect these things (the dogs with Hari Raya)? I just don’t understand why she did that. Dogs are considered as insulting animals,” he added.

Mohd Asri said dogs were also considered an insulting animal in Western culture, although they are often known as “man’s best friend”.

“If I call you a dog, that’s an insult. The dog is a symbol of insult,” he said.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has since been directed to take action on the YouTube video which allegedly insults Islam.

Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Jailani Johari said the commission was instructed to immediately carry out investigations as the video could affect Muslim sensitivities.

“I’ve received many questions on this although the MCMC has yet to get any report on the matter. Therefore I’ve directed the commission to investigate the video,” he told Bernama yesterday.

Maznah was arrested today for causing disharmony following a public outcry over her video clip.


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