I was a practicing Muslim for 19 years. I took it seriously and was very"religious".
I believed dogs were dirty, impure, unclean and I avoided them at all costs.
I thought people who owned dogs were filthy. I believed Muslims were superior as we had been given this insight into dogs and 'our' way of life, the Shariah, protected us.
This all changed.
I spent some time in a small Muslim village in Asia a few years ago. Dogs lived wild in the most terrible conditions and were treated awfully. It was heartbreaking. Daily heartbreak to see these creatures living this way.
The villagers, all Muslim, saw nothing wrong in it as the faith teaches that dogs are filthy and should even be killed.
I could not understand how my religion, which I believed to be so organic and connected to nature, could call upon mankind to treat another being on this earth in such an unmerciful manner - even more so when the adherents to this religion pray to the 'Most Merciful' five times a day.
Returning to my home country, I decided I wanted a dog. Simply because I wanted to make a point that Muslims have got it wrong somewhere. Plus I wanted to be able to give a dog a happy life.
I was determined to get a dog.
I read up on my fiqh (Islamic laws) and understood what was right and wrong and managed to persuade myself that getting a dog was OK - I wasn't going to hell for it! I believed that by getting a dog I could show other Muslims how wrong they have got it.
What followed however, I really did not expect....
Over the coming months, and what has turned into a few years now, has been a slow unraveling of my whole belief system.
Having started to look into why Islam is so anti-dog I was forced into really examining the science of hadith and its relation to fiqh and the sharia.
I started to uncover facts I never knew about the collection of hadith, massive contradictions within the bodies of texts, disagreements between scholars, the role of politics in financing the Ulema and all sorts of hard facts that have highlighted to me how full of holes Islam is in terms of being a complete, whole religion for all mankind until the end of time.
I read and read and read and read for what seemed liked forever- non-stop trying to find answers.
I read non-stop for years. At points I gave up - mentally exhausted - thinking it's easier just to carry on sticking with what I know. But when you realise something is wrong, it doesn't go away easily. It nags at you; digs into your brain - always in the background gnawing at the reality you're trying to protect.
So, I have realised that what is known as 'Islam' today is made up. I have after many months had to admit that I can no longer call myself a 'Muslim' in the modern sense of the word.
I still believe in a man called Muhammad who may have come with a message or a reminder, but what has become the Quran and what has become "the religion" is now for me so far removed from what I believe God would want from us.
Islam is not what it pretends to be. It's man-made. It's corrupt. It's fake.
This blog is about trying to help others who may be in the same situation - either a Muslim wanting a dog, or someone questioning whether Islam really is THE truth.
You can contact me via Twitter.
Here's some of my blogs about dogs & Islam:
I believed dogs were dirty, impure, unclean and I avoided them at all costs.
I thought people who owned dogs were filthy. I believed Muslims were superior as we had been given this insight into dogs and 'our' way of life, the Shariah, protected us.
This all changed.
I spent some time in a small Muslim village in Asia a few years ago. Dogs lived wild in the most terrible conditions and were treated awfully. It was heartbreaking. Daily heartbreak to see these creatures living this way.
The villagers, all Muslim, saw nothing wrong in it as the faith teaches that dogs are filthy and should even be killed.
Returning to my home country, I decided I wanted a dog. Simply because I wanted to make a point that Muslims have got it wrong somewhere. Plus I wanted to be able to give a dog a happy life.
I was determined to get a dog.
I read up on my fiqh (Islamic laws) and understood what was right and wrong and managed to persuade myself that getting a dog was OK - I wasn't going to hell for it! I believed that by getting a dog I could show other Muslims how wrong they have got it.
What followed however, I really did not expect....
Over the coming months, and what has turned into a few years now, has been a slow unraveling of my whole belief system.
Having started to look into why Islam is so anti-dog I was forced into really examining the science of hadith and its relation to fiqh and the sharia.
I started to uncover facts I never knew about the collection of hadith, massive contradictions within the bodies of texts, disagreements between scholars, the role of politics in financing the Ulema and all sorts of hard facts that have highlighted to me how full of holes Islam is in terms of being a complete, whole religion for all mankind until the end of time.
I read and read and read and read for what seemed liked forever- non-stop trying to find answers.
I read non-stop for years. At points I gave up - mentally exhausted - thinking it's easier just to carry on sticking with what I know. But when you realise something is wrong, it doesn't go away easily. It nags at you; digs into your brain - always in the background gnawing at the reality you're trying to protect.
So, I have realised that what is known as 'Islam' today is made up. I have after many months had to admit that I can no longer call myself a 'Muslim' in the modern sense of the word.
I still believe in a man called Muhammad who may have come with a message or a reminder, but what has become the Quran and what has become "the religion" is now for me so far removed from what I believe God would want from us.
Islam is not what it pretends to be. It's man-made. It's corrupt. It's fake.
This blog is about trying to help others who may be in the same situation - either a Muslim wanting a dog, or someone questioning whether Islam really is THE truth.
You can contact me via Twitter.
Here's some of my blogs about dogs & Islam:
- Dogs in the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad
- Why can't Muslims touch dogs?
- Hadith on Dogs - The Isnad
- The Puppy and the Prophet Muhammad
- Dogs in Islam: Applying Logic & Reason to Hadith and Fiqh
- Why are Dogs Haram in Islam?
- Confirmation Bias and the Myth of Dog Saliva Najis
- Islam and Dogs - The Influence of Judaism
