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Fatwa CenterA Guide Dog for the Blind
Question
I live in the UK and you might know that the English Kafir is the best dog trainer. They use dogs to search for illegal drugs, catch criminals, search for missing people and other uses. Among other uses the Kafireen use dogs to guide blind people. My brother is blind and now he is an adult and he wants his independence and dignity. He does not want us to walk with him as he wants to feel independent and a complete human adult. He wants to go shopping by himself without being escorted and also we can't be with him all the time. These dogs are very well-trained to look after their masters at all times. Is it Haram to bring this kind of dog to our house? It would be very difficult for the dog not to be in contact with my brother or us and in your Fatwa no. 91855 a dog can only be used for the purpose of hunting or protecting cattle and that a dog is Najas.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
Salim, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated from his father that the Prophet said: “Whoever keeps a (pet) dog which is neither a watch dog nor a hunting dog, will get a daily deduction of two Qiraat from his good deeds.” [Al-Bukhari]
Imam Muslim narrated the same Hadeeth with the following wording: “Whoever keeps a dog, one Qiraat of the reward of his good deeds is deducted daily unless the dog is used for guarding a farm, cattle, or for hunting.”
Based on the above Ahadeeth, the Muslim jurists permitted having a dog for the above three purposes, but they differed regarding the other purposes.
However, the understood reason for possessing a dog for the above purposes is the need of people. So, whenever there is a need to have a dog, then the same ruling applies, because sometimes a person may need a dog to keep his house, shop, etc.
It is reported that one of the Maaliki jurists used to have a dog to guard his house. Somebody objected and said, “How do you keep a dog while Imam Maalik did not permit having it except for the three purposes mentioned in the Ahadeeth?” He said: “If he (Imam Maalik) lived in this period, he would make it a predacious tiger.”
Therefore, the opinion that permits possessing a dog for necessity is more proper than other opinions. Ibn Hajar 
said: “Having a dog to get benefits and to get rid of harms is just as having it for the purpose of hunting, etc.” Therefore, our opinion is that having a dog for your blind brother to fulfill his needs is permissible if he does not have any alternative to it. But he should make the dog's place in the courtyard, etc., away from his room.
The Prophet said: “The angels do not enter a house where there is a dog.”
Touching the hair of a dog is permissible according to the most correct opinion of Muslim scholars. The ruling of saliva does not apply to its hair since saliva comes from inside the dog while hair does not.
For more benefit on legitimate reasons for keeping a dog, please refer to Fataawa 324532, 419983, 92109, 81421, 91174 and 85829.
For more benefit on the ruling of the impurity of dogs, please read to Fatwa 82644.
Allah knows best.
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