What is the ruling on someone who uses the words "dog" or "donkey" to describe a tyrannical person during a Friday sermon or a lecture, whether inside or outside the mosque?
A Muslim, especially a preacher, should be pure of tongue and far from cursing and reviling, because a Muslim is not a curser or foul-mouthed. Good speech should be used with all people, and obscenity in speech is not permissible, even with those who deserve condemnation. A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) likened the Jews to apes and pigs, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) rebuked her for that, saying: "Hold your tongue! Indeed, Allah does not love obscenity or being obscene." Likening a Muslim to a dog or a donkey is considered a forbidden form of reviling, and warrants disciplinary action according to the majority of scholars. However, according to some Hanafis, it does not warrant punishment if the falsehood in the statement is evident. There is no sanctity for an infidel combatant, so reviling him is permissible.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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