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What is the meaning of "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade the price of a dog, the dowry of a harlot, and the earnings of a soothsayer"?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The circulating Hadith prohibits the sale of dogs and forbids earning from adultery and divination. The dowry of a harlot is what an adulteress receives in exchange for adultery, and it is Haram by consensus. The astrologer's sweetmeat (hulwan al-kahin) is what is given to him in exchange for his divination, and it is also Haram by consensus because it is taking money unjustly. The prohibition of the price of a dog indicates the impermissibility of its sale and that its price is not lawful. This is the view of the majority of scholars. However, Abu Hanifa permitted the sale of dogs that are beneficial, and narrations from Malik mention permission for their sale in some cases and prohibition in others.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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