Somalis Feeding Stray Dogs and Cats and Birds
- Thread starter Galool
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Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as said: “A good deed done to an animal is as meritorious as a good deed done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as an act of cruelty to a human being.”
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
They are called Pariah dogs, sometimes as Psye-dogs, they also exist across South EastAsia, Middleast and NortheEast Africa. They are feral or stray dogs that live near human settlements, that is often considered part of a naturally selected ancient breed.
They are easily trainable, were used as mostly guard dogs and police dogs in the past. Somalis used to use them as shepherds dogs to guard and herd their livestock.
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I remember you shared how reer miyi treated dogs with kindness and employed them but reer magaal feared and hated dogs.
Dogs are actually, funnily enough, an original part of our culture. They seem to have been lost and forgotten rapidly after the 1800s or early 1900s due to the mentality in the magaalo spreading throughout the country in time:
But during the 1800s it seems most nomadic Somali and even some reer miyi had dogs so much so that you could tell they were nearby through the sound of barking:
As the sun sank towards the west, Long Guled complained bitterly of the raw breeze from the hills. We passed many villages, distinguished by the barking of dogs and the bleating of flocks, on their way to the field: the unhappy Raghe, however, who had now become our protege, would neither venture into a settlement, nor bivouac amongst the lions.
We passed the day under a tree: the camels escorted by my two attendants, and the women, did not arrive till sunset, having occupied about eight hours in marching as many miles. Fearing lions, we pitched inside the kraal, despite crying children, scolding wives, cattle rushing about, barking dogs, flies and ticks, filth and confinement.
At 1 A.M. on the 5th February, the wind having decreased we started. Passing through the pass of the
Rer Essa, the barking of dogs caused us some little uneasiness, as it betrayed the vicinity of the Bedoo,
whether friend or foe we knew not.
Source: First Footsteps in East Africa by Richard Burton. He travelled across much of the north all the way to Harar and many times was a guest to different local leaders, meeting everything from various different Daroods, Isaaqs, Dirs and even Hawiyes so it's interesting how he describes the presence of dogs like this as a normal part of Somali culture and not isolated to one tribe.
We halted a day at Gudingaras, wishing to see the migration of a tribe. Before dawn, on the 30th
November, the Somali Stentor proclaimed from the ridge-top, “Fetch your camels!—Load your goods!— We march!” About 8 A.M. we started in the rear. The spectacle was novel to me. Some 150 spearmen, assisted by their families, were driving before them divisions which, in total, might amount to 200 cows, 7000 camels, and 11,000 or 12,000 sheep and goats. Only three wore the Bal or feather, which denotes the brave; several, however, had the other decoration—an ivory armlet.24 Assisted by the boys, whose heads were shaved in a cristated fashion truly ridiculous, and large pariah dogs with bushy tails, they drove the beasts and carried the colts, belaboured runaway calves, and held up the hind legs of struggling sheep. The sick, of whom there were many,—dysentery being at the time prevalent,—were carried upon camels with their legs protruding in front from under the hide-cover. Many of the dromedaries showed the Habr Awal brand 25: laden with hutting materials and domestic furniture, they were led by the maidens: the matrons, followed, bearing their progeny upon their backs, bundled in the shoulder-lappets of cloth or hide. The smaller girls, who, in addition to the boys’ crest, wore a circlet of curly hair round the head, carried the weakling lambs and kids, or aided their mammas in transporting the baby. Apparently in great fear of the “All” or Commando, the Bedouins anxiously inquired if I had my “fire” with me26, and begged us to take the post of honour—the van. As our little party pricked forward, the camels started in alarm, and we were surprised to find that this tribe did not know the difference between horses and mules. Whenever the boys lost time in sport or quarrel, they were threatened by their fathers with the jaws of that ogre, the white stranger; and the women exclaimed, as they saw us approach, “Here comes the old man who knows knowledge!”27
There is also the fact that dogs were part of the original Cushitic cultural package when our ancestors began migrating from Sudan as early as 3000 BCE. They brought cattle, goats, sheep, donkeys and dogs with them and display as much in several of their cave paintings:
Arabians were similarly laden with dogs historically. They even have a specific and currently well-known breed the Bedouin used to be quite affectionate toward to the point of letting them into their tents:
But with them as well the Reer Magaal (Xadhar) mentality toward them, that I think grew more extreme since movements like that of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, spread and became more uniform. Nowhere is it stated they are xaraan, saaxiib. It's just their saliva and getting it on you requiring you redo your ablution before praying. The only mention of dogs in the Qur'an itself, from what I remember, is like one story that was actually positive.
They are good, loyal and useful beasts especially for one on a farm/ranch. Somalis need to let this absurd fear and hatred of them go, I reckon.
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