Reinterpreting Ritual Purity in the City: Fiqh Sosial Perspectives on Pet Dog Ownership among Shafi‘i Communities in Contemporary Egypt
Keywords:
Dār al-Iftāʾ, ecological harmony, najāsah, Fiqh Sosial, urban coexistence
Abstract
Urbanization and modern lifestyles in Cairo, Egypt, have transformed the interaction between Muslims, predominantly Shafi'i adherents, and dogs, which are traditionally considered strictly impure (najāsah mughallaẓah). This study explores this social shift using a socio-legal approach and the Fiqh Sosial (Social Fiqh) perspective of KH. M.A. Sahal Mahfudh. Data were collected through field observations in Cairo and an analysis of contemporary fatwas issued by Dār al-Iftāʾal-Miṣriyyah. The results show that the dense urban spatial reality and ecological metabolism of the metropolis create an unavoidable situation (ʿumūm al-balwā). Consequently, Shafi'i adherents pragmatically negotiate this hardship by adopting the Maliki school's view, which regards living dogs as pure. This practice of inter-madzhab concession (rukhṣah) is institutionally legitimized by Dār al-Iftāʾ, which formally allows dog ownership for specific needs and suggests the Maliki ruling to relieve public anxiety (waswas). The study concludes that Islamic law in contemporary Egypt functions not as rigid orthodoxy, but as a flexible, problem-solving instrument that accommodates cultural dynamics and public interest (maṣlahah), fostering an inclusive ecological harmony in public spaces.
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Alsayyad, N. (2011). Cairo: Histories of a City. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
an-Nawawi, A. Z. (1925). Al-Majmu’ Syarh al-Muhadzdzab. al-Muniriyyah.
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Daruhadi, G., & Sopiati, P. (2024). Pengumpulan Data Penelitian. J-CEKI : Jurnal Cendekia Ilmiah, 3(5), 5423–5443. https://doi.org/10.56799/jceki.v3i5.5181
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Hakim, M. L. (2019). Aplikasi Konsep Fiqh Sosial KH. MA. Sahal Mahfudh terhadap Batas Usia Perkawinan dalam Pasal 7 Ayat (1) Undang-Undang Perkawinan. Islamic Review : Jurnal Riset Dan Kajian Keislaman. https://doi.org/10.35878/islamicreview.v8i2.174
Hakim, M. L. (2022). Dialektika Hak Ijbar Dalam Undang-Undang Perkawinan Perspektif Fiqh Sosial MA. Sahal Mahfudh. YUDISIA : Jurnal Pemikiran Hukum Dan Hukum Islam, 13(2), 247–266. https://doi.org/10.21043/yudisia.v13i2.15908
Hallaq, W. B. (2009). Shari’a: Theory, Practice, Transformations. Cambridge University Press.
Hidayat, A. A., & Arifuddin, Q. (2020). Implementasi Hukum Islam dalam Masyarakat Indonesia (Pendekatan Sosiologi Hukum). BUSTANUL FUQAHA: Jurnal Bidang Hukum Islam, 1(4), 725–739. https://doi.org/10.36701/bustanul.v1i4.285
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Independent, E. (2025). Up to 40 Million stray dogs in Egypt’s streets: Official. https://www.egyptindependent.com/up-to-40-million-stray-dogs-in-egypts-streets-official/
Jalil, S., Rosmita, & Sa’dianti, S. (2025). The Ruling of Purification Using Water Leftover by Animals: A Comparative Study of the Maliki and Shafi’i Schools of Thought. AL-MABSUTH: Jurnal Studi Islam Dan Bahasa Arab, 1(2), 492–511. https://doi.org/10.36701/MABSUTH.V1I2.2535
Kudhori, M. (2018). Qaul al-Mukhtar al-Nawawi Sebagai Pendapat Alternatif Muslim Nusantara. Al-Manahij: Jurnal Kajian Hukum Islam, 12(1), 31–50. https://doi.org/10.24090/mnh.v12i1.1345
Luthfi, F., Aseri, A. F., Umar, M., & Khasyi’in, N. (2024). Pendekatan Sosio-Legal Terhadap Fatwa: Analisis Kedudukan dan Peran Fatwa MUI di Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Islamic Jurisprudence, Economic and Legal Theory, 2(4), 2226–2245. https://doi.org/10.62976/ijijel.v2i4.824
Mahfudh, S. (1994). Nuansa Fiqh Sosial. LKiS.
Maiyati, R., Alhafiza, R. G., Hanum, S., & Ismiati, I. (2024). Dog Raising in Jorong Kapalo Koto Nagari Gantung Ciri Kubung Subdistrict, Solok Regency (Study Living Hadith). International Journal of Research, 2(2), 203–218. https://doi.org/10.55062//IJR.2024.v2i2/634/5
Makmur, A. M. R., Syaripudin, A., & Istiqamah, M. (2025). Hukum Menyentuh Bulu Anjing Menurut Imam Abū Ḥanīfah dan Imam al-Syāfi‘ī (Studi Komparasi). AL-MABSUTH: Jurnal Studi Islam Dan Bahasa Arab, 1(3), 709–729. https://doi.org/10.36701/mabsuth.v1i3.2520
Mangka, J., Mahmuddin, R., & Nasruddin, A. (2024). The Uncleanness of Pigs and Wild Animals and Their Purification Mechanisms (Comparative Study of the Maliki School and the Shafi’i School). AL-QIBLAH: Jurnal Studi Islam Dan Bahasa Arab, 3(5), 887–914. https://doi.org/10.36701/QIBLAH.V3I5.1749
Sumbulah, U., & Nurjanah. (2012). Pluralisme Agama: Makna dan Lokalitas Pola Kerukunan Antarumat Beragama. UIN Maliki Press.
Supriadi, I. D. K., Mahmuddin, R., & M, A. (2025). Analisis Hukum Pemanfaatan Bangkai Binatang (Studi Komparasi Mazhab Syafi’i dan Mazhab Hanbali). Jurnal Studi Islam Dan Bahasa Arab, 1(2), 343–361. https://doi.org/10.36701/muntaqa.v1i2.2514
Taha, N. M., Sabry, M. A., El-Bahy, M. M., & Ramadan, R. M. (2024). Awareness of Parasitic Zoonotic Diseases Among Pet Owners in Cairo, Egypt. Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports, 51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.101025
Umanailo, C. B. (2016). Sosilogi Hukum. Fam Publishing.
Wheatley, P. (2001). The Places Where Men Pray Together: Cities In Islamic Lands Seventh Through The Tenth Centuries. The University of Chicago Press.
Yusof, U. A., & Zahari, W. A. M. W. (2023). Hukum Najis Mughallazah dan Kaedah Sertu Menurut Pandangan Empat Mazhab: The Concept of Samak and Sertu: A Comparison According to Islamic Perspective. Journal of Quranic Sciences and Research, 4(2), 19–27. https://publisher.uthm.edu.my/ojs/index.php/jqsr/article/view/15564
Published
2026-06-20
How to Cite
Sukataman, S., Santono, A. N. R., Idlofi, I., Chamdan, U., Amien, M., & Salim, M. A. (2026). Reinterpreting Ritual Purity in the City: Fiqh Sosial Perspectives on Pet Dog Ownership among Shafi‘i Communities in Contemporary Egypt. Santri: Journal of Pesantren and Fiqh Sosial, 7(1), 31-46. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.35878/santri.v7i1.2294
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Articles
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