Is it permissible to kill a purely black dog?
Chapter on Selling the Musarrah (Animal with milk retained in udder)
Al-Mughni
Book of Sales
Primary text
It is permissible to kill a purely black dog because it is a devil (*shaytan*). This is supported by the report that the Prophet, peace be upon him, stated, "The black dog is a devil," when asked by Abu Dharr. Furthermore, there is a narration that the Prophet, peace be upon him, commanded the killing of dogs until a woman from the desert would have her dog killed, and then he prohibited their killing, advising, "Adhere to the purely black one with two tails, for it is a devil." This is based on the narration reported by Muslim.
Supporting text
A tradition suggests that if dogs were not considered a community (*ummah*) among animals, he would have ordered their killing entirely, commanding the killing of every purely black one.