Islamic Dog Names

Bubu is a sizeable tan colored dog who lives in Malaysia with his owner, Nurhanizah Abdul Rahman. Nurhanizah is a young Muslim woman who is very devout and proudly dons the hijab. However, unlike many Islamic followers in her country, she chooses to own a dog. She views Bubu as her best friend. Although in her country, the canine's saliva is considered unclean, she overcomes the problem by ritualistically washing after she cares for her furry friend. As many young Muslims around the world are doing, she and her dog have found a balance between religious beliefs and pet ownership. They are both delighted with their relationship. 

Budu owes his life to Nurhanizah. As is common in Malaysia, each year the country undergoes a massive culling of all of the street dogs. Nurhanizah saved Budu from the slaughter and offered him a safe home filled with love. 

One day Nurhanizah heard about a dog food company's competition on Facebook that was being hosted online. The winner would receive a years supply of dog food. All she had to do was make a short video of herself and Bubu. In the video, she had to show their unique friendship. Dog lovers around the world found the short video sweet and endearing. Unfortunately, government officials in Malaysia did not like the video and vehemently objected. 

After viewing the video, Othman Mustapha, the director-general of Jakim, stated, "We find her actions to be highly disturbing to Muslims here as they contravene our culture and the tenets of our school of jurisprudence. Jakim hopes the individual will immediately stop her actions and repent to Allah. Her actions seem as if she is trying to start a new culture that can subject Islam to insults.”

Although Nurhanizah did not respond to the government's statements, she did remove the video from her Facebook page. The actions of the girl and her dog have come under fire by the ultra-conservative in Islam, but there has also been an outcry in support of her from the more liberal believers. Muslim preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin has argued in her favor saying that the Qur'an does not officially call dogs 'haram'. In fact, only the Sunni Shafie school have ruled the animal's saliva as unclean. 

Sadly, even though change is happening in many regions of the world, in others, such as Malaysia, ancient beliefs remain strong. Nurhanizah still owns her Budu, but she keeps a low profile and will probably not be entering any more online competitions to show her love for her faithful furry friend.