What is the ruling regarding a child whose physical form resembles a dog?”

Problem Description:

There was a young woman who married a very handsome man. One year after their marriage, the woman gave birth to a child that had the form of a strong, healthy dog.

Questions:

1. What is the Islamic ruling regarding a child whose physical form resembles a dog?

2. Is such a child still subject to khithāb shar‘ī (religious responsibility under Islamic law)?

Answer:

1. The child is still considered pure (ṭāhir).

2. If the child is normal in function (able to speak and possess intellect), then according to some scholars, he is still subject to khithāb shar‘ī, because the measure of legal responsibility (taklīf) is the presence of intellect.

References:

(كاشفة الشجا, 39).

أَمَّا المُتَوَلَّدُ بَيْنَ الآدَمِيِّيْنَ فَهُوَ طَاهِرٌ اِتِّفَاقًا وَلَوْ كَانَ عَلَى صُوْرَةِ الكَلْبِ فَإِذَا كَانَ يَنْطِقُ وَيَعْقِلُ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ يُكَلَّفُ لِأَنَّ مَنَاطَ التَّكْلِيْفِ العَقْلُ وَهُوَ مَوْجُوْدٌ فِيْهِ إهـ