PRESENTER:In a normal house, animals like dogs and cats and such.. To have dogs and cats in a house for a person who performs prayers; they say your ablution would not be accepted, you step on the same ground...

PRESENTER 2:Angels don't come in.

PRESENTER:Yes, such talks like angels don't come in...

ADNAN OKTAR:So there is the Ashab al-Kahf (Men of the Cave) living in the cave, they had a dog at their door. Then there should have been no angels coming in there. Angels surrounded the Ashab al-Kahf. Angels were with them all the time.   They have the Hafaza angels on their two sides. Therefore, a dog, a compliant dog.. Look, I'm citing a Qur'anic verse. The animal is standing guard at the door of the Ashab al-Kahf. So when they see him, the angels should have turned back and not have anything to do with them. Allah praises the Ashab   al-Kahf and introduces them as valuable believers and beautiful creatures. We understand from this Qur'anic verse that this is not true.

But it's important to be sterile of course. For example, if you have a dog or a cat, there should be a separate room in the house for them. Because it's an animal and it can't be controlled. And their hairs may harm by way of breathing. Their hair, cat's hair may also lead to cysts. But if they are kept in a special room, they are very adorable creatures. I have cats of my own. But I take care of them very carefully. I don't let them walk around. They have a separate room. I take care of them in a very sterile and careful way. I take them to the vet. I pay attention to them not to get any trichina or something else. That's how to love. But after stroking them, hands should be washed. You don't go and eat with them. There are some people who let the dog or cat lick their faces and eat from the same plate together.  This is not acceptable of course, this is ridicilous. That is because it can lead to a serious illness. It would be very dangerous. But they are very adorable creatures.

PRESENTER:After all, it is a being created by Allah.

ADNAN OKTAR:Of course. I mean, when we get a watermellon from the field, we don't directly eat it. We wash it first. It's the same with dogs and cats. We will pay attention to their cleanliness and love them. When we go out, we come back and wash our hands. This is very normal. So when we touch that animal, when we stroke them, we must wash our hands. We'll be careful. But they are very adorable. Allah creates them as a blessing for us. Not at all, we'll love them of course. I have a duck. Its name is Vikvik; I introduced him yesterday. He is very cute but also dirty. Then I cleaned my hand with an alcoholic tissue. That's how it should be. But I don't give up loving them. This is a helplessness of this world. This is not so in the Heaven. In the Heaven, you bite the ducks and stroke them, hug them. They talk. The dogs are so as well; you kiss them on their mouths and noses. They will be white clean, pure. This helplessness is created specially for this world. People have to be careful here as well. Mycrobes pass from one person to another as well. They have to be very careful. Right? There can be hepatitis or something else. They have to be very careful. For example, they don't eat from the same food that they do, because a disease may pass. For example we act carefully when we meet with someone with flu. We wear masks and such. We should be careful with animals as well. But animals are such big blessings. It's not true that angels won't come. These are not true. We keep them in a separate room, we look after them, feed them and love them. If you give them the example of the dog of the Ashab     al- Kahf, then it would be understood that this is not true insha'Allah...

ADNAN OKTAR: First of all look, they have to pay attention to the explanation in the Surat al-Kahf. Dogs have the characteristic of protector guardian. Allah created them that way. For example, think of a woman living alone in her house. If she had a dog on the condition that it's in a separate room, then it can bark and defend when there is a stranger or chase the person in question. Dogs are important in terms of protecting one's life. Therefore, it's clear that it's alright to look after them in a clean environment, in a separate room. There is no need to force this. But because it's an animal, its consciousness is closed so it doesn't know about cleanliness. It's not acceptable for the animal to go and sit on the cauch, lick the plates and one's face and mouth. This would very unclean. It can lead to a disease. And it's risky in many ways. But of course their health checks should be done very well. There should be no trichina. Also it's dangerous for it to walk around the room due to hair, as I have said before. When that hair goes to the lungs, it leads to cyst. For example, cats as well, should be kept very carefully. For example there is a disease called cat scratch. It looks very much like lymphoma. The person's lymph nodes swell out and at first it looks like leukaemia. They suspect that. But it's a special form of disease caused by the cat scratches. Therefore one needs to be very careful. For example if the cat is kept at home, its nails should be cut regularly. Not by themselves by a vet. It should be douched very well. The world is a place of helplessness. So they cannot be kept so easily. But there should be stong love for all animals, for their beauty and sweetness. But it's difficult to look after them. For example, the other day I was talking with a girlfriend of mine. She bought a chick. She said that she washed it at home and it died in her hands.  And she was terribly upset. It led to a devastation on her.

PRESENTER:When something happens to them, you get upset just like you would be if you loose someone you love or like something bad happened to them.

ADNAN OKTAR:There is such a risk as well. May Allah forbid. For example, it is also like that with little kittens. There is a high possibility of death. Then they become upset. So it is best to leave them with their mothers. It's nice to love them when their mother is with them. Their mothers would look after them the best. It's not rational to take the kitten away from the mother and keep it at home. Because it doesn't know how to clean itself.  Their mother cleans them. Their mother deals with most of their needs. If they want them to be healthy and happy, then they should leave them with the mother or take them with the mother. It can be like that. The other way is risky.