Question Summary:
Lion or Dog with Ashab al-Kahf

Question Detail:

Assalamualikum Alikum Warehmatullahi Wabarakatahu,

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Imam Baghawi states in his tafsir that according to a narration from Ibn Jurayj, the animal present with the people of the cave was a lion.[1] However, most commentators state that it was a dog. 

And Allah Ta‘ālā Knows Best.

Lutfi Alam

Student, Darul Iftaa

New York, USA

Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

[1]

تفسير البغوي - إحياء التراث (٣/١٨٣)

أَكْثَرُ أَهْلِ التَّفْسِيرِ عَلَى أَنَّهُ كَانَ مَنْ جِنْسِ الْكِلَابِ. وَرُوِيَ عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ: أَنَّهُ كَانَ أَسَدًا وَسُمِّي الْأَسَدُ كَلْبًا.

فَإِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دَعَا عَلَى عُتْبَةَ بْنِ أَبِي لَهَبٍ فَقَالَ: «اللَّهُمَّ سَلِّطْ عَلَيْهِ كَلْبًا مِنْ كلابك» ، فافترسه أسد، والأول المعروف...