Alama Kamal ud Din Al-Damiri in his book Hayat ul Haiwaan elucidates numerous qualities of Dog. That Dogs are hardworking, loyal, protect the master and his house. That Dogs stand vigil most of the night and even if asleep are alerted by master's slight gesture. That Dogs have the potential of taking instructions etc etc. What interests me is one specific quality: that one of the qualities of Dog is that he can distinguish between a dead person and alive. Dimiri relates the practice to Romans that they never buried their dead unless and until Dog authenticated it.
In his lectures, The Courage of Truth, Foucault connects Greek Cynics with Dogs. For him the Cynic's way of life is a dog's life. Foucault insists also in Fearless Speech that the word Cynic has canine origins: kunikos meaning dog like. For Foucault Cynics and Dogs share many qualities: Dogs scandalize and do in public what people do in private, in the same way Cynics scandalize hypocrites. Dogs live in poverty and are exposed without protection, in the same way Cynics possess nothing and are always exposed to the scorn of society. Dogs bite and bark, in the same way Cynics bite and bark institutions and ill social practices.
These qualities give Cynics the courage to speak the truth - parrhesia.
Damiri narrates a hadith through Umrao bin Shuaib as recorded by Muhammad bin Khalf Marzabaan in his book in which Prophet (SAW) praised the Dog over a man who was disobedient and violated the sacred custody of his brother.
The Dog's way of life is the best way to be radical in the society. Spiritually if dog can distinguish between dead and alive, this quality is enough to tell you whether you are spiritually dead or alive. Baba Bulleh Shah beautifully sums it all up:
rati jaage te shaikh sadawen par raat nu jagan kutte tain thi uthe
rati ponknu bus na karde fir ja raran vich sutte tain thi uthe
yaar da buha mool na chad'de pawen maro so so jutte tain thi uthe
bulleh shah uth yaar manale nai te baazi le gaye kutte tain thi uthe
They keep awake at night and they serve;
The Dog's are better than you!
They do not fail their duty of barking;
They they got and sleep on a rubbish-heap.
The dogs are better than you!
They do not leave the door of their master,
Even if they get a shoe-beating from him.
The dogs are better than you!
O Bullah, but some wares for your journey,
Or else the dogs will win the game.
The dogs are better than you!
Then it connects to the dog of Ashab e kahf and to The dogs of Faiz ... And the connections go on and on!
PS: Please keep the dog in you alive 😊
