The Dangerous Idea of 'Starve Your Dog and It Will Follow You'

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the Just, the Provider, who has forbidden oppression for Himself and made it forbidden among His creation.

Dear brothers and sisters! We often hear sayings that come from human pride. We hear the harmful idea of ‘Starve your dog, and it will follow you’. Fir’aun (Pharaoh) used it. Old tyrants used it. Today, greedy companies and corrupt leaders use economic struggles and lack to force obedience.

But Allah the Almighty gives us a different rule of the universe. In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah the Most High says:

“O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden among you, so do not oppress one another.”

Islam completely changes this toxic idea. According to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, we do not win hearts by starving them; we win souls by feeding them. Real strength is not in breaking others’ wills to make them follow you, it is in conquering your own ego to follow Allah.

Depriving those under your care, like your workers, family, or community, does not create loyalty. It creates anger and rebellion. True leadership is built on kindness and giving. When the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) built his community, he did not rule by holding back; he gave until he had nothing left for himself, earning loyalty that comes from love, not fear.

Respected servants of Allah! Notice the fate of those who follow this saying. The king who promoted it was destroyed by the very hunger he created.

Islam teaches us that loyalty cannot come from desperation. If you are an employer, pay your workers before their sweat dries. If you are a parent or spouse, do not hold back emotional or financial support to control them. Remember that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) warned us about the prayers of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah the Almighty.

Dear servants of Allah! The Jahiliyyah period, the age of ignorance, taught a brutal way of leadership: “Starve your dog, and it will follow you.” It says that if you want loyalty, you must keep people weak. If you want obedience, you must withhold. This was Fir’aun’s method. Fir’aun (Pharaoh) made his people weak, scared, and desperate so they would see him as a god.

But what happens when you starve a creature? You take away its dignity. You create a relationship based on desperation, not loyalty. When that creature finds a better hand, it will turn and bite the hand that starved it. Control based on fear is a ticking time bomb.

Look instead, O Muslim believers, to the Master of Humanity, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). He did not come to starve humanity; he came to nourish their souls, minds, and bodies.

Allah the Most High says in the noble Qur'an about the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him):

“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” [Qur’an, 21:107]

When the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) conquered Makkah, the city that starved his companions, boycotted his family, and persecuted his followers, he did not starve them back. He did not humiliate them to force their loyalty. He stood before them and said, “Go, for you are free.”

He restored their dignity, and what was the result? They didn’t just follow him; they were ready to give their lives for him. Hearts are opened by kindness and excellence, not by oppression.

If there is anything in this life you should starve, my dear brothers and sisters, it is not the people around you. It is not your spouse, your children, or your employees. Starve your lower self, the Nafs!

Your Nafs al-Ammarah, the soul that commands evil, is like a wild beast. If you feed its every desire, it will control you. It will lead you to destruction. But if you starve it through fasting, discipline, and prayer, it will finally obey. It will follow you in obedience to Allah.

May Allah purify our hearts, break our egos, and make us leaders of mercy, not masters of oppression. Ameen!

Dear brothers and sisters! In human relationships, this saying “Starve your dog, and it will follow you” shows a dark truth: manipulation. We see it in toxic marriages where one partner withholds love to gain power. We see it in workplaces where managers keep employees insecure to ensure compliance.

But Islamic teachings tell us that loyalty born from starvation is fake.

Contrast the harsh Arabic saying with one emotional story in Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) told us of a thirsty man in the desert. He found a well, drank water, and climbed back out.

When he reached the top, he saw a dog panting from thirst. Instead of thinking, “Let me use this animal’s weakness,” his heart filled with compassion. He climbed down again, filled his sock with water, climbed back up, and gave the dog a drink.

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) concluded:

“Allah thanked him for his deed and forgave his sins.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

The world tells you to exploit weakness to gain followers. Islam tells you to help those who are weak to gain the pleasure of Allah the Almighty!

When you treat people with the idea of “starvation,” you act out of your own insecurity. You fear that if they are strong and free, they will leave you. But true leadership is about empowering others so much that they choose to stand by you out of real love and respect.

Don’t starve those around you to make them obey you. Feed them with mercy, and watch how Allah the Almighty raises your status in this life and the next.

The Arabic saying “Starve your dog, and it will follow you” (جَوِّعْ كَلْبَكَ يَتْبَعْكَ) shows a harsh truth about power and control. But through Islamic teachings, this saying reflects not how we should treat others, but how we must control ourselves.

The saying “Starve your dog, and it will follow you” is linked to Amr Ibn Hind, a tyrannical king of the 6th century in Al-Hirah, modern-day Iraq.

Historical records say he used this phrase to describe his rule over Arab tribes. He believed if his subjects were wealthy and self-sufficient, they would rebel. So, he kept them struggling to ensure their obedience.

Ironically, this saying is often used with its historical end: Amr Ibn Hind was eventually killed by the famous poet and warrior Amr Ibn Kulthum due to his arrogance. This led to a counter-saying:

“Perhaps your dog will bite you when it grows hungry.”

Today, this saying is not used as good advice. Instead, it is used to criticize manipulation and political tyranny.

It often comes up in political discussions to condemn corrupt governments that push their people into hardship. By keeping citizens focused on basic needs like food and water, leaders make sure the public has no time or energy to demand freedom.

It also describes abusive employers who keep workers underpaid and insecure to stop them from leaving, or toxic relationships where one partner emotionally starves the other to maintain control.

When this saying is quoted, it warns oppressors. Just like a starved animal may turn on its owner, oppressed people will eventually revolt when they have nothing left to lose.

In worldly politics, “Starve your dog, and it will follow you” has been used to justify oppression. Tyrants know that a population focused on survival cannot rebel. They maintain control by limiting resources.

But when we look at this saying through the lens of Islamic teachings, it reveals a profound truth.

Ya Allah, do not leave us in charge of our own souls even for a moment. Calm our egos, fill our hearts with Your love, and make our desires follow Your guidance, ameen Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings, and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions, and his true followers.