Whenever the mention of cats is made, the first thing that comes to mind is the proverbial black cats that have been looked down upon for ages to bring bad luck. However, on the contrary, cats are adorable little animals that everyone loves to have around. Cats are considered intrinsically clean and for this reason, these are revered as "the quintessential pet" by many Muslims.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ adored cats and had a a black-and-white Abyssinian cat as his pet. There is Hadith attributed to him in which he mentions the punishment for a woman who mistreated the cats. This Hadith is mentioned in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Book 59 - Beginning of Creation كتاب بدء الخلق / Chapter 16: Five kinds of animals are harmful and allowed to be killed in Haram باب خَمْسٌ مِنَ الدَّوَابِّ فَوَاسِقُ يُقْتَلْنَ فِي الْحَرَمِ ) as Hadith 3318, given herein under:
حَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " دَخَلَتِ امْرَأَةٌ النَّارَ فِي هِرَّةٍ رَبَطَتْهَا، فَلَمْ تُطْعِمْهَا، وَلَمْ تَدَعْهَا تَأْكُلُ مِنْ خِشَاشِ الأَرْضِ ". قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِثْلَهُ
Narrated by Ibn `Umar:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A woman entered the (Hell) Fire because of a cat which she had tied, neither giving it food nor setting it free to eat from the vermin of the earth. "
During the Uhud campaign, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came across a black-and-white Abyssinian cat breastfeeding her kitten, he changed the course of his soldiers. On his way back he adopted this cat and gave her the name "Muezza (or Muʿizza; Arabic: معزة)." One day, he slightly tipped his cup so that a cat passing by could drink some water. It is even said among the people that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stroked the back of a cat for strangling a snake that was about to harm someone and that is why cats land on four feet and not on their backs.
There are many mentions of love and care of cats by Prophet of Allah. It is said that Muhammad awoke one day to the sounds of the adhan. Preparing to attend prayer, he began to dress himself; however, he soon discovered his cat Muezza sleeping on the sleeve of his prayer robe. Rather than wake her, he used a pair of scissors to cut the sleeve off, leaving the cat undisturbed.
One of the most revered companions of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who has had the honour of recording maximum number of Hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ, was given the name Abu Hurairah, which means "father of cats." Abu Hurairah was given this name because wherever he went, he always had a cat with him.
In Islamic tradition, cats are admired for their cleanliness. They are thought to be ritually clean, and are thus allowed to enter homes and even mosques, including Masjid al-Haram. There is a belief among some Muslims that cats seek out people who are praying.
While Islam prohibits cruelty to the animals, cats stand out from the rest for their domesticated nature, cleanliness and adorability. We must too show love to all animals,
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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