Cats in Islam

What the Qur'an and the Sunnah say, with Arabic, translation and Tafsir Ibn Kathir.

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From the Sunnah

Beginning of Creation

Sahih al Bukhari 3318

Narrated 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

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.‏
Sahih al Bukhari · Book 59, Hadith 124

The Book of Virtue, Enjoining Good Manners, and Joining of the Ties of Kinship

Sahih Muslim 2619

Abu Huraira reported from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) A hadith out of which one was this that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:A woman got into Hell-Fire because of a cat whom she had tied, and thus it could not eat, and she did not let it free so that it could devour the vermin of the earth, until it died

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنْ هَمَّامِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ، قَالَ هَذَا مَا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرَ أَحَادِيثَ مِنْهَا وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ دَخَلَتِ امْرَأَةٌ النَّارَ مِنْ جَرَّاءِ هِرَّةٍ لَهَا - أَوْ هِرٍّ - رَبَطَتْهَا فَلاَ هِيَ أَطْعَمَتْهَا وَلاَ هِيَ أَرْسَلَتْهَا تُرَمِّمُ مِنْ خَشَاشِ الأَرْضِ حَتَّى مَاتَتْ هَزْلاً ‏"‏ ‏.‏
Sahih Muslim · Book 45, Hadith 176

Purification (Kitab Al-Taharah)

Sunan Abu Dawud 75

Narrated AbuQatadah: Kabshah, daughter of Ka'b ibn Malik and wife of Ibn AbuQatadah, reported: AbuQatadah visited (me) and I poured out water for him for ablution. A cat came and drank some of it and he tilted the vessel for it until it drank some of it. Kabshah said: He saw me looking at him; he asked me: Are you surprised, my niece? I said: Yes. He then reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: It is not unclean; it is one of those (males or females) who go round among you

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ حُمَيْدَةَ بِنْتِ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ رِفَاعَةَ، عَنْ كَبْشَةَ بِنْتِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، - وَكَانَتْ تَحْتَ ابْنِ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ - أَنَّ أَبَا قَتَادَةَ، دَخَلَ فَسَكَبَتْ لَهُ وَضُوءًا فَجَاءَتْ هِرَّةٌ فَشَرِبَتْ مِنْهُ فَأَصْغَى لَهَا الإِنَاءَ حَتَّى شَرِبَتْ قَالَتْ كَبْشَةُ فَرَآنِي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ أَتَعْجَبِينَ يَا ابْنَةَ أَخِي فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ بِنَجَسٍ إِنَّهَا مِنَ الطَّوَّافِينَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَالطَّوَّافَاتِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏
Sunan Abu Dawud · Book 1, Hadith 75

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These verses and narrations are gathered for study and reflection. They are not a fatwa. For a ruling on your specific circumstances, please consult a qualified scholar in your community.

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