Did Prophet Muhammad Have a Cat?
"Did the Prophet have a cat?" Cats are considered one of the most popular pets that many people desire to raise and care for at home. Many people search for the ruling on keeping cats in the house, and what is mentioned in the Prophetic tradition indicates this.
Were there any cats named by the Prophet Muhammad, like Muezza, and many other questions? The Prophet, peace be upon him, treated cats kindly, and many anecdotes about his interactions with cats have been narrated. Through the Who Muhammad Is website, we will clarify whether the Prophet had a cat.
Did the Prophet Have a Cat Named Muezza?
Many authors from Western countries have mentioned that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had a cat that he cared for, and its name was Muezza. However, there is no authentic hadith indicating the existence of a cat belonging to the Prophet. It has not been mentioned in any of the Prophet's biographies that this cat named Muezza existed.
Nevertheless, the Prophet was known for treating cats kindly, and many hadiths have been narrated in which he spoke about cats. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, referred to cats as "Tawafeen" or "Tawafat" (those who roam around).
Is It Permissible to Keep Cats in the House?
Cats belong to the feline family and are considered clean domestic animals. Because of their cleanliness, most scholars agree that keeping cats in the home is permissible. This is especially true if the purpose of keeping them falls within the framework of Islamic law, such as controlling rodents and other pests. However, it is prohibited to keep them in the house if the purpose of keeping them is to mistreat or starve them, for example.
A Muslim may sin if they do not take care of the cat they own correctly, as the Prophet said: "A woman was punished in Hell because of a cat which she had confined until it died. She did not give it to eat or to drink when it was confined, nor did she free it so that it might eat the insects of the earth".
The Prophet's Hadith About the Purity of Cats
The hadith you mentioned is narrated by Kabsha bint Ka'b ibn Malik, who reported: "I was under the care of Ibn Abu Qatadah. He entered upon me, and I poured water on him to perform ablution. A cat came and started drinking from the water. He tilted the vessel for it until it drank its fill. Kabsha said: He saw me looking at him and said: 'Do you find it strange, O daughter of my brother?' I said: 'Yes'. He said: 'The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "They (cats) are not impure. They are among those beings that roam around you". (Reported by Imam Ahmad)
This hadith illustrates the Prophet's acknowledgment of the cleanliness of cats and their permissibility to be around during ablution. It emphasizes that cats are not impure animals but rather creatures that are part of the natural environment around humans.
The Ruling on Selling and Buying Cats
There are many pet shops and stores selling pets, birds, and other animals, and people go to buy cats or other pets or sell one of these animals. Various opinions have emerged on this matter. The majority of scholars agree on the permissibility of selling cats, but scholars of the Dhahiri school have prohibited it based on a hadith of the Prophet forbidding it.
However, the majority of scholars have clarified that the hadith pertains to wild cats, which are disliked to be sold, but it is not prohibited. Additionally, one can benefit from the money obtained from selling them.
Why Are Cats Called 'Tawafat'?
The reason cats are called "طوافات" (Tawafat) stems from a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) narrated by Abu Qatadah regarding cats: "They are not impure. They are among those beings that roam around you". The term "طوافات" in Arabic refers to those who serve or roam around. Cats were likened to this because they used to roam freely in the homes of the Arabs.
In ancient times, Arab houses were often open, allowing cats to come and go as they pleased. The Prophet instructed us to treat cats kindly and show mercy towards them, and it is recommended to keep them as pets in our homes.
