Islam is a loving and caring religion, and Muslims who have faith in Islam must spread the love to every being on Earth, including the cats. Even our beloved Prophet (SAW) had a cat on his own, named Muezza, proving cats to be a special animal in Islam. Not just lovely, but cats is also beneficial. Here are the benefits of cats in Islam:
1. Permissible to be Kept
Muslims family may have a cat in their house and live together with it. However, they must treat the cats very well. Providing it with enough amount of food and water. Also not keeping it strangled. Give the cat its roaming time to move around and looking for insect on its own.
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2. It’s Not Harmful
Cats is very lovely and friendly animal. Its appearance is also cute, that make human easily fall in love with it. Cat is very safe to be kept in the house according to Islam, because cats is not harmful and dangerous to the family members. Instead, cats could be the part of the family member it lives together with.
3. It is Not Najs
Its stated in a hadith that cats are not najs (impure). Human can eat and drink from the same plate and glass as the cats use, since cats are won’t cause any disease nor bring viruses. As said by the Prophet (SAW),
“They (cats) are not naajis, rather they are of those who go around amongst you.” – Tirmidhi
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4. Cats are Rather Useful
Cats are useful animal as they eat dangerous animal such as snake, also smaller animals such as rats, bugs, and other animals that is around the yard.
5. Cats Can be the Guardian of the House
As Islam prohibits Muslim to keep a dog in the house, the cats can be kept instead.
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6. It’s Beautiful for Gits
Cats can be given as gift for your loved ones. As cats are not permissible to be traded, the it should be given as gift. From the hadith of Abu’l Zubayr:
“I asked Jaabir about the price of dogs and cats. He said, ‘The Prophet (SAW) forbade that.’” – Muslim
7. Cats are Clean Animals
Cats are clean so that a Muslim could take wudu’ from the same source of water as the cat drank. The Prophet (SAW) himself had done it in the past, but sadly the people nowadays opposed those traditions and practicing evil to the cats, including torturing them, poisoning, and starving them to death.
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8. Cats are Loved by the Prophet (SAW)
There are many hadith, narrations, and other records of the Prophet’s (SAW) love for cats, and how it takes a special place in the Prophet’s heart. One of those records said, “The prophet’s fondness for cats is often referred to, and whether or not the hadith that ‘Love of cats is part of the faith’ is genuine, it reflects the general feeling for the little feline.”
9. To be Used As Good Deeds
Cats are one of Allah’s creatures, and treating them kindly considered as good deeds. As the Prophet (SAW) said,
“Those who are kind and considerate to Allah’s creatures, Allah bestows His kindness and affection on them. Show kindness to the creatures on the earth so that Allah may be kind to you.” – Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi
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10. To be Considered As the Member of the Family
Whoever keep a cat inside their house and living with it, they should consider and treat the cat as one of the family member. The cat should be feed and loved as we do to our family member.
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The Right Ways to Treat Cats in Islam
Cat is a lovely animal that the Prophet (SAW) himself also cherish. Muslims should know the right ways to treat cats to avoid the big sins of mistreating them. Here are some ways to treat cats rightly according to sunnah and hadith.
1. Don’t Let It Starve
Whoever starve a cat until it left die will receive a severe punishment. The Prophet (SAW) said, as reported by Abdullah (RA):
“A woman was tormented because of a cat which she had confined until it died and she had to get into Hell. She did not allow it either to eat or drink as it was confined, nor did she free it so that it might eat the insects of the earth”. – Muslim
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2. Not to be Eaten
Cats is not the kind of animal that is allowed to be slaughtered and eaten. As narrated by Jabir,
“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prohibited eating the cat and from its price.” – Tirmidhi
3. Considered As a Family Member
Despite being an animal, a cat should be equally respected as a family member. In Islam, cat is not just an animal, but it has a very long history, as the Prophet (SAW) has once saved from a snake by a cat. Acat should be feed as a family member, as weel as giving it love and affection as we give to our family member.
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4. To be Treated Well
The Prophet (SAW) said,
“Cats do not invalidate the prayer, because they are one of the things that are useful in the house.” – Ibn al Majah
5. Not to Trade It
Abu Zubair (RA) has once said,
“I asked Jabir (RA) about the price of a dog and a cat; he said: “Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) disapproved of that”.” – Muslim
So those are all the lovely benefits of cats in Islam. Cat’s appearance itself is very lovely that make us want to take it as our pet. May all of us can treat animal well.