The Cat is Not Impure
Sheikh Salman al-Oadah
Abû Qatâdah relates that Allah’s Messenger said regarding the cat: “It is not impure. It is one of those creatures that live in our attendance.”
This hadîth is related in al-Muwatta’, Sunan al-Tirmidhî, Sunan al-Nasâ’î, Sunan Abî Dawûd, Sunan Ibn Mâjah, and Sahîh Ibn Khuzaymah among other books.
It is an authentic hadîth. Al-Bukhârî was among the many scholars who declared it so. Al-Tirmidhî declared it “a good and authentic hadîth”. [Sûnan al-Tirmidhî (1/153)] Other scholars who authenticated it were al-`Uqayli, Ibn Khuzaymah, al-Hâkim, al-Bayhaqî, al-Daraqutnî, and al-Nawawî.
The meaning of the hadîth:
This hadîth has a story behind it. A woman named Kabshah bint Ka`b once poured out some water for her father-in-law Abû Qatâdah to use for his ablutions. A cat came along wanting to drink, so Abû Qatâdah turned the bowl so the cat to do so. He noticed Kabshah looking at him strangely and said: “Does this surprise you, my niece? Indeed Allah’s Messenger said regarding the cat: “It is not impure. It is one of those creatures that live in our attendance.”
Its legal implications:
We will discuss two questions that this hadîth brings up:
The first question:
Does water remain pure after a cat drinks from it? Scholars have two opinions on this matter.
The first opinion is that the water is pure. This was the opinion of many Companions and Successors like `Alî, al-`Abbâs, Ibn `Abbâs, Ibn `Umar, `آ’ishah, Abû Qatâdah, al-Hasan, al-Husayn, `Alqamah, Ibrâhim al-Nakha’î, `Atâ’b. Yasâr, and Ishâq b. Râhawayh. It is also the opinion of the Mâlikî, Shâfi`î, and Hanbalî schools of thought. Among the founders of the Hanafî school, it was the opinion of Abû Yûsuf and Muhammad b. Hasan al-Shaybânî.
These who hold this opinion rely on the hadîth under discussion as their most obvious piece of evidence, since in it the Prophet (peace be upon him) clearly states that the cat is not impure. They also cite two hadîth where the Prophet’s wife `آ’ishah allowed a cat to drink water from a bowl and then used the leftover water to perform her ablutions. There are similar hadîth about the Companions Anas and Jâbir doing the same. Indeed, Jâbir made it quite clear that the cat does not contaminate anything or make it impure.
By contrast, the official opinion of the Hanafî school of law is that water becomes impure after a cat drinks from it, but that the impurity is of a minor degree. Hanafî scholars rule that using such water is disliked but not prohibited. This is in consideration of general convenience, since cats abound in areas of human habitation and are kept as pets.
They cite the following hadîth as evidence: “If a cat drinks from a dish, it is purified by washing it once or twice.” [Sharh Ma`ânî al-آthâr (1/19) and Sunan al-Dâraqutnî (1/64)]
The problem with this hadîth is that it cannot be reliably attributed to the Prophet (peace be upon him). Most narrations of this hadîth are linked to the hadîth about cleaning the dish from which a dog drank. In many cases, the part about the dog is attributed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the part about the cat is attributed only to the Companion named Qurrah. This was explained by al-Bayhaqî [al-Sunan al-Kubrâ (1/247)], and al-Nawawî [al-Majmû` (1/175)].
They also cite the hadîth: “The housecat is a beast of prey.” This hadîth implies that the housecat takes the same legal rulings as any other beast of prey. That being the case, the water that it drinks must become contaminated.
The problem with this hadîth is that it contains `خsâ b. al-Musayyib in its chain of transmission. Both Abû Dâwûd and Abû Hâtim declared him a weak narrator. Ibn Hibbân went so far as to say: “His narrations are beneath the strength required to be useful as evidence.”
Therefore, the strongest ruling with respect to the water left over by a cat after it drinks is that such water is pure. The authentic hadîth are clear on this point. Moreover, even if we were to assume that the Prophet (peace be upon him) actually said the statement about washing the dish from which a cat drank, we would have to consider such washing to be a preferred but not obligatory act in order to reconcile it with the authentic hadîth wherein the Prophet (peace be upon him) declared the cat to be pure.
The second question:
Does this hadîth about the cat indirectly imply that other carnivores contaminate the water they drink from? Scholars have offered four opinions on this matter.
One opinion is that carnivores are impure, but that birds of prey are not. If a bird of prey drinks from some water, it does not contaminate it, but using that water is disliked. What makes a bird of prey different than a carnivore in this matter is that a bird drinks with its beak which is a dry, bony appendage, whereas a carnivore laps up the water and mixes it with the contents of its mouth. This is the opinion advocated by Hanafî scholars.
The second opinion is that all beasts of prey are impure with the exception of the housecat cat and other similar small animals. This is the opinion of Hanbalî scholars.
Both groups of scholars are in agreement that carnivores are impure. They only disagree about birds of prey for the reason mentioned above. They offer the hadîth under discussion as proof for the impurity of carnivores. They argue that the hadîth, by singling out the housecat for purity on the grounds of its domestic presence, is stating by implication that all other carnivores are impure.
They also cite the hadîth wherein the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about water found in open country, since this water is frequented by beasts of prey and other animals To this question the Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “If water reaches two qullahs in volume, it will not become impure due to impurities.” The way the Prophet (peace be upon him) answered this questions shows that he conceded the impurity of beasts of prey. He answered that bodies of water in open country are too large to be contaminated. If beasts of prey were not impure in the first place, he would have had to make that clear to the questioner. He would not have remained silent on the matter.
The third opinion is that all living animals are pure save the pig and the dog. This is the view of Shâfi`î scholars. Al-Nawawî writes: “We maintain the purity of the water left over after a cat, mule, donkey, large carnivore, mouse, or any other animal drinks from it, with the exception of the dog and the pig. Using such water is not at all discouraged.” [al-Majmû`: 2/607]
The fourth opinion is that of the Mâlikî scholars. It is like the Shâfi`î position with the added condition that the carnivorous animal must be deemed unlikely to bring with it contaminants. However, Mâlikî scholars nevertheless discourage the use of such water.
The following evidence is given to support the purity of these animals:
1. It is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about using for purification the water found in the wilderness between Mecca and Madinah, since this water was frequented by dogs, beasts of prey, and donkeys. He replied: “What they have already taken into their stomachs is theirs and whatever is left over is pure.” [Sunan Ibn Mâjah (1/519) and Sunan al-Bayhaqî (1/258)]
This hadîth is not authentic since it contains `Abd al-Rahmân b. Zayb b. Aslam in its chain of transmission. Al-Bayhaqî says: “The narrations of people like `Abd al-Rahmân b. Zayb cannot be used as evidence.”
Ibn Jarîr writes: “Hadîth like this cannot be used as evidence. This hadîth only comes to us by way of `Abd al-Rahmân b. Zayb b. Aslam, and according to hadîth specialists, his hadîth are about as weak as hadîth get.” [Tahdhîb al-آthâr (1559)]
2. It is related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked whether it was permissible to perform ablutions with water from which a donkey had taken a drink. Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “Yes, and you may also do so with water from which beasts of prey have taken a drink.” [al-Shâfi`î (40), Sunan al-Dâraqutnî (1/62), Sunan al-Bayhaqî (1/249-250), and Musannaf `Abd al-Razzâq (1/77)]
This hadîth has two chains of transmission. One of these is by way of Ibrâhîm b. Abî Habîbah. The other is by way of Ibrâhîm b. Muhammad. Both of these chains of transmission are weak. Al-Nawawî says: “This hadîth is weak in both of its transmissions, since Ibrâhîm b. Abî Habîbah and Ibrâhîm b. Muhammad are both deemed by the hadîth specialists to be very weak narrators whose narrations cannot be used as evidence.” [al-Majmû` (1/173)] This hadîth was also declared weak by al-Daraqutnî, Ibn al-Mulaqqin, and Ibn Hajar.
3. Then there is the hadîth that `Umar while traveling with `Amr b. al-`آs and others, reached a spring. `Amr b. al-`آs inquired from the owner of the spring if beasts of prey frequented it. `Umar immediately said to the owner of the spring: “Do not inform us. We visit their water sources as they visit ours.” [al-Muwatta’ (1/23-24)]
Though its narrators are all reliable, this hadîth has a broken chain of transmission, since Yahyâ b. `Abd al-Rahman who narrates this hadîth from `Umar never met `Umar.
These are the evidences provided by those who deem all of these animals to be pure. However, they also argue that the hadîth about the cat is evidence enough that the water frequented by carnivores is pure, since the cat is indeed a carnivore.
Some benefits of this hadîth:
1. The hadîth shows us that it is permissible to keep cats as pets. This also implies that cats may be bought and sold. Ibn `Abd al-Barr writes: “Generally, whatever is permissible to keep and benefit from is also permissible to sell for a price unless there is specific evidence to the contrary.” [al-Tamhîd (1/319)] Indeed, the scholars of the four schools of though agree on this point, especially since cats are beneficial in controlling mice and other pests as well as in guarding their owners at night.
However, there have been those who declared the selling of cats unlawful, including Ibn al-Qayyim [Zâd al-Ma`âd (5/773-774)] and Ibn Hazm [al-Muhallâ (9/9-13)]. They cite the hadîth where Abû Zubayr asked Jâbir about selling dogs and cats and Jâbir said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke against it.” [Sahîh Muslim (3/1199)]
The majority of scholars responded with the possibility that this hadîth refers to cats that are not beneficial, like those that have not been domesticated or that the sale of cats is merely discouraged, since such animals should preferably be given freely as gifts. They argue that the wording of the hadîth supports this understanding, since the Prophet (peace be upon him) only “spoke against” it and did not prohibit it outright.
2. The hadîth indicates that cats are not impure animals and that the water from which they drink remains pure after they drink from it.
3. The hadîth gives us a general principle that animals that we are allowed to keep as pets are pure and that the water from which they drink remains pure after they drink from it.
http://www.islamtoday.com/showme.cfm?
Sheikh Salman al-Oadah
Abû Qatâdah relates that Allah’s Messenger said regarding the cat: “It is not impure. It is one of those creatures that live in our attendance.”
This hadîth is related in al-Muwatta’, Sunan al-Tirmidhî, Sunan al-Nasâ’î, Sunan Abî Dawûd, Sunan Ibn Mâjah, and Sahîh Ibn Khuzaymah among other books.
It is an authentic hadîth. Al-Bukhârî was among the many scholars who declared it so. Al-Tirmidhî declared it “a good and authentic hadîth”. [Sûnan al-Tirmidhî (1/153)] Other scholars who authenticated it were al-`Uqayli, Ibn Khuzaymah, al-Hâkim, al-Bayhaqî, al-Daraqutnî, and al-Nawawî.
The meaning of the hadîth:
This hadîth has a story behind it. A woman named Kabshah bint Ka`b once poured out some water for her father-in-law Abû Qatâdah to use for his ablutions. A cat came along wanting to drink, so Abû Qatâdah turned the bowl so the cat to do so. He noticed Kabshah looking at him strangely and said: “Does this surprise you, my niece? Indeed Allah’s Messenger said regarding the cat: “It is not impure. It is one of those creatures that live in our attendance.”
Its legal implications:
We will discuss two questions that this hadîth brings up:
The first question:
Does water remain pure after a cat drinks from it? Scholars have two opinions on this matter.
The first opinion is that the water is pure. This was the opinion of many Companions and Successors like `Alî, al-`Abbâs, Ibn `Abbâs, Ibn `Umar, `آ’ishah, Abû Qatâdah, al-Hasan, al-Husayn, `Alqamah, Ibrâhim al-Nakha’î, `Atâ’b. Yasâr, and Ishâq b. Râhawayh. It is also the opinion of the Mâlikî, Shâfi`î, and Hanbalî schools of thought. Among the founders of the Hanafî school, it was the opinion of Abû Yûsuf and Muhammad b. Hasan al-Shaybânî.
These who hold this opinion rely on the hadîth under discussion as their most obvious piece of evidence, since in it the Prophet (peace be upon him) clearly states that the cat is not impure. They also cite two hadîth where the Prophet’s wife `آ’ishah allowed a cat to drink water from a bowl and then used the leftover water to perform her ablutions. There are similar hadîth about the Companions Anas and Jâbir doing the same. Indeed, Jâbir made it quite clear that the cat does not contaminate anything or make it impure.
By contrast, the official opinion of the Hanafî school of law is that water becomes impure after a cat drinks from it, but that the impurity is of a minor degree. Hanafî scholars rule that using such water is disliked but not prohibited. This is in consideration of general convenience, since cats abound in areas of human habitation and are kept as pets.
They cite the following hadîth as evidence: “If a cat drinks from a dish, it is purified by washing it once or twice.” [Sharh Ma`ânî al-آthâr (1/19) and Sunan al-Dâraqutnî (1/64)]
The problem with this hadîth is that it cannot be reliably attributed to the Prophet (peace be upon him). Most narrations of this hadîth are linked to the hadîth about cleaning the dish from which a dog drank. In many cases, the part about the dog is attributed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the part about the cat is attributed only to the Companion named Qurrah. This was explained by al-Bayhaqî [al-Sunan al-Kubrâ (1/247)], and al-Nawawî [al-Majmû` (1/175)].
They also cite the hadîth: “The housecat is a beast of prey.” This hadîth implies that the housecat takes the same legal rulings as any other beast of prey. That being the case, the water that it drinks must become contaminated.
The problem with this hadîth is that it contains `خsâ b. al-Musayyib in its chain of transmission. Both Abû Dâwûd and Abû Hâtim declared him a weak narrator. Ibn Hibbân went so far as to say: “His narrations are beneath the strength required to be useful as evidence.”
Therefore, the strongest ruling with respect to the water left over by a cat after it drinks is that such water is pure. The authentic hadîth are clear on this point. Moreover, even if we were to assume that the Prophet (peace be upon him) actually said the statement about washing the dish from which a cat drank, we would have to consider such washing to be a preferred but not obligatory act in order to reconcile it with the authentic hadîth wherein the Prophet (peace be upon him) declared the cat to be pure.
The second question:
Does this hadîth about the cat indirectly imply that other carnivores contaminate the water they drink from? Scholars have offered four opinions on this matter.
One opinion is that carnivores are impure, but that birds of prey are not. If a bird of prey drinks from some water, it does not contaminate it, but using that water is disliked. What makes a bird of prey different than a carnivore in this matter is that a bird drinks with its beak which is a dry, bony appendage, whereas a carnivore laps up the water and mixes it with the contents of its mouth. This is the opinion advocated by Hanafî scholars.
The second opinion is that all beasts of prey are impure with the exception of the housecat cat and other similar small animals. This is the opinion of Hanbalî scholars.
Both groups of scholars are in agreement that carnivores are impure. They only disagree about birds of prey for the reason mentioned above. They offer the hadîth under discussion as proof for the impurity of carnivores. They argue that the hadîth, by singling out the housecat for purity on the grounds of its domestic presence, is stating by implication that all other carnivores are impure.
They also cite the hadîth wherein the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about water found in open country, since this water is frequented by beasts of prey and other animals To this question the Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “If water reaches two qullahs in volume, it will not become impure due to impurities.” The way the Prophet (peace be upon him) answered this questions shows that he conceded the impurity of beasts of prey. He answered that bodies of water in open country are too large to be contaminated. If beasts of prey were not impure in the first place, he would have had to make that clear to the questioner. He would not have remained silent on the matter.
The third opinion is that all living animals are pure save the pig and the dog. This is the view of Shâfi`î scholars. Al-Nawawî writes: “We maintain the purity of the water left over after a cat, mule, donkey, large carnivore, mouse, or any other animal drinks from it, with the exception of the dog and the pig. Using such water is not at all discouraged.” [al-Majmû`: 2/607]
The fourth opinion is that of the Mâlikî scholars. It is like the Shâfi`î position with the added condition that the carnivorous animal must be deemed unlikely to bring with it contaminants. However, Mâlikî scholars nevertheless discourage the use of such water.
The following evidence is given to support the purity of these animals:
1. It is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about using for purification the water found in the wilderness between Mecca and Madinah, since this water was frequented by dogs, beasts of prey, and donkeys. He replied: “What they have already taken into their stomachs is theirs and whatever is left over is pure.” [Sunan Ibn Mâjah (1/519) and Sunan al-Bayhaqî (1/258)]
This hadîth is not authentic since it contains `Abd al-Rahmân b. Zayb b. Aslam in its chain of transmission. Al-Bayhaqî says: “The narrations of people like `Abd al-Rahmân b. Zayb cannot be used as evidence.”
Ibn Jarîr writes: “Hadîth like this cannot be used as evidence. This hadîth only comes to us by way of `Abd al-Rahmân b. Zayb b. Aslam, and according to hadîth specialists, his hadîth are about as weak as hadîth get.” [Tahdhîb al-آthâr (1559)]
2. It is related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked whether it was permissible to perform ablutions with water from which a donkey had taken a drink. Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “Yes, and you may also do so with water from which beasts of prey have taken a drink.” [al-Shâfi`î (40), Sunan al-Dâraqutnî (1/62), Sunan al-Bayhaqî (1/249-250), and Musannaf `Abd al-Razzâq (1/77)]
This hadîth has two chains of transmission. One of these is by way of Ibrâhîm b. Abî Habîbah. The other is by way of Ibrâhîm b. Muhammad. Both of these chains of transmission are weak. Al-Nawawî says: “This hadîth is weak in both of its transmissions, since Ibrâhîm b. Abî Habîbah and Ibrâhîm b. Muhammad are both deemed by the hadîth specialists to be very weak narrators whose narrations cannot be used as evidence.” [al-Majmû` (1/173)] This hadîth was also declared weak by al-Daraqutnî, Ibn al-Mulaqqin, and Ibn Hajar.
3. Then there is the hadîth that `Umar while traveling with `Amr b. al-`آs and others, reached a spring. `Amr b. al-`آs inquired from the owner of the spring if beasts of prey frequented it. `Umar immediately said to the owner of the spring: “Do not inform us. We visit their water sources as they visit ours.” [al-Muwatta’ (1/23-24)]
Though its narrators are all reliable, this hadîth has a broken chain of transmission, since Yahyâ b. `Abd al-Rahman who narrates this hadîth from `Umar never met `Umar.
These are the evidences provided by those who deem all of these animals to be pure. However, they also argue that the hadîth about the cat is evidence enough that the water frequented by carnivores is pure, since the cat is indeed a carnivore.
Some benefits of this hadîth:
1. The hadîth shows us that it is permissible to keep cats as pets. This also implies that cats may be bought and sold. Ibn `Abd al-Barr writes: “Generally, whatever is permissible to keep and benefit from is also permissible to sell for a price unless there is specific evidence to the contrary.” [al-Tamhîd (1/319)] Indeed, the scholars of the four schools of though agree on this point, especially since cats are beneficial in controlling mice and other pests as well as in guarding their owners at night.
However, there have been those who declared the selling of cats unlawful, including Ibn al-Qayyim [Zâd al-Ma`âd (5/773-774)] and Ibn Hazm [al-Muhallâ (9/9-13)]. They cite the hadîth where Abû Zubayr asked Jâbir about selling dogs and cats and Jâbir said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke against it.” [Sahîh Muslim (3/1199)]
The majority of scholars responded with the possibility that this hadîth refers to cats that are not beneficial, like those that have not been domesticated or that the sale of cats is merely discouraged, since such animals should preferably be given freely as gifts. They argue that the wording of the hadîth supports this understanding, since the Prophet (peace be upon him) only “spoke against” it and did not prohibit it outright.
2. The hadîth indicates that cats are not impure animals and that the water from which they drink remains pure after they drink from it.
3. The hadîth gives us a general principle that animals that we are allowed to keep as pets are pure and that the water from which they drink remains pure after they drink from it.
http://www.islamtoday.com/showme.cfm?
.We have a cat named MONA LISA and we treat her the best we can but all those hadiths are going to help us a lot .:shake: 
well I guess it's ok so long as it's a cat :muslim_child: 
