Cats and Islam

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   The subject of cats in the home came up recently.  I am an avid cat lover so it was a concern for me as to what Islam says about cats.  I thought I would share with you all the things I found.
From this website, http://cats.about.com/cs/tabbycats/a/tabby_cats_2.htm I found this quote:
Mohammed and the Tabby 
Islam legend tells us that Mohammed loved cats. One story says that he once cut off a sleeve of a garment when he had to leave to attend prayer, rather than to disturb his cat, Muezza, who was sleeping upon the sleeve. It is said that the reason he loved cats so much is that one once saved his life when a snake crawled into his sleeve. (This may be a variation of the well-known Muezza story.) Legend also claims that Mohammed bestowed on cats the ability to always land on their feet. A writing of Mohammed tells about his vision of a woman punished in Hell for starving her cat to death. These stories have all come down to the assumption that the "M" symbolizes the enormous esteem which Mohammed felt for cats and that the sight of the "M" on a cat's forehead invokes memories of Mohammed. In any case, cats today are still generally protected and respected in the Islamic world, and are even permitted inside mosques.
I also found more information on this website:
http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=7004&ln=eng

Inshallah you all find this as informative as I did.

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Salams_wife Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 31 July 2007 Status: Offline Points: 296	Post Options Post Reply Quote Salams_wife Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Cats and Islam Posted: 16 November 2007 at 1:10pm
	The subject of cats in the home came up recently. I am an avid cat lover so it was a concern for me as to what Islam says about cats. I thought I would share with you all the things I found. From this website, http://cats.about.com/cs/tabbycats/a/tabby_cats_2.htm I found this quote: Mohammed and the Tabby Islam legend tells us that Mohammed loved cats. One story says that he once cut off a sleeve of a garment when he had to leave to attend prayer, rather than to disturb his cat, Muezza, who was sleeping upon the sleeve. It is said that the reason he loved cats so much is that one once saved his life when a snake crawled into his sleeve. (This may be a variation of the well-known Muezza story.) Legend also claims that Mohammed bestowed on cats the ability to always land on their feet. A writing of Mohammed tells about his vision of a woman punished in Hell for starving her cat to death. These stories have all come down to the assumption that the "M" symbolizes the enormous esteem which Mohammed felt for cats and that the sight of the "M" on a cat's forehead invokes memories of Mohammed. In any case, cats today are still generally protected and respected in the Islamic world, and are even permitted inside mosques. I also found more information on this website: http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=7004&ln=eng Inshallah you all find this as informative as I did.

lovesakeenah Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 13 June 2007 Status: Offline Points: 459	Post Options Post Reply Quote lovesakeenah Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 November 2007 at 1:48pm
	As-salaam alaykum warahamatullah Jazakallahu for sharing this topic with us.I personnaly have known that Islam permits the keeping of cats as pets because of his Sahaabah,Abu Hurayrah but stillwished to learn more about it because of the superstitions attached to it.Well,may be not all over the world but in my home country.As regards the "M" sign on the Cat's forehead,i haven't heard or read anything about that unti now.You know Cats have the ability of knowing someone's going to die(especially if the person's sickly) and they now avoid such person.I read a news in Yahoo of recent about some hospital,using a cat to detect if a patient would survive or not.This was after they had observed the cat stayed away from a few patients who now died afterwards. In my home country however,you can't help but listen to the 'aupernatural powers' attached to cats.They think they're'evil' especially if they're black&that it's some witch that controls it.Kids (even i) grew up with such believes & was only able to overcome the phobia for Cats after I had a better understanding of Islam,alliamdulillah!I really wish to understand this creature better because besides dogs,it's about the only domestic animal i can keep as a pet.But i prefer them fluffy&white.Sorry if i went off-topic!
	"I have conviction that Allah has power over everything.Verily!Allah's knowledge includes and encompasses everything".

herjihad Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 26 January 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2473	Post Options Post Reply Quote herjihad Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 November 2007 at 3:10pm
	Forum Search, all forums, topic subject: Cats http://www.islamicity.com/forum/search.asp?KW=cats&SM=1& amp; amp; amp;SI=TC&FM=47&OB=1 http://www.islamicity.com/forum/search.asp?KW=cats&SM=1& amp; amp;SI=TC&FM=0&OB=1 Forum Search, all forums, topic subjects: Dogs. We discussed cats under the dogs heading, as I remember. Salaams. Edited by herjihad
	Al-Hamdulillah (From a Married Muslimah) La Howla Wa La Quwata Illa BiLLah - There is no Effort or Power except with Allah's Will.

Salams_wife Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 31 July 2007 Status: Offline Points: 296	Post Options Post Reply Quote Salams_wife Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 November 2007 at 5:12pm
	I did not know about the other discussions Herjihad. Thankyou for sharing those.

Hayfa Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Female Joined: 07 June 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2368	Post Options Post Reply Quote Hayfa Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 November 2007 at 4:18am
	I love kitties..
	When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy. Rumi

Cassandra Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 30 May 2006 Location: Spain Status: Offline Points: 293	Post Options Post Reply Quote Cassandra Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 November 2007 at 6:42am
	I read quite the opposite about cats and their "6th" (I�ll bet they have far more!) sense about impending death. In the article I read it claimed that cats would go and sit or lie down with someone who was terminally ill or approaching death from old age. Apparently this behaviour has often been observed in nursing homes. * I know from many experiences that my cats will stay very close to me if I am ill or upset. * Mind you, the idea of all those little old ladies putting their moggies out in the street because they insist on staying too close kind of worries me!!! Cassi P.S. Just a little story I would like to share: I shared a lovely smile with an old man at a bus station recently in Morocco when he saw that I was paying attention to a mother cat and her almost grown kitten. It was just one of those "wordless" moments that we pass by all too often. C

martha Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 30 October 2007 Status: Offline Points: 1140	Post Options Post Reply Quote martha Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 November 2007 at 7:39am
	Cats are lovely animals. (I actually love all animals. They were made by Allah so thats fine with me, whatever they are). I now have a kitten. As I live alone he is my constant companion indoors. Wouldnt be without him now. He's lovely

Hayfa Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Female Joined: 07 June 2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2368	Post Options Post Reply Quote Hayfa Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 November 2007 at 8:22am
	I have a friend who is deaf. She was sleeping in her apartment. Her cat, Lady, woke her up in the middle of the night. She got up and as soon as she got up, the ceiling of the apartment crashed and fell down! Animals are incredible.. Many animals before the Tsunami hit left the low land areas and headed up to higher ground. Some catpive elephants who were at the moment, not chained, left. And as they went up the hill the grabbed some children and carried them up the hill. We can learn somethin from all of Allah's creatures. Okay.. off topic Edited by Hayfa
	When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy. Rumi