The Cat is Not Impure

05/12/2013 03:16

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The Cat is Not Impure

Purification [1]
Date:
Wed, 01/01/2003
Author:
ISLAMTODAY.NET [2]
Body:
Ab Qatdah relates that Allahs Messenger said regarding the cat: It is not impure. It is one
of those creatures that live in our attendance.
This hadth is related in al-Muwatta, Sunan al-Tirmidh, Sunan al-Nas, Sunan Ab Dawd,
Sunan Ibn Mjah, and Sahh Ibn Khuzaymah among other books.
It is an authentic hadth. Al-Bukhr was among the many scholars who declared it so. AlTirmidh declared it a good and authentic hadth. [Snan al-Tirmidh (1/153)] Other scholars
who authenticated it were al-`Uqayli, Ibn Khuzaymah, al-Hkim, al-Bayhaq, al-Daraqutn,
and al-Nawaw.
The meaning of the hadth:
This hadth has a story behind it. A woman named Kabshah bint Ka`b once poured out some
water for her father-in-law Ab Qatdah to use for his ablutions. A cat came along wanting to
drink, so Ab Qatdah 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 Allahs 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 hadth 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 `Al, al-`Abbs, Ibn `Abbs, Ibn `Umar, `Aishah, Ab Qatdah, al-Hasan, alHusayn, `Alqamah, Ibrhim al-Nakha, `Atb. Yasr, and Ishq b. Rhawayh. It is also the
opinion of the Mlik, Shfi`, and Hanbal schools of thought. Among the founders of the
Hanaf school, it was the opinion of Ab Ysuf and Muhammad b. Hasan al-Shaybn.

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These who hold this opinion rely on the hadth 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 hadth where the Prophets wife `Aishah allowed a cat to drink
water from a bowl and then used the leftover water to perform her ablutions. There are similar
hadth about the Companions Anas and Jbir doing the same. Indeed, Jbir made it quite
clear that the cat does not contaminate anything or make it impure.
By contrast, the official opinion of the Hanaf school of law is that water becomes impure after
a cat drinks from it, but that the impurity is of a minor degree. Hanaf 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 hadth as evidence: If a cat drinks from a dish, it is purified by washing
it once or twice. [Sharh Ma`n al-Athr (1/19) and Sunan al-Draqutn (1/64)]
The problem with this hadth is that it cannot be reliably attributed to the Prophet (peace be
upon him). Most narrations of this hadth are linked to the hadth 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-Bayhaq [al-Sunan al-Kubr (1/247)], and al-Nawaw [al-Majm`
(1/175)].
They also cite the hadth: The housecat is a beast of prey. This hadth 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 hadth is that it contains `Is b. al-Musayyib in its chain of transmission.
Both Ab Dwd and Ab Htim declared him a weak narrator. Ibn Hibbn 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 hadth 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 hadth wherein the Prophet (peace
be upon him) declared the cat to be pure.
The second question:
Does this hadth 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 Hanaf 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 Hanbal scholars.
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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 hadth under discussion as
proof for the impurity of carnivores. They argue that the hadth, 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 hadth 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 Shfi` scholars. Al-Nawaw 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-Majm`:
2/607]
The fourth opinion is that of the Mlik scholars. It is like the Shfi` position with the added
condition that the carnivorous animal must be deemed unlikely to bring with it contaminants.
However, Mlik 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 Mjah (1/519) and
Sunan al-Bayhaq (1/258)]
This hadth is not authentic since it contains `Abd al-Rahmn b. Zayb b. Aslam in its chain of
transmission. Al-Bayhaq says: The narrations of people like `Abd al-Rahmn b. Zayb cannot
be used as evidence.
Ibn Jarr writes: Hadth like this cannot be used as evidence. This hadth only comes to us by
way of `Abd al-Rahmn b. Zayb b. Aslam, and according to hadth specialists, his hadth are
about as weak as hadth get. [Tahdhb al-Athr (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-Shfi` (40), Sunan al-Draqutn (1/62), Sunan al-Bayhaq (1/249-250), and
Musannaf `Abd al-Razzq (1/77)]
This hadth has two chains of transmission. One of these is by way of Ibrhm b. Ab Habbah.
The other is by way of Ibrhm b. Muhammad. Both of these chains of transmission are weak.
Al-Nawaw says: This hadth is weak in both of its transmissions, since Ibrhm b. Ab
Habbah and Ibrhm b. Muhammad are both deemed by the hadth specialists to be very
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weak narrators whose narrations cannot be used as evidence. [al-Majm` (1/173)] This
hadth was also declared weak by al-Daraqutn, Ibn al-Mulaqqin, and Ibn Hajar.
3. Then there is the hadth that `Umar while traveling with `Amr b. al-`As and others, reached
a spring. `Amr b. al-`As 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 hadth has a broken chain of transmission, since
Yahy b. `Abd al-Rahman who narrates this hadth 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 hadth 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 hadth:
1. The hadth 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-Tamhd (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 alQayyim [Zd al-Ma`d (5/773-774)] and Ibn Hazm [al-Muhall (9/9-13)]. They cite the hadth
where Ab Zubayr asked Jbir about selling dogs and cats and Jbir said: The Prophet
(peace be upon him) spoke against it. [Sahh Muslim (3/1199)]
The majority of scholars responded with the possibility that this hadth 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 hadth supports this understanding, since the Prophet (peace be upon him)
only spoke against it and did not prohibit it outright.
2. The hadth indicates that cats are not impure animals and that the water from which they
drink remains pure after they drink from it.
3. The hadth 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.
Purification
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