Cats – Some Ahadith

It is not befitting that none of your houses should be empty from three, these are protectors of the house, and the cat, and the pigeon, and the rooster Hadith.

Cats in Houses

قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع‏ لَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَخْلُوَ بَيْتُ أَحَدِكُمْ مِنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ وَ هُنَّ عُمَّارُ الْبَيْتِ الْهِرِّ وَ الْحَمَامِ وَ الدِّيكِ فَإِنْ كَانَ مَعَ الدِّيكِ أَنِيسَةٌ وَ إِلَّا فَلَا بَأْسٌ لِمَنْ لَا يَقْدِرُهَا.

Abu Al-Hassan^-asws having said: ‘It is not befitting that none of your houses should be empty from three, these are protectors of the house, and these are – the cat, and the pigeon, and the rooster. If there were to be a comforter with the rooster (chicken, then fine), or else there is no problem for the one notable upon it’’.^[1]

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ عَنْ أَبِي أُسَامَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) فِي الْفَأْرَةِ وَ السِّنَّوْرِ وَ الدَّجَاجَةِ وَ الطَّيْرِ وَ الْكَلْبِ قَالَ مَا لَمْ يَتَفَسَّخْ أَوْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُ الْمَاءِ فَيَكْفِيكَ خَمْسُ دِلَاءٍ فَإِنْ تَغَيَّرَ الْمَاءُ فَخُذْ مِنْهُ حَتَّى يَذْهَبَ الرِّيحُ .

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from Jameel Bin Darraj, from Abu Asama,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah^-asws regarding the rats, and the cats, and the birds, and the dogs (falling into the well). He^-asws said: ‘For as long as they have not decomposed, or the taste of the water has not changed, so (removing) five buckets would suffice you; and if the water has changed, so keep taking out from it until the smell goes away’.[2]

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ الضَّرِيرِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ ( عليهما السلام ) قَالَ خَطَبَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى قَوْمٍ فَقَالُوا مَا تِجَارَتُكَ فَقَالَ أَبِيعُ الدَّوَابَّ فَزَوَّجُوهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ يَبِيعُ السَّنَانِيرَ فَاخْتَصَمُوا إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ( عليه السلام ) فَأَجَازَ نِكَاحَهُ فَقَالَ السَّنَانِيرُ دَوَابُّ .

Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Muhammad Bin Ahmad, from one of his companions, from Al Hassan Bin Al Husayn Al Zareer, from Hammad Bin Isa,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah^-asws, from his^-asws father^-asws having said: ‘A man sent a proposal to a people, so they said, ‘What is your business?’ so he said, ‘I sell the animals’. So they married to him, and it turned out that he was selling the cats. So they brought the dispute to Amir Al-Momineen^-asws and he^-asws allowed his marriage, and he^-asws said: ‘The cats are animals’.[3]

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ إِنَّ فِي كِتَابِ عَلِيٍّ ( عليه السلام ) أَنَّ الْهِرَّ سَبُعٌ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِسُؤْرِهِ وَ إِنِّي لَأَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ اللَّهِ أَنْ أَدَعَ طَعَاماً لِأَنَّ هِرّاً أَكَلَ مِنْهُ .

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from Umar Bin Azina, from Zurara,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah^-asws having said, ‘In the Book of Ali^-asws, ‘The cat is a predator, but there is no problem with its leftovers, and I^-asws would be embarrassed from Allah^-azwj if I^-asws were to leave food because a cat has eaten from it’.[4]

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي كِتَابِ سَمَاعَةَ رَفَعَهُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) إِنْ أَصَابَ الثَّوْبَ شَيْ‏ءٌ مِنْ بَوْلِ السِّنَّوْرِ فَلَا تَصِحُّ الصَّلَاةُ فِيهِ حَتَّى تَغْسِلَهُ .

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Abdullah Bin Al Mugheira who said, ‘In a book of Sama’at,

(It has been narrated) raising it to Abu Abdullah^-asws: ‘If something from cat urine hits the clothes, so the Salaat would not be correct until you wash it (first)’.[5]

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ إِنْ أَصَابَ الثَّوْبَ شَيْ‏ءٌ مِنْ بَوْلِ السِّنَّوْرِ فَلَا يَصْلُحُ الصَّلَاةُ فِيهِ حَتَّى تَغْسِلَهُ .

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Abdullah Bin Al Mugheira, from Sama’at,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah^-asws having said: ‘If something from the urine of a cat were to hit the clothes, so the Salaat would not be correct in it, until you wash it’.[6]

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ عَنْ أَبَانٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ وَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ ثَمَنُ الْكَلْبِ الَّذِي لَا يَصِيدُ سُحْتٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَ لَا بَأْسَ بِثَمَنِ الْهِرِّ

Muhammad ibn al-Hassan that al-Hussein bin Said has shown for residues from Muhammad ibn Muslim, and Abdul Rahman bin Abu Abdullah^–asws said: ‘The haunting dog’s price is not ‘Harram’[7] and there is no Harram in taking the price for a cat.[8]

م، تفسير الإمام عليه السلام قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع‏

Tafseer Al-Imam (Hassan Al-Askari) ^–asws – ‘Ali^–asws Bin Al-Husayn^–asws said ……:

فَأَنْزَلَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ فَمَنْ‏ كَفَرَ بَعْدُ مِنْهُمْ مَسَخَهُ اللَّهُ إِمَّا خِنْزِيراً وَ إِمَّا قِرْداً وَ إِمَّا دُبّاً وَ إِمَّا هِرّاً وَ إِمَّا عَلَى صُورَةِ بَعْضِ الطُّيُورِ وَ الدَّوَابِّ الَّتِي فِي الْبَرِّ وَ الْبَحْرِ حَتَّى مُسِخُوا عَلَى أَرْبَعِمِائَةِ نَوْعٍ مِنَ الْمَسْخِ

He^–azwj did Send it down upon them, and the one from who committed Kufr afterwards, Allah^–azwj Transformed him to either a pig, or a monkey, or a bear, or a cat, or upon an image of some of the birds and the animals which are in the land and the sea, to the extent that He^–azwj Transformed (them) upon a variety of four hundred transformations……. (an extract)[9]

كِتَابُ الْمَسَائِلِ، لِعَلِيِّ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَخِيهِ ع قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ مَسَّ ظَهْرَ سِنَّوْرٍ هَلْ يَصْلُحُ لَهُ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَغْسِلَ يَدَهُ

‘Kitab Al-Masail’ of Ali son of Ja’far^-asws, from his brother^-asws (Al-Kazim^-asws), he said, ‘I asked him^-asws about a man who touches the back of a cat, ‘Is it correct for him to pray Salat before he washing his hand?’

قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ‏

He^-asws said: ‘There is no problem’’.^[10]

[1] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 73 – The book of Etiquettes – Ch 32 H 1 / 10

[2] Al Kafi – V 3 – The Book of Cleanliness Ch 4 H 3

[3] Al Kafi – V 5 – The Book of Marriage Ch 184 H 17

[4] Al Kafi – V 3 – The Book of Cleanliness Ch 6 H 4

[5] Al Kafi – V 3 – The Book of Cleanliness Ch 36 H 5

[6] Al Kafi – V 3 – The Book of Cleanliness Ch 37 H 8

[7] Forbidden, illegal

[8] Tafseer-e-Aayashi, Wasail ul Shia, vol. 17, H. 22137

[9] Bihar Al Anwaar – V 19, The book of our Prophet^–saww, P 3 Ch 29 H 24

[10] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 78 – The Book Salat  – Ch 17 H 9