Muezza, and the History of Cats in Islam

[Bluefox]

I am really interested in the role animals play in different cultures.

Muezza was Muhammad’s beloved cat. It is said that on one occasion, Muezza was sleeping peacefully on one of Muhammad’s robes. Instead of disturbing the cat, Muhammad cut the robe around Muezza.

Cats, unlike dogs, are considered “clean” animals in Islamic tradition, and Muhammad was said to even drink the same water Muezza drank, and food sampled by cats is considered halal.

Because they are considered to be clean animals, they are even allowed in mosques, including the Masjid al-Haram.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_cats

I find this history fascinating because there is no other religion, as far as I know, where cats hold such an esteemed position, other than maybe Buddhism, where cats are often seen as mindfulness gurus. Now, I know my ignorance is going to come through here, but are Muslims more likely to own cats than dogs due to their cultural value? As a Muslim, how do you personally view cats?

[Khalif]

Originally Posted by Bluefox

I am really interested in the role animals play in different cultures.

Muezza was Muhammad’s beloved cat. It is said that on one occasion, Muezza was sleeping peacefully on one of Muhammad’s robes. Instead of disturbing the cat, Muhammad cut the robe around Muezza.

Cats, unlike dogs, are considered “clean” animals in Islamic tradition, and Muhammad was said to even drink the same water Muezza drank, and food sampled by cats is considered halal.

Because they are considered to be clean animals, they are even allowed in mosques, including the Masjid al-Haram.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_cats

I find this history fascinating because there is no other religion, as far as I know, where cats hold such an esteemed position, other than maybe Buddhism, where cats are often seen as mindfulness gurus. Now, I know my ignorance is going to come through here, but are Muslims more likely to own cats than dogs due to their cultural value? As a Muslim, how do you personally view cats?

Some like cats and some like dogs.
We are not against any animals. They are all living beings. That's the Islamic view.
Cultural could be anything.

[Halcyon18]

I LOVE cats, but dogs seem wonderful too, even though I’m not as familiar with them. If dogs were clean and not so much work, I’d love to have one. For now I’ll just have to be content with smiling at every dog I see on a walk.

[TheresACatForThat]

Originally Posted by Bluefox

there is no other religion, as far as I know, where cats hold such an esteemed position ... As a Muslim, how do you personally view cats?

Cats are absolutely gorgeous. To me they are evidence that Allah is real, because he made us beautiful, and then did the same with cats in a different way. That can't be random mutations.


As for comments about dogs. Sorry guys but from what l can gather, dogs are considered impure in Islam.

Moderator edit: Attempted link removed. You can't post links until you have 10 posts.



Working dogs are permissible to keep though. I think the dog of the People of the Cave (= Sleepers of Ephesus?) in Chapter 18 of the Qur'an, was a working dog. Certainly an honour for it to be mentioned in the Qur'an (no cat was mentioned in the Qur'an, but of course cats are still better than dogs because they have beautiful faces and perfect manners).