1/39. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 76 — Cat Purity and Leftover Food
The Water Left By A Cat
Cat Purity Hadith: Food and Water Left by a Cat
Sunan Abi Dawud : 76
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 76
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ، عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ صَالِحِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ التَّمَّارِ، عَنْ أُمِّهِ، أَنَّ مَوْلاَتَهَا، أَرْسَلَتْهَا بِهَرِيسَةٍ إِلَى عَائِشَةَ رضى الله عنها فَوَجَدْتُهَا تُصَلِّي فَأَشَارَتْ إِلَىَّ أَنْ ضَعِيهَا فَجَاءَتْ هِرَّةٌ فَأَكَلَتْ مِنْهَا فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَتْ أَكَلَتْ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَكَلَتِ الْهِرَّةُ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ بِنَجَسٍ إِنَّمَا هِيَ مِنَ الطَّوَّافِينَ عَلَيْكُمْ " . وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَتَوَضَّأُ بِفَضْلِهَا .
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: Dawud ibn Salih ibn Dinar at-Tammar quoted his mother as saying that her mistress sent her with some pudding (harisah) to Aisha who was offering prayer. She made a sign to me to place it down. A cat came and ate some of it, but when Aisha finished her prayer, she ate from the place where the cat had eaten. She stated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: It is not unclean: it is one of those who go round among you. She added: I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) performing ablution from the water left over by the cat.
[1] Harisah ; a dish made with the flour of wheat or barley or other grains, sometimes meat is also included.Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 76In-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 76English translation : Book 1, Hadith 76
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 76
This cat purity hadith adds a daily-life example. Aishah was praying when food was placed near her. A cat came and ate some of it. After finishing prayer, Aishah ate from the place where the cat had eaten. She then quoted the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم: the cat is not unclean; it is one of those who go round among you. She also said she saw the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم perform ablution from water left by a cat. The teaching stays close to food touched by a cat and water left by a cat. It shows that the cat is treated differently from what people may assume.
What we learn from this hadith
- Aishah ate from the place where the cat had eaten.
- She quoted the Prophetic statement that the cat is not unclean.
- She reported seeing the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم make ablution from water left by a cat.
- The narration connects cat leftovers with purity.
