Caliphate Blog

Cats and Islam Islam faith and cats – Arabs in the 7th century believed that the cat was pure spirited. Pre-Islamic Arabs are said to have worshipped a Golden Cat. The Prophet Muhammad (s) was tender and kind towards cats. He appreciated cats. Muhammad’s (s) favorite cat was called Muezza. There is a well known story regarding the Prophet Muhammad (s) and Muezza. When the call to prayers was heard, Muezza was asleep on one of the sleeves of the Prophet’s (s) robes. The Prophet (s) wanted to wear the robe to go to prayers. Rather than disturb Muezza, Muhammad (s) cut off the sleeve to leave Muezza in peace. Prophet (s) then stroked the cat three times, which, it is said, granted Muezza seven lives and the ability to land on his feet at all times (as you might know, cats have a self-righting mechanism,a righting reflex, which is a complex series of movements when a cat falls and which protects the cat from breaking her back). Prophet (s) was so attached to his cat that when h...

“Dogs in the Islamic Tradition and Nature” Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature, s.v. “Dogs in the Islamic Tradition and Nature.” New York: Continuum International, 2004. By: Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl Islamic discourses on the nature, and function of dogs are representative of a range of tensions regarding the roles of history, mythology, rationality, and modernity in Islam. In fact, the debates surrounding the avowed impurity of dogs, and the lawfulness of possessing or living with these animals were one of the main issues symbolizing the challenging dynamic between the revealed religious law, and the state of creation or nature. In addition, certain aspects of these debates pertained to the power dynamics of patriarchy, and more generally, the construction of social attitudes towards marginal elements in society. In a fashion similar to European medieval folklore, black dogs, in particular, were viewed ominously in the Islamic tradition.[1] According to one tradition att...

Background: Some think that Muslims are not allowed to keep dogs, because they are considered unclean or are banned in Islam. In the early part of chapter 18 of The Quran it narrates a story about the people of the cave who were righteous and had a dog, who slept close to them at the cave entrance [18:18]. Furthermore, The Quran clearly states that believers are allowed to use trained hunting dogs and eat what they catch: They ask you what was made lawful to them, say: “All the good things have been made lawful for you, and what the trained dogs and birds catch, you teach them from what God teaches you.” So eat from what they have captured for you and mention God’s name upon it, and be aware of God. God is quick in reckoning [5:4] However, in traditional narrations, attributed to prophet Muhammad and his companions but recorded by later generations, there is a mix of information about dogs, some positive but most of it negative fabricated , however  there is...