Types of Cats Owned by Prophet Muhammad SAW and Their Special Qualities

Kapanlagi.com - Cats are one of the special animals in Islam. In fact, these furry and adorable animals are one of the favorite animals of Prophet Muhammad SAW. This is because cats are one of the animals that are far from impure. Even the water from a cat's drinking bowl remains pure and can be used for ablution. That is what makes cats a popular pet for many people.

Prophet Muhammad SAW himself had a cat named Muezza. The Prophet loved and cared for his pet cat. In Islam itself, cats are one of the living creatures that must be treated equally and allowed to live with other living creatures. This pet cat of Prophet Muhammad SAW has unique and extraordinary qualities. Of course, you must be curious about what kind of cat was the pet of Prophet Muhammad SAW?

The types of cats of Prophet Muhammad SAW can still be found today. So that you know the types of cats that were the Prophet's pets, let's take a look at the complete review below about the types of cats of the Prophet along with their uniqueness according to Islam. Let's find out right away.

1. The Story of Prophet Muhammad SAW and the Cat

The Story of Prophet Muhammad SAW with a Cat (credit: freepik)

The story of Prophet Muhammad and his beloved cat should be taken as an example. The story of Prophet Muhammad SAW with his beloved cat began when the Prophet was about to go to pray and prepare himself and dress up. However, when the Prophet was about to take his robe, he found Mueeza fast asleep on the robe he was about to wear. Without intending to disturb his beloved cat, Prophet Muhammad SAW had to cut the sleeve of the robe that Mueeza was sleeping on in order to keep the cat calm without waking it up.

Then, after returning from prayer, the Prophet found that Muezza had woken up and prostrated to him. He responded by stroking the cat's body three times. In fact, there is another story where the Prophet always carried his beloved cat while giving a sermon. The Prophet also used the water for ablution that had been used by Muezza for drinking. Even the cat of Prophet Muhammad SAW always meowed when hearing the call to prayer. It is not surprising that the Prophet always loved cats, which were one of his pets.

2. Meaning of the Name Muezza

Meaning of the Name Muezza (credit: freepik)

Of course, you are curious about the meaning of the name Muezza, which is the Prophet's favorite animal. Mueza itself is a name that comes from the Arabic language, which is pronounced as Mu'izza. However, the name of the Prophet's cat is slightly altered to Muezza. The meaning of the Prophet's cat's name is as follows.

Ma'azza: in the forum, it is mentioned that the meaning of Ma'azza is "caring for someone"

Ma'azzah: "so valuable and so beloved"

3. Types of Cats of Prophet Muhammad SAW

Types of Cats of Prophet Muhammad (credit: freepik)

Of course, you are curious about what kind of cat was the Prophet's pet. It is known that Muezza is a domestic angora cat. This cat originates from Turkey and is often referred to as Turkish Angora. Being one of the oldest cat breeds in the world, it seems that this favorite cat breed of the Prophet is still widely found and many people keep it as a pet.

The distinctive features of the Prophet's pet cat include having long fur, a long and slender body, and an elegant appearance. The Angora cat itself has a long nose, a triangular-shaped head, and long, wide, triangular-shaped ears.

4. The Speciality of Cats in Islam

The Speciality of Cats in Islam (credit: freepik)

Cats are indeed one of the most special animals loved by the Prophet. This statement has been explained regarding the speciality of cats based on the following hadiths.

"Cats are not impure. Indeed, cats are animals that we often encounter and are around us." (HR. Tirmidhi).

Not only that, the water that cats drink from remains pure and can still be used for ablution. This is in accordance with the hadith narrated by Muslim:

"When Prophet Muhammad was about to perform ablution, a cat approached him and drank from the vessel he used for ablution. The Prophet stopped until the cat finished drinking and then performed ablution." (HR. Muslim).

Except if the cat is seen with blood, urine, feces, and so on, then it becomes impure. Imam Nawawi also explained:

"If this cat goes away and comes back to drink the water, then we believe that the water is pure and we doubt the impurity of the cat's mouth, so the remaining water licked by the cat is not impure. (Except) if the cat whose mouth still has the previous blood does not go away and lick the water, then it is definitely considered impure." (Al-Majmu' 1/171).

Cats are also considered pure animals, as stated in the hadith:

"Cats are part of household adornments, they do not defile anything." (HR. Muslim).

Cats are animals where their bodies, sweat, remnants of food, and saliva are pure. The water is even cleansing. Its life is cleaner than humans. (HR Malik).

As living creatures, cats should also be treated well.

From Ibn Umar RA, Prophet Muhammad SAW said, "A woman is put into hell because of a cat that she tied up and did not feed, nor allowed it to eat the small animals on the floor." (HR Bukhari).

That is the type of cat that the Prophet kept as a pet, along with its special qualities that you need to know. That is why, when you decide to have a cat as a pet, treat it well and love your cat as taught by Prophet Muhammad SAW. Hopefully, it will be beneficial.

(kpl/dtm)