He has a male cat, but he is unable to buy a female cat for it

6-5-2010 | IslamWeb

Question:

Respected brother I have an imported male persian cat which is with me for 3 yrs now . I take very gud care of it but my question is will it be a sin for me to keep d cat away from its female company . I cannot get another female cat as it will cost me 10000 to 150000 rupees and secondly these persian cats require extra care for grooming etc ..Their hair has to be combed daily n their eyes cleaned atleast twice daily n they shed a lot of hair .More over these persian cats are indoor cats . So my cat is always inside d flat n has never gone out so it cannot meet any stray cat . Plz let me know if its a sin on my part or not to keep an animal away from a female companion. Plz answer to my mail address thanking you Shafeeq

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

 

‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Prophet said: “A woman was punished for a cat she had imprisoned until it died. She entered the Fire because of it, for she neither gave it food nor water when she confined it, nor did she set it free to eat from the vermin of the earth." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

This Hadeeth is evidence that it is permissible to keep a cat and confine it in a cage provided that its owner does his duty towards it by giving it food and water. Al-Munaawi said while listing the benefits of this Hadeeth: “It is permissible to keep a cat and tie it provided that one gives it food and water.”

This is evidence that the only obligation is to provide it with food and water and nothing else. Therefore, you are not obligated to provide this cat with a female cat to cohabit with it.

Finally, it should be noted that one should not get a cat that necessitates spending too much effort, money and time. A Muslim should spend all this in what benefits him in his religion and his worldly matters.

Allaah Knows best.