All Cats are Muslim

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As my loyal readers know, religion is not part of the equation for yours truly but this wonderful Gawker article,  All Cats are Muslim, rocks in describing the special relationship cats have with Islam as cats are cool and ... they need not to be potty trained. Show them the litter box and the rest is history. :)

There are a few rules most of us know to be true. You stop at a red light, chicken is not meant to be consumed raw, Tony Hawk is a cool dude, and all cats are Muslim (ACAM). Pépito the cat? Muslim. The aristocats? Probably from Dubai. Hasbulla’s cat? Obviously Muslim. Jorts and Jeans? Muslim. The internet is filled with images and videos of cats on prayer mats, cats reading and refusing to walk on the Quran, as well as cats dressed up in little cute Eid outfits.

While some may attribute the feline-Muslim relationship to a cringe attempt to ascribe representation on to everything, this association between Islam and cats long predates the internet. In many cities in Muslim-majority nations, cats roam the streets; lounging about and roaming from shop to shop collecting food and a nice petting as they go. These cats, though independent, are affectionately part of the community, which recognizes them and tends to their needs.

Cats are revered in Islamic society. They are one of the few creatures allowed into mosques because they are considered to be clean. Islamic scholars are said to have kept cats in their libraries because they would eat the mice that would ruin books. Some say the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had a favorite cat named Muezza (translations of the name vary but are along the lines of “one who gives comfort/care/is cherished”). The story goes that once when the Prophet (pbuh) wanted to get up and pray but his cat was sleeping on the sleeves of one of his robes; so he merely cut the sleeves off his clothing in order to not disturb the cat. The Prophet (pbuh) had a companion who adopted the name “Abu Hurayrah” (father of the cats) because he would take care of many cats. Cats are also used as a cautionary tale to warn humans to treat God’s creation with compassion and kindness. A prophetic saying (hadith) tells the story of a woman who kept a cat in her home and tortured it; refusing it food, water and freedom until it ultimately died. The woman, we are told, was sent to hell for that act.

All you need to do is gift your cat with a box. She'll love you for it. Mine did back in the day. :)

Photo by Biel Morro on Unsplash