Do cats' transmitting certain diseases contradict the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saying that they are pure and will not defile anything or render it impure?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Cats are pure in body and in their leftover water (su'r), because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "They are not impure; they are among those who circulate among you." If it is established that they transmit diseases, this does not negate their purity. Rather, one must take precautions against them to avoid illness, not due to impurity. If a person is certain that a cat has eaten something harmful or impure, then precautions must be taken against the effect of that on water or food, based on the "No harm is inflicted nor reciprocated," and the jurisprudential rule "Harm must be removed."
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/140155
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 140155
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy