What is Sunan an-Nasa'i 341 about?

This hadith from Sunan an-Nasa'i (Book of The Book of Water), narrated by It was narrated from Kabshah bint Ka'ab bin Malik that Abu Qatadah entered upon her, then she narrated the following:, states: ""I poured some water for him for Wudu', and a cat came and drank from it, so he tilted the vessel for it to drink." Kabshah said: "He saw me looking at him and said: 'Are you surprised, O daughter of…"

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sunan an-Nasa'i, which contains 5,768 hadiths across 52 books. It is hadith number 341 in the Book of The Book of Water.

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

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#340

#341

Sunan an-Nasa'i

#342

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Sunan an-Nasa'i #341

The Book of Water

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ حُمَيْدَةَ بِنْتِ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ رِفَاعَةَ، عَنْ كَبْشَةَ بِنْتِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ أَبَا قَتَادَةَ، دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ كَلِمَةً مَعْنَاهَا فَسَكَبْتُ لَهُ وَضُوءًا فَجَاءَتْ هِرَّةٌ فَشَرِبَتْ مِنْهُ فَأَصْغَى لَهَا الإِنَاءَ حَتَّى شَرِبَتْ قَالَتْ كَبْشَةُ فَرَآنِي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ أَتَعْجَبِينَ يَا ابْنَةَ أَخِي قُلْتُ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ بِنَجَسٍ إِنَّمَا هِيَ مِنَ الطَّوَّافِينَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَالطَّوَّافَاتِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

"I poured some water for him for Wudu', and a cat came and drank from it, so he tilted the vessel for it to drink." Kabshah said: "He saw me looking at him and said: 'Are you surprised, O daughter of my brother?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'They are not impure, rather they are among the males and females (animals) who go around among you."

Narrated by It was narrated from Kabshah bint Ka'ab bin Malik that Abu Qatadah entered upon her, then she narrated the following:

Context

In this hadith, Kabshah bint Ka'ab narrates an incident where Abu Qatadah drank water that a cat had also drunk from, demonstrating the Prophet's ﷺ teachings about the purity of cats. The Prophet ﷺ reassured her that cats are not impure and are among the animals that frequently interact with humans. This highlights the importance of understanding the principles of purity in Islam.

Modern Application

This hadith encourages a compassionate view of animals in our daily lives. Understanding that cats are not considered impure can help foster a more inclusive and loving environment for pets, allowing for their presence in our homes without concern for ritual purity.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Purification (Wudu/Taharah) and Vessels and Utensils because it addresses the concept of purity in relation to animals that interact with humans.

Purification (Wudu/Taharah)Vessels and Utensils