What is Sunan Ibn Majah 3994 about?

This hadith from Sunan Ibn Majah (Book of Zuhd), narrated by It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:, states: "“A woman entered Hell because of a cat which she tied up and did not feed, or let it loose to eat of the vermin of the earth, until it died.”"

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 Ibn Majah, which contains 4,345 hadiths across 38 books. It is hadith number 3994 in the Book of Zuhd.

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.

‹

#3993

#3994

Sunan Ibn Majah

#3995

›

Sunan Ibn Majah #3994

Zuhd

Sahih

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

قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ وَحَدَّثَنِي حُمَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ‏:‏ ‏ "‏ دَخَلَتِ امْرَأَةٌ النَّارَ فِي هِرَّةٍ رَبَطَتْهَا فَلاَ هِيَ أَطْعَمَتْهَا وَلاَ هِيَ أَرْسَلَتْهَا تَأْكُلُ مِنْ خَشَاشِ الأَرْضِ حَتَّى مَاتَتْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ ‏:‏ لِئَلاَّ يَتَّكِلَ رَجُلٌ وَلاَ يَيْأَسَ رَجُلٌ ‏.‏

“A woman entered Hell because of a cat which she tied up and did not feed, or let it loose to eat of the vermin of the earth, until it died.”

Narrated by It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

Context

In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) narrates the story of a woman who entered Hell due to her mistreatment of a cat. This emphasizes the significance of compassion towards all living beings and the consequences of neglecting their needs, highlighting the moral responsibility humans have towards animals.

Modern Application

In today's world, this hadith serves as a reminder of the ethical treatment of animals. It encourages individuals to be compassionate and responsible pet owners, ensuring that their animals are cared for and not neglected.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Punishments (Hudud) because it illustrates the severe consequences of neglecting one's responsibilities towards living beings.

Punishments (Hudud)