The Prophet’s cat Muezza
Question
Did the Prophet ﷺ have a cat named Muezza (Muʿizzah)? There is a famous story that one day, the Prophet ﷺ awoke as he heard the sound of the Adhān, and the cat was sleeping on his sleeve. So, he cut the sleeve leaving the cat undisturbed and went for Ṣalāh. Is there any basis for this story?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
Answer
We have not come across any basis for this story in the books of ḥadīth and history, nor have we come across a cat by this name or any other name belonging to the Prophet ﷺ. A similar story is reported for a pious saint of the sixth century, which perhaps explains the origin of the story and the confusion.
قال الحافظ شمس الدين الذهبي في تاريخ الإسلام (١٢/٦٠٥) في ترجمة الشيخ العارف أحمد الرفاعي المتوفى سنة ٥٧٨: وقيل: إن هرة نامت على كم الشيخ أحمد، وجاء وقت الصلاة، فقص كمه ولم يزعجها، وعاد من الصلاة فوجدها قد فاقت، فوصل الكم بالثوب وخيطه وقال: ما تغير شيء، انتهى. وذكره في السير (٢١/٧٨) ملخصا۔
Allah knows best
Yusuf Shabbir
8 Ṣafar 1442 / 26 September 2020
Approved by: Mufti Shabbir Ahmed and Mufti Muhammad Tahir