Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah

Is it allowed for me to kill the cat which harms my pet rabbits?

· 17 Jumada II 1443 AH1 min readFatwa 47148English

Question

I have pet rabbits. A cat comes and eats the babies. Is it permissible for me to harm or kill the cat? It is a pet cat so it is well fed and doesn't need to kill and eat other animals.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

It is stated in a hadith, Rasullullah (Sallalahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said:

Translation: Fear Allah Ta’ala regarding those creation which cannot speak (animals)[i]

It is not permissible to kill a cat which belongs to another person. We advise that you make some other means of protecting your rabbits.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best

M. Akhtar

Student Darul Iftaa
South Africa

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

اتقُوا الله في هذه البهائمِ المُعْجَمَةِ

[i]

سنن أبي داود ت الأرنؤوط (4/ 200)

2548 - حدّثنا عبدُ الله بن محمدٍ النُّفيليُّ، حدَّثنا مِسكين -يعني ابنَ بُكير- حدَّثنا محمد بن مُهاجِرٍ، عن ربيعةَ بن يزيدَ، عن أبي كَبشةَ السَّلُولي

عن سهْل ابن الحنْظليَّةِ، قال: مرَّ رسولُ الله -صلَّى الله عليه وسلم- ببعيرٍ قد لَحِقَ ظهرُه ببطنه، فقال: "اتقُوا الله في هذه البهائمِ المُعْجَمَةِ، فارْكَبوها صالحةً، وكلُوها صالحةً"

Answered by
M. Akhtar
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.

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Source: Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah — https://askimam.org/public/question_detail/47148
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/askimam-47148

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