Does Cat Urine Break Wudu? Understanding Its Impact on Your Ritual Purity

Hi again! Cats are one of the domesticated pets that many people keep. They interact with them, and Muslims do the same. For this reason, there is an important question about cats that you must understand: does cat urine break wudu?

Whatever your reason for opening this article, I am sure you are looking for an explanation about the effect of cat urine on wudu: does it break wudu or not? Trust me! That's what I will explain today. You just need to read this article to the end!

Minor Hadas and Major Hadas: Two Things That Break Wudu

Hi! First of all, I will explain minor hadas and major hadas. These two things break wudu, and you must understand them at the beginning of this discussion because they will help you understand the answer to the main topic of this article.

If you read Islamic legal literature, you will find explanations that identify two things that can break wudu: minor hadas and major hadas.

Read Also: What Types of Farts Break Wudu?

In short, minor hadas is an impure condition in the body of Muslims caused by the following:

1. Vomiting and nosebleeds.
2. Loss of consciousness due to sleep, madness, and similar conditions.
3. Any discharge from the two private parts: the front hole and the back hole.
4. Touching another person's private parts (front or back) using the palm of the hand or the inside of the finger.
5. Skin-to-skin contact between a man and a woman who are not mahram (non-related).

In Islam, minor hadas can be removed through wudu. If Muslims cannot perform wudu due to valid reasons, they can do tayammum as an alternative.

Major hadas refers to an impure condition in the body of Muslims caused by the following:

• Death (for both men and women).
• Menstrual blood no longer flowing (only for women).
• Postpartum blood ceasing (only for women).
• After childbirth (only for women).
• A husband and wife having sexual relations (for both men and women).
• Ejaculation (for both men and women).

In Islam, major hadas can be removed with ghusl Janabah. If Muslims cannot perform ghusl due to valid reasons, they can also do tayammum as an alternative.

In conclusion, if Muslims have minor or major hadas, they must remove them before carrying out acts of worship that require them to be in a state of purity, such as prayer, holding the Quran, and performing Tawaf. For example, it is explained in the hadith below that Muslims cannot pray if they have minor hadas:

عَنْ أَبِيْ هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ : لَا يَقْبَلُ اللهُ صَلَاةَ أَحَدِكُمْ إِذَا أَحْدَثَ حَتَّى يَتَوَضَّأَ . مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ

From Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu, the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Allah does not accept the prayer of anyone among you if he has hadas (minor hadas) until he performs wudu." This hadith was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Cat Urine: Does It Cause You to Have Minor Hadas or Major Hadas?

Now I will explain the answer to an important question that you should understand by now: does cat urine cause minor hadas or major hadas? It’s essential to grasp this concept so that you can comprehend the main topics in this discussion more effectively. Additionally, some Muslims may not fully understand this. I don’t think you want to be like them, do you!?

By the way, do you consider cat urine to be one of the things that cause minor hadas or major hadas, as I explained in the previous paragraphs? No, right?

So, the conclusion is that cat urine is not something that causes you to have minor or major hadas. This is crucial to remember, as it will help you understand the main topic of this discussion.

Although cat urine does not cause Muslims to have minor or major hadas, it is considered unclean. This is because it is one of the substances that comes from a cat's vital organs. Anything that emerges from the vital organs, whether from the front or back, is deemed unclean.

One important point about cats that I want to clarify is that, while cat urine is unclean, the cat's body itself is not considered impure. You can find this explanation in the hadith below:

عَنْ أَبِيْ قَتَادَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: فِيْ الْهِرَّةِ: إِنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ بِنَجَسٍ، إِنَّمَا هِيَ مِنَ الطَّوَافِينَ عَلَيْكُمْ. أَخْرَجَهُ الْأَرْبَعَةُ وَإِبْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ

From Abu Qatadah radiyallahu anhu, he (the Prophet Muhammad) said about cats: "Actually, it is not unclean; it is among the animals that surround you." This hadith was narrated by four scholars (Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'I, and Ibn Majah) as well as Ibn Khuzaimah.

In Islam, all animals must be treated well. Muslims are obligated to care for them, especially the animals they keep. Below is a hadith that explains how a woman was condemned to Hell because she tortured a cat:

عَنْ أَبِيْ هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: … دَخَلَتِ امْرَأَةٌ النَّارَ فِيْ هِرَّةٍ رَبَطَتْهَا فَلَا هِيَ أَطْعَمَتْهَا وَلَا هِيَ أَرْسَلَتْهَا تَأْكُلُ مِنْ خَشَاشِ الْأَرْضِ حَتَّى مَاتَتْ

From Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu, the Prophet (Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "...a woman enters Hell because she tied up a cat, neither feeding it nor allowing it to go so it could eat small creatures on the ground until it died."

Does Cat Urine Break Wudu?

Hi! Are you still with me? Now I will explain the answer to the question that is the main topic of this discussion. It’s important to read this explanation carefully so that you have no further questions about it in your mind. Of course, if you still have other questions, feel free to write them in the comments section. I would love to engage in a dialogue with you.

In the previous paragraphs, I explained that cat urine does not cause you or Muslims to have minor or major hadas. I also clarified that only minor and major hadas can break wudu.

So, if you are still wondering, "Does cat urine break wudu?", the answer is "No, cat urine does not break wudu."

What Should You Do If You Step in Cat Urine?

At the end of this discussion, I will explain what you should do if you step in cat urine. By the conclusion of this discussion, you should have a very good understanding after reading this article.

As I mentioned earlier, cat urine is considered unclean. In Islam, Muslims are allowed to touch or be exposed to impurities. Every time we have a bowel movement, there is impurity in our anus. If we clean it with our hands, there will inevitably be uncleanness on our hands. So, as normal human beings, we cannot completely avoid being unclean.

One important aspect related to uncleanness that is prohibited in Islam is performing acts of worship that require us to be in a pure state—whether concerning the body, clothing, place, or anything else we use during these acts of worship. Therefore, before performing these acts, we must remove minor and major hadas from our bodies and cleanse ourselves of any impurities on our body, clothing, and the place where we will perform these acts of worship.

So, if you are still wondering, "What should you do if you step in cat urine?", the answer is: "Clean the cat urine by flushing it away."

Do you have any questions? Please write in the comments section!