[10] Justice For All

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “A woman entered the Hellfire because of a cat or kitten she had imprisoned. She did not let it eat, nor release it to eat the vermin of the earth, until it died emaciated.” [Muslim 2619]

Imam Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated:

This is a (Shariah) text regarding that woman being  punished in the fire due to killing a cat through incarceration and not feeding it. Was this woman who was seen by the Prophet, peace be upon him, in the fire – a tall woman from the Children of Israel –  a disbeliever or not? It could be either case. If she was a disbeliever, it serves as evidence that disbelievers are held accountable for the subsidiary (issues) of the Shariah and are punished for neglecting them. If she was not a disbeliever, it is evident that the reason for her punishment in the fire was due to incarcerating the cat until it died of starvation.

An Exwrpt from “Al-Muf’him Limaa Ash’kala Min Tal’khees Kitab Muslim” 5/544