Where Cats and Humans Pray Together
Love for others is what you need to develop in yourself
In the morning, my eyes stuck on a video titled Why Turkish People Love Animals. I have never been to Turkey. But last year, one of my colleagues visited Istanbul and shared his experience with me. So, I can relate to the video.
Anyway, I have read a few articles about Turk’s love for animals afterward, and I was moved to see what they do for animals, especially stray cats. Oh, it was so inspiring!
I do feel inspired when I see that human beings are coming out of their self-interest and doing lovely things for others. It gives me tremendous joy and hope.
The City of Cats
In this tech-driven world, we only care about our money-making goals and dreams and blindly ignore all the other things life offers. We hardly have time to focus on things that add no monetary value to our life. But Turkish people are not like all of us. Yes, they do strive for their goals in life but not excluding everything else. It’s not in their culture.
My friend said that stray cats are everywhere in Istanbul, Turkey. He is right, as I have seen too in many videos and found the same. Cats are everywhere — on the streets, in coffee shops and restaurants, on the statues, in the parks, on the rooftops, and so on.
When you walk through the roads, they follow you. When you sit in a park, within moments, one of them is on your lap. Even when you go to pray or visit a mosque, very likely, you find one of the felines there. Turkish people, in general, have a deep affection for animals (dogs, cats, sparrows, storks, etc.). They coexist with them peacefully.
People even build houses for stray cats, feed them, and give them love and care. They raise funds for stray cats and dogs so that they never go hungry. In many shops, you will find a separate donation box for cats. In Turkish cat is called Kedi.
Istanbul has hundreds of active volunteers who take care of stray cats. They do all the necessary things for them, including fixing their shelters, setting up new cat houses, feeding the cats, and so on.
There is no formal funding, but general people give money to stray cats out of love. They share their city with animals and live harmoniously.
The Root of Turkish’s Love for Cats
Cats first arrived in Istanbul on merchant ships from Egypt during the Ottoman Empire. Now, countless cats, some say a million, rule the city like kings and queens. But why do Turkish people love cats? The answer is rooted in their culture and religion.
Turkey is a Muslim majority country. And all animals, including cats, are treated with great love and affection in Islam. A popular saying in Turkey goes like this, “If you kill a cat, you need to build a mosque to be forgiven by God.”
In Islamic culture, cats are admired for their cleanliness and thus welcome in homes and even mosques. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), according to many hadith, prohibited the persecution and killing of cats.
The Prophet (PBUH) says, “Affection for cats is part of faith” (Maqasid al-Hasanah, al-Sakhawi). Another hadith cites, “Have mercy on the creatures of Allah(God) so that Allah may have mercy on you.” Moreover, one of his companions was known as Abu Hurairah (father of the kitten) for his exemplary affection for cats.
There are a few stories regarding cats and the Prophet(PBUH) as well.
It is believed that the Prophet (PBUH) stroked the back of a cat for strangling a snake that was about to harm someone, and that is why cats land on four feet and not on their backs.
Another story goes like this —
When the Prophet (PBUH) came across a black-and-white Abyssinian cat breastfeeding her kitten during the Uhud campaign, he changed the course of his soldiers. On his way back, he adopted this cat and gave her the name “Muezza.”
Thus Turkish people got their cat-loving characteristics from their religion and culture.
Another reason for loving cats is — during the Ottoman period, the people got irritated about the mice problems in their houses, so to solve this problem they start adopting cats as pets. Since those time, cats became a part of their day-to-day life.
When Cats and Humans Pray Together
In the winter, when the outside temperature is cold, cats often go to mosques, find a suitable place, and rest. Cats are always welcome in the mosques of Turkey.
Sabri Durak, a muazzin of Aziz Muhammad Hudaye mosque, says, “This mosque was built around the 1400s. The cats have been coming since then. We didn’t invite them. They are always here, and we don’t try to drive them out.”
In mosques, kids often play with cats. Adults also show their affection in between their prayers.
To Conclude
I cannot say that nobody hates cats in Turkey, but in general, people are cat-loving, and they do everything for them. They share their life with stray cats and other animals. And this is a thing that we, almost all, lack. We lack this ability to coexist with the animals peacefully.
Affection towards animals makes us humane, and it shows how progressive we are when it comes to the world around us. I think we can adopt this animal-loving characteristic from Turkish people to make our life more happy and meaningful.
Thank you for reading.
References
- Love of cats a sign of faith in Islam
- Why are there so many cats in Istanbul?
- Islam and cats
- Turkey has so, so many cats
- Turkey: where pampered cats are top dog
If you want to read more of my writings, you may read the following articles.
- The People Who Hang Out With Their Dead Relatives for Years
- How I Unfollowed My Father and Learned Things Differently
- If Aristotle Were a Medium Writer
- The School of Nature
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