Islam and Vegetarianism
An interesting dichotomy:
Muslims shouldn’t be vegetarian
First of all, it should be clear that one should not think that it is better to abstain from eating meat, that doing so will be rewarded, or that being a vegetarian is closer to Allah than not, and so on. It is not permitted to draw closer to Allah in this way.
v.s.
Muslims can and should be vegetarian
Vegetarianism is halal.
Meat is not compulsory.
Any food is permissible provided it is not harmful.
Muslims are free to eat whatever they want provided it is halal.
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Islam is the middle way..it does not shy away from the naturual not does it wallow in the artifical.
The vehement opposition of some islamic authourities to vegetarianism as a concept is a reflection of Islams aversion to sentimentalism.
Meat of certain kinds is without doubt permissable
in islam…what people object to is people making a appeal for vegetarianism based on sentimental view of killing animals which they mistakingly beleif does not befit a merciful god.
Some islamic authourities opposed vegetarianism, because the particular perpective from which it was advocated,expressed a particular perception of god which is contrary to how he is ordinarily percieved in the islamic tradition.
Allah in the islamic tradition is not reduced to some glib god light and love…he is also the wrathful,the avenger andthe misguider.
Whilst Allahs love mercy precedes his wrath…his wrath is in fact relative and thus illusionary,the fact is in the material world,the illusion of injustice has to manifest itself in order that the higher priniciple of mercy can be expressed itself in a hidden way in a higher realm.
Having said that, if we look at the islamic guidlines regarding the treatment of animals,
the abuse of animals under the modern factory system is certainly haraam….The middle way would thus be to do refrain from eating meat that has been cultivated under such exploitative circumstances and for muslims to create pressure groups that can create provisions by which we can ensure the meat we buy is ritualistically as well as ethically halal.
What is indeed important that muslims need to contribute greater in the realm of alternative health and vegan/vegetarianism rather than percieving as an issue for the new age.
I believe that Mohammed, puh, was a vegetarian; it helps, somehow, to see things differently when one avoids the consumption of flesh. Watch the effect.
I’m not a muslim nor an expert on Islam. But I used to have a coworker who was from Malaysia. He was older and very traditional. He was a very strict muslim and he was a vegetarian. When I asked him about his vegetarianism, he said that his religion – Islam – required him to be. He seemed like the kind of person who blindly follows whatever scripture they choose to follow. Therefore, I don’t think his vegetarianism was of his own interpretation of Islam. I have never encountered a Muslim like him before, but I’m wondering if some branches of Islam do preach vegetarianism. One thing I do know about Islam is that like any other religion, it mutated depending on a culture that adapted it and it often appropriated certain local customs and cultural ideals in order to win new converts. Thus there are Muslims in some parts of Africa that do things that no Muslims anywhere would ever do, etc. It would interesting to find out if some ‘denominations’ of Islam do advocate vegetarianism.
The first link doesn’t say vegetarianism is not allowed–it says one should not forbid one’s self what is permitted in Islam; however, if not eating meat is just a matter of preference it is ok. Also, I think Muhammad (PBUH) wasn’t a vegetarian as he was noted to eat meat on Eid. Personally, I eat a mostly vegetarian diet. I am more of a social meat eater (i.e, about once a month)
Any religion that does not exercise compassion towards the weak, the voiceless and the vulnerable is a sham.
Hi and Aslaamoalikum,
I jus want to say that I am a Muslim and a vegetarian. I do believe the above quotes in the original document were taken from the same (pro vegetarian site (http://www.islamicconcerns.com) so out of context doesn’t prove too much.
Islam (and there are many hadith on this) advoates compassion towards ALL beings (e.g. hadith about giving water to a dog and gaining a place in heaven, not being allowed to wear furs, cursing those that caged animals etc).
Meat is allowed within Islam like all other things- MODERATLEY. Todays excessive consumerism is NOT MODERATE. Infact it is damaging towards health (I’m a biologist, trust me on this one and damaging ones health is disallowed in Islam). The animals slaughtered for the excessive demands are in vile conditions, fed meat of others (makes them carnivores [forbidden to muslims]), live export, branding….all these practises are UNISLAMIC. If there prophet (pbuh) were alive today would he allow it?
The prophet (pbuh) lived in desert areas where veg were scarce and ate meat to stay alive and on special occasions NOT EVERY DAY/WEEK. Islam is a universal religion for ALL people EVERYWHERE hence the reason why meat is not forbidden. People live in remote areas (e.g. Alaska) where vegetables are not abundant and meat is their main source of kcal.These people would starve if they didn’t eat meat (oh don’t argue that they can be imported-not always practical also Islam was around 1200years before any industrial revolution). You have to understand, its not till this day and age that vegetables of all season are available all year round (in the west).
I chose not to eat meat though allowed under circumstances, becuase I feel the conditions the animals are slaughtered are totally unislamic.I really think if you are a muslim you should stop being naive and wonder HOW CAN SO MANY chickens (9000 per/hr on low rotate) be slaughtered with DUA(prayer which is compulsory),a sharp knife and not see another animal be slaughtered amongst the other set of rules?- its just not economically viable to support the Islamic ways of slaughtering on a mass scale. I heard in one place they played a tape with dua(!!!) and animals were slaughtered, another a non-muslim(!!!) read the dua o and this i can vouch for this, diseased already dead carcasses (haram) were beimg served up as halal meat. Stop turning a blind eye…..if not for the animals atleast for your own health.
I’m a practising muslima, not just muslim by name. Till this day NOT A SINGLE person has been able to counter argue any point I have made from an Islamic point of view.
To the person who posted saying indirectly my faith is a sham….you shouldn’t be so ignornat and quick to judge YOU OBvIOUSLY DON’T KNOW ANTHING ABOUT MY RELIGION, just like many muslims are ignorant to the conditions that animals are slaughtered…you are no better! RESEARCH next time!!!!!!
There are so many points from an islamic p.o.v why it can be wrong to eat meat in the ‘civilised’ west. there are other topics like health that I could go much deeper into and the enviroment…..but this comment would become a novel if not already!!!!
I’m off to have some soya!
p.s excuse spelling and grammer…this screen is TINY I can’t see what is going on!
o and did u know that many of the prophets before the last one in islam (also messengers for christianity and judaism) were vegetarian/vegan?
(however Mulsims believe that these prophets bought the messages of God to their people, where as the final prophet, Muhammad pbuh bought the message to all the people of all time)
I feel there is no need to go in depth of each and every religion separately as the preachings are same. It’s just that how an individual interpret the sayings.for instance the concept of sacrifice (‘Qurbani’) or giving one’s head practiced during Idd was meant sacrificing one’s ego- not the head of a sheep!Similarily The Essene Bible clearly carries Jesus’ injunction for the humankind to subsist only on vegetarian food, but this has been subsequently deleted. But it’s not that every time analysis is required, god has gifted a healthy brain to mankind and everyone has the capability to generate his own perception that whether the killing of livingbeings just for the sake of taste, pleasure & enjoyment is a sensible act?
Amit, my animal eating muslim husband says: aren’t you killing plants or vegetables before you consume them?
I do hope that everyone takes pleasure and enjoyment in whatever they choose to eat, we all should do.
The difference is what happens to your food before it gets to your table.
Veggie for 15 years from UK
Ame — the two problems with that are:
1. plants and vegetables don’t feel pain and don’t suffer
2. many more plants are killed in meat production than for human production, so even if it were a legitimate concern, you’re still causing “less harm” by avoiding meat
Ryan,
1. Plants and vegetables don’t feel pain and don’t suffer – do we know as much?
2. All true.
But the issue of my comment was that we should give a thought to everything (animals, plants, air, natural resources) and try to co-exist, learn and explore (starting with ourselves) rather than conquer, change and destroy, as this is what we seem to be doing lately a lot of.
Hi, Ame –
1. Plants don’t have a central nervous system and so are unable to feel pain. There was a “theory” back in the 1970s that plants could feel pain, but it was quickly debunked. Questions 42-45 of this FAQ go into far more detail than I will here.
2. I agree… looking at ourselves and our affect on the planet and each other is very important. There are often no completely “good” or completely “bad” choices due to the interconnected nature of life. We each have a responsibility to be aware of the true consequences of our actions and to choose a path that causes the least harm, as best as we can reason it. Some changes, like diet, can make a huge impact with very little effort.
Thanks for writing.
Assalamualaikum! I’ve been recently looking into veganism. My father has been a vegetarian for over 35 years, and I have always been a moderate meat-eater (a few 3-4 times a month). In the spiritual group that I attend, there was some talk of “Sowm-e-Soluk,” it is an Islamic Vegan fast for 40 days. They say that one attains a higher state and closeness with the Maker! I’m going to try it out, is anyone interested in joining me? Also, after seeing how the meat and farming industry treats animals, we as Muslims MUST find it difficult to consider that meat Halaal. In Islam if an animal has been tortured in any way, we are not allowed to consume that animal, it must be left o live out its natural life. The way that animals are treated in the states and in many of the farms in Australia and New Zealand (where much of the Middle Eastern supply comes from) we must rethink what we consider to be Halaal. These animals are being tortured! There is a hadith of the Rasul-SAS where he was walking and came upon an animal whos face was branded, the Prophet-SAS cursed the person that had inflicted the animal with such pain. The interesting thing about this hadith is that in all the accounts where people are harming the Prophet-SAS he NEVER cursed them; these are people that threw waste on him, and cursed him and his family. But when it comes to animals, the Prophet-SAS felt no inhibitions to curse the mangled soul of one so cruel as to harm an animal. Also (I don’t mean to blab on too long, I promise :) there are many hadith that speak of people whom were far of the path of spirituality and Islam, but when they were kind to an animal, they were granted paradise. In one account it was a man in the desert whom was thirsty and when he found a well, he saw a thirsty dog next to it. When he saw that there was no bucket, the man went into the well, soaked his shirt in the water and rung it out over the dog’s mouth to let him drink. It is said that this man was granted paradise and forgiven for his sins. There is another story about a prostitute and a cat on a rainy night, but I’m sure that you all get my drift!
Be well,
ASA-
essra
Any religion that does not exercise compassion towards the weak, the voiceless and the vulnerable is a sham.
I have come across 4 reasons people give for being vegetarian:
1. Concern for animal welfare
2. Religious reasons
3. Spiritual reasons
4. Health reasons
Making this distinction may help the analysis.
The general question is presumably whether people should be vegetarian, not just muslims.
Another point is that, if you attampt to answer all questions from a single book, you have a problem when the question is not adequately covered in the book. This arises more as long periods of time elapse. The whole question of developing consciousness and becoming more self-sufficient in matters of judgment has to be addressed to answer these questions adequately.
I am a Muslim so we as Muslims are permitted to eat meat if it is halal, however what reason would you give to a vegetarian who says that they do not eat meat due to the fact that you are killing a living being made by God.
Pls can u send me dua for becoming self- sufficient and self-reliant because i am suffering from huge financial crisis and feeding on others food.if u send me some duas to solve this problem ill be vv thankful to u and allah
will be eagerly awaiting to see ur answer on my email.
Assalamu alaikum
I am a student and was asked that why is it that it is not allowed to eat some certain meat i islam. I could not give the answer and decided to come and check but still i cant see the answer. Please if the answer is available to you please you can do email it to my address as above. Bissalam
What some of the gentlemen have said here is perfectly true. Muslims are supposed to kill an animal with the least amount of pain and not in the presence of other animals. Being a journalist, I have seen so many animals being killed in front of the others. Hindus have this practice of sacrificing animals too. I just hate it. I would rather see an animal happily roaming round in the fields rather than ending up on the dining table. But for all those animals which are slaughtered, I wish they never come back to earth to be ill treated by humans again.
One will find good and bad people in all faiths. Therefore one cannot claim supremacy of one faith over the other. However my understanding of five religions is as follows. Christianity allows any kind of meat. Islam allows meat of all vegetarian animals but no pork. Hinduism has both vegetarians and non-vegetarian followers. The non-vegetarian followers don’t eat meat of cow. Sikhs s are meat-eaters as well as vegetarians. However the meat-eaters avoid cows. The Buddhists also have both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Jainism lays very high emphasis on vegetarianism and non-violence towards all life forms including insects, and all its followers are vegetarians. Based on this information I understand that Jainism practices highest compassion towards animals and all living creatures which is unmatched compared to other religions.
Islam says vegetarian food is halal and meat obtained without the islamic guidlines is haram. Then why not followers of islam become complete vegetarian since there would be no risk at all of consuming haram food and they would show greater compassion for animals like Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) had. In today’s world when every vegetable is available througout the year, there is no need to take life of innocent animals for the sake of food. Also killing helpless animals during Eid in the name of sacrifice is so foolish and mindless. If at all you need to sacrifice something to Allah, sacrifice greed, ego, lust, hatred, jealous and other human weaknesses. Killing innocent and helpless animals will infact enrage Allah not make him happy..
Christianity’s first commandment is”thou shall not kill”. That sentence includes not killing any living creature be it insect animal or man. However, christians apply it to only human beings. That is so selfish. I like Christ. The christians are so unlike their christ.
Same applies to peoples of other faith. Let us not be hypocrites. Let us not be selfish. Let us enlarge our domain of love and compassion to all the living creatures of this world. Let us not restrict ourselves to just human beings. Let us live and let live.
Bismillah hir-rah mah-nirrah-heem – I begin in the Name of God, The Beneficient, the Merciful.
I became a vegetarian in 2000. One day I was eating meat, fowl, seafood and eggs, and then the next day I was totally vegetarian. I am now more vegan, giving up dairy also. I have never felt better in my whole life.
I had many questions about the killing of animals, poultry and fish when I was a young child. I always felt sorry and guilty when they had to be killed. Many years ago, on Eid ul Azha day we were at a farm outside of Toronto (women are not generally welcome to be around when the killing occurs) and of course the bull was fighting against being slaughtered. The animal was fighting for its life and then the farmer who was doing the killing took a gun and shot the animal in its head and then they proceeded to cut its throat with a sharp knife to ensure that the meat was halal. That killing shook me up inside. The farmer told me that the animal was just stunned.
After I saw that happening I was a bit troubled in my heart and soul. I started having doubts in my mind about my religion. I was practicing my religion more as a habitual, ritualistic manner, not asking questions, not seeking the TRUTH. What was the truth?
But Islam is not to blame, it is us who misinterpret the Quran and disobey the Mosaic Law of the Ten Commandments, “Thou shalt not Kill”. The Quran explicitly forbids Muslims from eating the flesh of dead animals and ingesting the blood of animals. If you kill a sentient being(animals, fowl, fish, etc.), then it is dead. How can you proceed to eat the flesh of dead animals?
I am a logical person and I asked myself those questions and many more. I re-read the Quran and once I became aware of what I was doing, I was deeply troubled, aware that the spiritual leaders, including my parents and family, would not have the answers for me. Anyway, I continued eating meat because my religion and Muslims were doing this. It was how I was brought up.
Eventually, one thing led to another and thank God, I have finally given up the practice of meat eating. I had lost my compassionate nature when I was eating a lot of animal flesh. I was a changed being. Now, I am more compassionate again to all sentient beings, happier, but still a bit troubled that many Muslims still butt heads with me and rationalize meat eating to this day. As I told my Mom, the Quran also says, “Eat of the good things of the earth, Eat of the garlic, the cucumber and the lentils.” But when I go to the mosque, there is never any lentil dishes and cucumbers.
Many muslims are having vegetarian meals more often including my mother and some of my family members. Many Muslims including the Prophet, the Sahabah, the Sufis, Saints and Scholars were (more) vegetarian.
My only advice to many of you who are questioning the idea of vegetarianism in Islam is to take the Veggie Challenge for a week or a month and then let us know how you feel.
Certain types of meat are prohibited in Islam. Proper slaughter like in Zionism is an essential condition in Islam. Vegetarainism is is not prohibited either. However the affects of meat eating was noted earlier when the Prophet said, Do not make the graves of animals in your bellys. This reflects how meat is discouraged but not prohibited. But vagatable are not discouraged.
All modern meat is haram to moslems.
Wool sheep from Australia is vivisected without any painkillers, leaving the sheep in agony for days afterwards.
Cows live in a condition so inhumane. Veal are kept in dark for 4 months with necks chained, milk cows are impregnated every year and render them too tired to pass more than 4 years of live, and they are transported in extreme weather to slaughterhouse. Their body parts are cut while they are still alive.
Compare the story of the chicks of a motherbird in Islam and compare it with modern fishing where even the smallest fish and cretaceans are pulled out of the sea and left off as garbage because these small animals have no economic value.
Pigs practice cannibalism in farms. Meat Bone Meal is fed back to cows.
Don’t ever people say don’t talk about condition in factory farm in dinner because it ruin their dinner, please open your eyes to the fact.
When moslem food authority in middle east approve the import of meat from europe and US, I think they have been pressured or corrupted by the western officials to halal the meat that is never not supposed to be halal.
There is absolutely nothing compassionate left in modern meat, and by eating them, moslems are not doing good for their religion.
Meat in middle east in the time of the Prophet is a necessity. Food distribution from neighboring countries is not as convenient. In the vast expand of the desert, people cannot be expected to hear what the Prophet say if their belly is empty.
However, there are a lot of cautions to be awared of by moslem before any meat can be eaten.
Money and ports in modern rich middle eastern countries are absolutely not a issue.
When all the words of Mohammed regarding animals is considered relative to the background settings, we will see Mohammed is absolutely a very considerate gentleman to animals.
PLANT IS MADE OF CHLOROPHYLLS WITHOUT NERVOUS SYSTEM, LIVING CREATURES INCLUDING THE SO-CALLED HIGHEST SPECIES SCUMS LIKE ME(HUMANS) ARE MADE OF AMYNOPHYLL. EATING OF THE THINGS THAT CRAWLS,MOVES,FLIES OR SWIMS THEREFORE, IS COUNTER PRODUCTIVE. LEAVE ALONE RELIGION FOR THE TIME BEING. TELL ME WILL KEEPING A HANDFULL OF MEAT AND A HAND FULL OF VEGETABLES OR SEEDS IN THE MUD GIVE YOU THE SAME RESULT? NO! MEAT WILL GIVE YOU MAGGOTS AND FOUL SMELL LIKE CARCASS WHILE THE VEGETABLES WILL DRY UP OR GIVE YOU A GREEN PLANT IN THE MUD INSTEAD. ALSO WHEN THE ANIMALS ARE SLAUGHTERED THEY RELEASE ADRENALIN AND OTHER POISIONOUS SECRETIONS WE CONSUME THAT WITH THE MEAT.
MY OWN PROOF- I AM 57 YEAR OLD- VEGETARIAN BY DEFAULT MEANING SINCE CHILDHOOD- I HARDLY EAT THE WHOLE DAY- EATING IS VERY SECONDARY TO ME- I CONFESS DURING THE DAY I FEEL WEAK- I USED TO BODYBUILD TWO YEAR AGO WITH 250LBS BENCHPRESS- SQUAT 300 LBS, BARBELL CURL 150 LBS, SHOULDER PRESS WITH 80 LBS IN ONE HAND. MY WRIST BROKE WITH ULNA HANGING FROM THE SIDE OF MY WRIST- DOCTOR SAID NO WEIGHTS EVER AGAIN- IN 18 MONTHS I AM BACK TO MY GYM I AM JUST 5% TO 10% LESS IN MY STRENGTH BENCHING WITH 225 LBS,SQUATTING WITH 260 LBS ETC. IF I TAKE OFF MY SHIRT IT WILL PUT MANY YOUNG BOYS TO SHAME-
MY MESSAGE IS LOVING ANIMALS AND AVOIDING THEIR MEAT MAKES YOU HUMBLE AND CARING. ANIMALS ARE VERY INTELLIGENT BEINGS I AM WITH MANY OF THEM SINCE MY CHILDHOOD EVEN HENS AND COCKS ARE VERY INTELLIGENT. I DO NOT WANT TO GO INTO DETAILS DUE TO RELIGIOUS CONTRAVERSY . RIGHT THINKING AND THE RIGHT FOOD MAKES YOU LIVE RIGHT-THAT IS MY PHILOSOPHY. HAPPINESS IS A PRODUCT OF YOUR SUBCONSIOUS- WHEN YOU SEE ANIMAL BEING SLAUGHTERED AND WITHERING IN PAIN AND ALL THAT BLOOD YOUR SUBCONSIOUS CANNOT MAKE YOU HAPPY. MY WEBSITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IS WWW. VEGETARIANMUSLIMS.COM
I am a Muslim and totally in favour of vegetarianism. I am sure that vegetarianism is not forbidden in Islam because it is not mentioned anywhere in the Quran (trust me, I have read the Quran all through, and quite well, with the mercy of Allah) and I believe such a thing was also not mentioned by the Prophet. Anything is permissible in Islam provided that it is not haram (As far as I know vegetables are not haram :P). I’m not saying that meat consumption should be prohibited; eating everything in moderation is undoubtedly good for health. But the barbaric way food animals are treated and slaughtered in modern day slaughter houses (http://veg-tv.info/Earthlings) is something Islam- or any other religion for that matter- would not permit. I chose to be vegetarian simply for this reason- I feel compassion for every kind of creature Allah has created.
This all seems controversial. I wanted to get to the bottom of this myself. Islam is about purity and keeping oneself free from any kind of impurity. The consmption of meat is allowed in Islam but only if it is Halal. Food is blessed by Allah (SWT) so that is why the animal is prayed upon before beig slaughtered.
Actually meat is nothing but dead body or corpse of animal which is spiced up for consumption. With vegetables we never refer to them as dead body of tomato, spinach etc. The logic that chanting name of ALLAH while killing an animal is like taking ALLAH’s permission to eat the animal’s body is completely flawed. By this logic, chanting ALLAH’s name and killing a human being is permissible. Also if you kill a human body and cook it will call it meat? While killing an animal do you actually hear ALLAH saying that killing the animal is granted? NO. Then how can you assume that you have the permission to kill the animals. By not killing animals Muslims do not become hindus or buddhists or Jains, they just become better muslims, Muslims filled with compassion towards Allah’s creation!
I am an ex-muslim from India. One of the reasons I left Islam at a very young age of around 15 was due to killing of animals. I could never justify such barbaric and cruel treatment. This, which our family traditionally and religiously observed year after year on Eid al Adha disturbed me a great deal. Later I was to learn about the shariah laws in Islam, ie cutting of hands, flogging, beheading, genital mutilation of both boys and girls without their consent etc. this just enraged me even further and I decided Islam was not for me. It would take me a few more yeas of research to finally realise that there was not only lack of comapsassion in Islam, but that the religion is completely devoid of logic, rationality and science. The flaws were too many.
Today, I am a proud vegetarian and atheist. I have found the truth in Atheism.