Muslim Vegetarians?
Monday July 6, 2009
An Islam Forum reader, righteousaiman, brings up an interesting discussion in the Forum. Should Muslims be vegetarians? He argues:
I feel that the meat industry is against the teachings of Islam and the conscience. No, Islam does not prohibit eating meat, but the Last Prophet "has placed the killing of animals without a justifiable reason as one of the major sins".Do you agree? Can Muslims live a vegetarian lifestyle? Should Muslims live a vegetarian lifestyle, based on Islamic teachings about the rights and mercy we are to show towards animals and all living creatures? Join the discussion and share your views!
Comments
Will all due respect, while some meat industries may be inhumane, others are not. Animals raised for consumption in the Middle East for example aren’t raised in boxes like they are in western countries.
And even in western countries one can buy meat of ‘free-range’ animals, meaning they were raised in pastures, and usually were slaughtered in a more humane fashion. The solution isn’t in dismissing all meat and becoming vegetarian, but being conscious about what kind of companies we are supporting in buying the cheapest meat available at the market.
Salaams,
“Will all due respect, while some meat industries may be inhumane, others are not.”
Most, if not all, meat industries are inhumane. The very term “industry” connotes large production and supply of something — which is exactly the case. This reduces living, breathing things to the level of potato chips.
“Animals raised for consumption in the Middle East for example aren’t raised in boxes like they are in western countries.”
This doesn’t take into consideration that a lot of meat is imported from Western countries, which use factory methods. The loading and transport of animals in Muslim countries does not follow Islamic ethics either.
“And even in western countries one can buy meat of ‘free-range’ animals, meaning they were raised in pastures, and usually were slaughtered in a more humane fashion.
“The solution isn’t in dismissing all meat and becoming vegetarian, but being conscious about what kind of companies we are supporting in buying the cheapest meat available at the market.”
The solution is also to radically decrease the amount of meat we eat — by eating more vegetables. In fact, i think for a while we need to give up meat altogether and pressure the suppliers to choose the Islamic way of treating animals.
If we continue to eat the amount of meat we do now, it is impossible to expect it to come from pastures. In fact, the industry method is a direct response to man’s growing hunger and selfishness — this can only be sustained by methods which operate right now.
Cutting meat out of our diet altogether is an unreasonable and an illogical response to the situation.
It doesn’t matter if 99% of the meat is made available to us is from inhumane companies, the fact remains that there is halal meat.
Halal is not only the way it was killed, but the way in which is was raised and treated. Saying we should eat only vegetables is NOT the answer, but eating only halal meat and obeying our religion at the same time IS.
As long as halal meat is available to us, there is no reason not to eat and thank God for giving it to us.
I agree with Beck, As long as halal meat is available to us, there is no reason not to eat and thank God for giving it to us.
So to become vegetarian is not the solution but to seek suppliers who actually provide meat that is slaughtered by halal method of Islam.
Dear Brothers, Each and every eatable all around the world is commercialised. Even the milk is not spared. they inject the animal for more output, We are getting used to chemical and the dosages is incresing. easy money is the culprit. HALAl eating and HALAL earning is the need.
As-salamu alaikum. Let’s start a Muslim farm in every community and hand-slaughter our own meat. It will be raised and slaughtered correctly (zahibah).
Been a vegetarian since 1974, and recently awakened to islam – I see no issue with being both – other than that it is very difficult for me to fast, as most vegetarian beings have to ‘graze’ (i.e. they can not stop eating for long periods like carnivores can). I fasted for 72 hours in 1974 (i.e. truly fasting…) and at the end of it in my enlightened state I decided to become a vegetarian. Now, between having performed that drastic fast, and due to the damage to my health from my lung surgery, mixed with my advanced age, I have tried but have never been able to fast during Ramadhaan.
Back to not eating meat – see 16:5 where I turn to the Qur’an for inspiration in its saying that cattle (a.k.a. domesticated animals where we enter a covenant to protect, feed, etc. in return for something from the animal – btw: killing it violates this covenant of domestication…) as existing for clothing (i.e. wool, not leather), for other advantages (i.e. horses/camels to ride, not to feed to our dogs), and to eat OF them (’of’ being the operative word here as my english translation does not say ‘…,and to eat them’ – i.e. intended for eggs, dairy, etc., not as meat). With this guide I also see where the current horrors and evils against animals, described in some of the posting here (i.e. industrial processing, etc.) would not need to exist…
Is slaughtering ever humane? While slaughtering an animal the latter does feel pain and sorrow. If we inflict such pain to others, how can we expect that we could live in harmony and peace.
Halal or not, it is not necessary for us to be the (indirect) cause of so much animal slaughter. So many people live their whole life without feeding on animals. We can try it too.
I’m vegetarian and recent muslim… and I love fasting! I have fasted 3 times Ramadhan till now, and I fast 2 days a week all the year long. Have never had any problems you mention.
Asalam Alakum,
I am a born muslim and having been experimenting with the idea of becoming a vegeterian. I was inspired by co-workers at my job. My main concern is to make sure I stay a good muslim even if I don’t eat the meat which God has supplied us with.