Would being a vegan be going against Islam?
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I believe that everything we do matters to God. Even the smallest actions. Now since it would matter how we treat all living beings would it be a Islamic or unIslamic to be a vegan. I suppose you can get all the nutrients from from plants these days therefore its hard to say that you have to eat animals and there products.
Now, how about the sacrifice that the Quran talks about. Would you have to sacrifice an animal when its been prescribed and spend the rest of your time being vegan.
If God says its ok to eat meat but we say its not ethical for the reason of it not being necessary for instance then are we in a way saying that the God of the Quran isn't good.
So basically the question is Is it ok to be vegan for ethical reasons?
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Greetings and Peace, all group
I believe that everything we do matters to God. Even the smallest actions. Now since it would matter how we treat all living beings would it be a Islamic or unIslamic to be a vegan. I suppose you can get all the nutrients from from plants these days therefore its hard to say that you have to eat animals and there products.
Now, how about the sacrifice that the Quran talks about. Would you have to sacrifice an animal when its been prescribed and spend the rest of your time being vegan.
If God says its ok to eat meat but we say its not ethical for the reason of it not being necessary for instance then are we in a way saying that the God of the Quran isn't good.
So basically the question is Is it ok to be vegan for ethical reasons?
Raising vegetables and fruits conventionally kills millions of arthropods per acre; vertebrates are also displaced/killed. Without using pesticides of any kind, fewer animals are killed--but yields are also lower.
Animals are displaced in any case, because their habitat has been replaced with crops. It is the same with crops raised for fiber. It is the same with land taken for our housing. A person who points fingers saying that others who choose to eat meat are unethical are pointing four fingers back at themselves.
Is it ethical to raise less efficient crops when people are starving? Humans have claims as well as other animals.
http//io9.com/5623112/the-smell-of-freshly+cut-grass-is-actually-a-plant-distress-call
My take is that it is okay to be a vegan or vegetarian, insofar as one does not claim that it is binding (to oneself or others). If one feels dancing to be immoral/displeasing--don't dance! Likewise with dietary habits. Whatever one chooses to eat/grow/raise, don't be wasteful.
2256 There is no compulsion in the system; the proper way has been clarified from the wrong way. Whoever rejects evil, and believes in GOD, indeed he has taken grasp of the strongest hold that will never break. GOD is Hearer, Knower.
6119 And why should you not eat that on which the name of GOD has been mentioned, when He has fully detailed to you what has been made unlawful; except what you are forced to? Many misguide by their desires without knowledge; your Lord is fully aware of the transgressors.
1726 And give the relative his due, and the poor, and the wayfarer; and do not waste excessively.
1727 Those who waste excessively are brothers to the devils, and the devil was to his Lord a rejecter.Just my two cents.
ALLAH knows best.
peace
~Abdul-Hadi
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You don't know, I do not know, God knows, and he has not said anywhere that we should feel more pity for animals than for plants.
Suffering is subjective, we can only know the suffering of others by putting us in their place. We can easily put ourselves in the place of a dog, but no in the place of a flea, but that does not mean that what we do not know does not exist. Animals also die, how do we know that the death they may get at our hands is worse than the death they may find some other way. We should look to make their life livable. We all are going to die one way or another and everything lieves off everything else.
I saw once how a gardener when somebody told him that plants did not suffer, got speachless and when he got back his speech asked indignantly who said such an enormous nonsense. Obviously he know a lot about plants, he felt with them.
Salaam
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we tend to humanize. we humanize God. we humanize animals, insects, plants, etc. we can't take our human feelings, emotions, perceptions, experiences, definitions and project them onto non-humans.
for instance, i was watching our cat kill this insect but she doesn't just kill. she plays with the insect as the insect tries to escape. as human beings we would find that pretty darn cruel and sadistic. but we are taking human ideas and applying them to an animal doing what is natural.
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we tend to humanize. we humanize God. we humanize animals, insects, plants, etc. we can't take our human feelings, emotions, perceptions, experiences, definitions and project them onto non-humans.
for instance, i was watching our cat kill this insect but she doesn't just kill. she plays with the insect as the insect tries to escape. as human beings we would find that pretty darn cruel and sadistic. but we are taking human ideas and applying them to an animal doing what is natural.
You should perhaps visit a commercial farmhouse and see how the cows react when their children are taken away (so all of the milk is available); we will see then if your thoughts about emotions - and that they are exclusive to the humans alone remain still.
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You should perhaps visit a commercial farmhouse and see how the cows react when their children are taken away (so all of the milk is available); we will see then if your thoughts about emotions - and that they are exclusive to the humans alone remain still.
actually, i live out in farm country. again, it is animalistic instinct. have you seen a mama bear protecting her young? and have you seen the same mama bear going after newborn deer? this is nature. how God created.
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Animals don't have the same level of consciousness as we do (at least it theres no contrary evidence to this) and this effects our moral obligations towards them significantly. I'l outline my view
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To not kill animals and use them for benefit is to give them some moral consideration. But IMO moral consideration of this high level should be exclusive to that which has the capacity for moral consideration. By this I mean rational individuals. Animals in the state that they are in with the level and type of consciousness that they have would not have mercy on us if they were in authoirty.
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Animals might not be able to forsee their death but there is good evidence to suggest that they can feel pain and pleasure. Thus they have interests. An interest to not suffer pain. For moral agents like us, compassion is an attribute. Thus to cause an animal pain is immoral IMO. Thus to take its child away when it clearly grieves is cruel even IF animals are incapable of mercy this doesn't mean that we should be merciless towards them.
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Quran does not restric animal use for food and certain other benefits
given 1, 2 and 3 i think it ethically justifiable to kill animals but only if it is done painlessly. Also animal produce like eggs should only be accetable if the chicken that is producing the egg is doing so in good conidtions so that it does not suffer.
The Quran does say not to restrict provisions whether being a vegan would be a sin is something i really REALLY strongly doubt because intentions are good and the vegan individual (provided that they are getting the right nutrition and not harming themselves) But it might be argued that to be vegan is to take an extreme position and to take an extreme position is wrong.
Either way I don't think that being a vegan incurs any punishment in the hereafter. If there is to be a punishment, it is that your missing out on good food and protein. Nothing more in addition to this IMO.
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