Killing an animal is a ruthless act. Why then do Muslims consume non-vegetarian food?

Answer 1

‘Vegetarianism’ is now a movement the world over. Many even associate it with animal rights. Indeed, a large number of people consider the consumption of meat and other non-vegetarian products to be a violation of animal rights.

Islaam enjoins mercy and compassion for all living creatures. At the same time Islam maintains that Allah has created the earth and its wondrous flora and fauna for the benefit of mankind. It is up to mankind to use every resource in this world judiciously, as a Niyamat (Divine blessing) and Amaanat (trust) from Allaah.

Let us look at various other aspects of this argument.
1. A Muslim can be a pure vegetarian
A Muslim can be a very good Muslim despite being a pure vegetarian. It is not compulsory for a Muslim to have non-vegetarian food.
2. Qur'ân permits Muslims to have non-vegetarian food
The Qur'ân, however permits a Muslim to have non-vegetarian food. The following Qur'ânic verses are proof of this fact: "O ye who believe! Fulfil (all) obligations. Lawful unto you (for food) are all four-footed animals with the exceptions named." [Al-Qur'ân 5:1]

"And cattle He has created for you (men): from them Ye derive warmth, and numerous benefits, And of their (meat) ye eat." [Al-Qur'ân 16:5]

"And in cattle (too) ye have an instructive example: From within their bodies We produce (milk) for you to drink; there are, in them, (besides), numerous (other) benefits for you; and of their (meat) ye eat."
[Al-Qur'ân 23:21]

3. Meat is nutritious and rich in complete protein
Non-vegetarian food is a good source of excellent protein. It contains biologically complete protein i.e. all the 8 essential amino acid that are not synthesized by the body and should be supplied in the diet. Meat also contains iron, vitamin B1 and niacin.

4. Humans have Omnivorous set of teeth
If you observe the teeth of herbivorous animals like the cow, goat and sheep, you will find something strikingly similar in all of them. All these animals have a set of flat teeth i.e. suited for herbivorous diet. If you observe the set of teeth of the carnivorous animals like the lion, tiger, or leopard, they all have a set of pointed teeth i.e. suited for a carnivorous diet. If you analyze the set of teeth of humans, you find that they have flat teeth as well as pointed teeth. Thus they have teeth suited for both herbivorous as well as carnivorous food i.e. they are omnivorous. One may ask, if Almighty God wanted humans to have only vegetables, why did He provide us also with pointed teeth? It is logical that He expected us to need and to have both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food.

5. Human beings can digest both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food
The digestive system of herbivorous animals can digest only vegetables. The digestive system of carnivorous animals can digest only meat. But the digestive system of humans can digest both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. If Almighty God wanted us to have only vegetables then why did He give us a digestive system that can digest both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food?

6. Hindu scriptures give permission to have non-vegetarian food
a. There are many Hindus who are strictly vegetarian. They think it is against their religion to consume non-vegetarian food. But the true fact is that the Hindu scriptures permit a person to have meat. The scriptures mention Hindu sages and saints consuming non-vegetarian food.

b. It is mentioned in Manu Smruti, the law book of Hindus, in chapter 5 verse 30
"The eater who eats the flesh of those to be eaten does nothing bad, even if he does it day after day, for God himself created some to be eaten and some to be eater."

c. Again next verse of Manu Smruti, that is, chapter 5 verse 31 says : "Eating meat is right for the sacrifice, this is traditionally known as a rule of the gods."

d. Further in Manu Smruti chapter 5 verse 39 and 40 says : "God himself created sacrificial animals for sacrifice, ...., therefore killing in a sacrifice is not killing."

e. Mahabharata Anushashan Parva chapter 88 narrates the discussion between Dharmaraj Yudhishthira and Pitamah Bhishma about what food one should offer to Pitris (ancestors) during the Shraddha (ceremony of dead) to keep them satisfied. Paragraph reads as follows:

"Yudhishthira said, "O thou of great puissance, tell me what that object is which, if dedicated to the Pitiris (dead ancestors), become inexhaustible! What Havi, again, (if offered) lasts for all time? What, indeed, is that which (if presented) becomes eternal?"

"Bhishma said, "Listen to me, O Yudhishthira, what those Havis are which persons conversant with the rituals of the Shraddha (the ceremony of dead) regard as suitable in view of Shraddha and what the fruits are that attach to each. With sesame seeds and rice and barely and Masha and water and roots and fruits, if given at Shraddhas, the pitris, O king, remain gratified for the period of a month. With fishes offered at Shraddhas, the pitris remain gratified for a period of two months. With the mutton they remain gratified for three months and with the hare for four months, with the flesh of the goat for five months, with the bacon (meat of pig) for six months, and with the flesh of birds for seven. With venison obtained from those deer that are called Prishata, they remaingratified for eight months, and with that obtained from the Ruru for nine months, and with the meat of Gavaya for ten months, With the meat of the bufffalo their gratification lasts for eleven months. With beef presented at the Shraddha, their gratification, it is said , lasts for a full year. Payasa mixed with ghee is as much acceptable to the pitris as beef. With the meat of Vadhrinasa (a large bull) the gratification of pitris lasts for twelve years. the flesh of rhinoceros, offered to the pitris on anniversaries of the lunar days on which they died, becomes inexhaustible. The potherb called Kalaska, the petals of kanchana flower, and meat of (red) goat also, thus offered, prove inexhaustible.

So but natural if you want to keep your ancestors satisfied forever, you should serve them the meat of red goat.

7. Hinduism was influenced by other religions
Though Hindu Scriptures permit its followers to have non-vegetarian food, many Hindus adopted the vegetarian system because they were influenced by other religions like Jainism.

8. Even plants have life
Certain religions have adopted pure vegetarianism as a dietary law because they are totally against the killing of living creatures. If a person can survive without killing any living creature, I would be the first person to adopt such a way of life. In the past people thought plants were lifeless. Today it is a universal fact that even plants have life. Thus their logic of not killing living creatures is not fulfilled even by being a pure vegetarian.

9. Even plants can feel pain
They further argue that plants cannot feel pain, therefore killing a plant is a lesser crime as compared to killing an animal. Today science tells us that even plants can feel pain. But the cry of the plant cannot be heard by the human being. This is due to the inability of the human ear to hear sounds that are not in the audible range i.e. 20 Hertz to 20,000 Hertz. Anything below and above this range cannot be heard by a human being. A dog can hear up to 40,000 Hertz. Thus there are silent dog whistles that have a frequency of more than 20,000 Hertz and less than 40,000 Hertz. These whistles are only heard by dogs and not by human beings. The dog recognizes the masters whistle and comes to the master. There was research done by a farmer in U.S.A. who invented an instrument which converted the cry of the plant so that it could be heard by human beings. He was able to realize immediately when the plant itself cried for water. Latest researches show that the plants can even feel happy and sad. It can also cry.

10. Killing a living creature with two senses less is not a lesser crime
Once a vegetarian argued his case by saying that plants only have two or three senses while the animals have five senses. Therefore killing a plant is a lesser crime than killing an animal. Suppose your brother is born deaf and dumb and has two senses less as compared to other human beings. He becomes mature and someone murders him. Would you ask the judge to give the murderer a lesser punishment because your brother has two senses less? In fact you would say that he has killed a masoom, an innocent person, and the judge should give the murderer a greater punishment.

In fact the Qur'ân says: "O ye people! Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good" [Al-Qur'ân 2:168]

11. Over population of cattle
If every human being was a vegetarian, it would lead to overpopulation of cattle in the world, since their reproduction and multiplication is very swift. Allah (swt) in His Divine Wisdom knows how to maintain the balance of His creation appropriately. No wonder He has permitted us to have the meat of the cattle.

12. Cost of meat is reasonable since all aren’t non-vegetarians

I do not mind if some people are pure vegetarians. However they should not condemn non-vegetarians as ruthless. In fact if all Indians become non-vegetarians then the present non-vegetarians would be losers since the prices of meat would rise.

Answer 2

It is not a ruthless act, what is the purpose of that animal, it is for us to eat it. There some forbidden foods, and no its not based on if they are herbivores.

[002.173] He has forbidden you only the Maitah (dead animals), and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than God (or has been slaughtered for idols, on which God's Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering). But if one is forced by necessity without willful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then there is no sin on him. Truly, God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

As you can see Muslims are supposed to eat the equivalent of Kosher foods (we are actually allowed to eat Kosher), but we call it Halal, it means the same things, its meat on which God's name was mentioned on slaughtering it.

Answer 3

Killing for sport or fun is a ruthless act. One done by people of just about every faith.

The entire planet is a giant killing machine! That is part of how it continues to exist as a habitational planet.

Answer 4

Our body neeeds all kind of nutrients that it can get.And that including from consuming meat.One might say that the Indians in India consume only vegetable but still is healthy.But don't forget,they got all the B12 vitamin from the insect inside the vegetable.This is why when the vegetarian in India immigrate to Britain,they suffer from lack of B12 vitamin because the vegetables there are wash cleanly without any insect left on it.
Yes,*every one need to consume meat for his/her on health.

Answer 5

There are conditions on eating meat.... this depends on how it's killed (2 things in this issue), how it's prepared, and how it's cooked, and also by who this is all done by (Muslims or non-Muslims).

If it is not known how the meat was slaughtered, but it is thought that it was most likely slaughtered in the Islamic manner, because it comes from a country where most of the people are Muslims or People of the Book, then it is sufficient to mention the name of Allaah when eating. But if it is known that it was slaughtered in a manner that is not Islamic, then it is not permissible to eat it, because it comes under the ruling of maytah (dead meat), and Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allaah’s Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal)” [al-An’aam 6:121]

The reason why it is forbidden to eat meat without draining the blood
http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=22341&ln=eng

Ruling on not eating meat or dairy products (veganism)
http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=2521&ln=eng

http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=88206&ln=eng

Answer 6

In the same way the Christian eats meat, besides it is said on the 10 commandments thou not kill.
In the same way there are group of Christians, like the Adventist of Seventh Day that don't eat meat, there is also one or more groups of Muslin that don't eat meat (sorry, I don't have the name right now).
People are hypocrite, they speak of God or be good to others and so on, and yet they consciousness is not better that of the jackals, lions and tigers.
Even Mecca itself was a temple established by a Hindu prince and what they worship there is the Shiva Lingham and yet they don't know it!!!!!!! Even the word Alla is another word for the wife of Lord Shiva, Durga! And they don't know it...

Answer 7

When muslims kill an animal its done HALAL. This means we have to use a very sharp knife (as sharp as a shaving blade) so that the animal does not feel any pain. Also it drains the blood of the animal.

Answer 8

You know some research suggest that plants feel pain? So what's more ruthless?

Answer 9

its just killed in the proper way thats all thats different and whats this about muslims non_vegetarian food where is your proof.we eat halal and anything that doesnt have animal rennet in

Answer 10

Seriously... Have you ever heard of the word 'Halal'?

It means that the meat should be properly slaughtered...

There are basic ways that an animal should be slaughtered in, a clean, merciful, and healthy way.

Peace.

Answer 11

If it is slaughtered "in the name of God," it's OK to eat. I believe the animal must also be a herbivore.