Plant-based eating is deeply rooted in three of the prominent religions practiced in India – Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. All these religions believe in the concept of Ahimsa, which means kindness and non-violence towards all living things.
People of many faiths, including Hindus, Buddhists, Rastafarians, Seventh Day Adventists and Jains, observe vegetarian or vegan diets.
Jains are either lacto-vegetarians or vegans. No use or consumption of products obtained from dead animals is allowed. Moreover, Jains try to avoid unnecessary injury to plants and suksma jiva (Sanskrit for 'subtle life forms'; minuscule organisms).
In a word, yes. If a Muslim decides to become a vegetarian for personal reasons, such as not liking the taste, or having compassion for animals, with the understanding that only Allah (SWT) can prohibit or permit it, then vegetarianism and veganism sit comfortably within Islam.
Most Christians maintain that Jesus's teaching in Mark 7 demonstrates that Christians can eat whatever they want, that dietary choices are a matter of "Christian liberty", and that therefore vegetarianism or veganism could never be obligatory for Christians.
And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food. ' And it was so. In these verses, God institutes a plant-based diet for both humans and non-human animals alike.
Plant-based eating is deeply rooted in three of the prominent religions practiced in India – Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. All these religions believe in the concept of Ahimsa, which means kindness and non-violence towards all living things.
Jewish vegetarians often cite Jewish principles regarding animal welfare, environmental ethics, moral character, and health as reasons for adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Veganism preaches to reduce the suffering that we cause, and reminds us that animals are sentient creatures. In this regard, it is compatible with Islamic teachings of mercy towards animals. However, Islam allows the killing of animals for food, and seems to assume that animals are created for humans to benefit from.
Summary of answer
It is not haram to be vegan by not eating animal products as long as you do not think that these things are haram or that it is better to abstain from these foods.
One of the earliest known vegans was the Arab poet al-Maʿarri, famous for his poem "I No Longer Steal From Nature". (c. 973 – c. 1057).
Today, it's generally the case that vegetarianism is considered a personal choice in Theravada and Tibetan Buddhism: most eat meat, and others are vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan. Vegetarianism is more common in Mahayana schools, and particularly in the Chinese, Koreaean, and Vietnamese traditions, and in the West.
India is, in fact, the birthplace of vegetarianism. It is in fact deeply rooted in the culture and religion of the country and has even been ranked the lowest consumer of meat in the world.
Responding to the question on what Islam says about vegetarianism, the Islam Online Archive said: “So, Muslims are not vegetarians. However, if someone prefers to eat vegetables, then he is allowed to do so. Allah has given us permission to eat meat of slaughtered animals, but He has not made it obligatory upon us.”
"If the question is, is a Muslim doing something wrong and against their religion if they choose to only eat a plant-based diet? The answer is simply, not at all," he tells me. "The requirement in Islam is that what you eat must be halal and tayyub (Arabic for wholesome and pure). A vegan diet is both of those things."
But the question remains: is plant-based meat permissible in Islam? Since such “meat” are purely made of vegetables and plants, it would be considered halal. In Islam, only animals such as cows and chickens need to be slaughtered in the Islamic way for it to be considered halal.
In summary, there is no contradiction between Judaism (and its dietary laws) and veganism. In fact, as argued above, veganism appears to be the diet most consistent with the highest Jewish values.
The Torah forbids the cooking and consumption of any milk with any meat to prevent one from cooking a kid in its mother's milk. According to Kabbalah, meat represents gevurah (the Divine attribute of Judgment) and milk represents chesed (the Divine attribute of Kindness).
The Rise of the Vegan Nation
Kosher food already separates dairy, meat, and parve items. When you remove the fact that honey and fish gelatin are permitted, it's very close to veganism already. There are numerous factors that have gone into Israel becoming the Vegan Capital of the World.
88% of atheist respondents claimed their primary motivation for adopting a vegan diet was concern for animals, compared to 76% of agnostics, 79% of Christians, 68% of Jews, and 70% of those from other religions. Politically, atheists were more likely than other respondents to be socialists or anarchists.
Veganism—a term first coined in 1944 by British woodworker Donald Watson—has exploded over the last decade. With the rise of social media, the vegan lifestyle crashed into the mainstream and brands were quick to catch on to the trend to make a quick buck.
The Prophet Muhammad himself rarely ate meat, and many of his most prominent companions did not perform the animal sacrifice, known by the Arabic words “qurbani” or “udhiya.” The Prophet was also known for his compassion toward animals. It's not surprising, then, that some Muslims do shun meat.
Many biblical scholars believe that Jesus was a vegetarian. Jesus' message is one of love and compassion, and there is nothing loving or compassionate about factory farms and slaughterhouses, where billions of animals live miserable lives and die violent, bloody deaths.
The other famous vegans of the Bible are the first humans, Adam and Eve.
Tofu is not in the Bible.