With the rise of veganism around the globe, many Muslims are adopting this diet and way of life. 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.
"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."
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.
Islam does not promote the ill-treatment of animals, but it also neither promotes abstinence from slaughter, veganism, nor vegetarianism. If a slaughter is implemented in the way of our Prophet (ﷺ) then it IS the definition of moral, humane, and animal rights.
If the animal is treated poorly or tortured while being slaughtered, the meat is haram. Forbidden food substances include alcohol, pork, carrion, the meat of carnivores and animals that died due to illness, injury, stunning, poisoning, or slaughtering not in the name of God.
Unlike many other forms of livestock, pigs are omnivorous scavengers, eating virtually anything they come across, including carrion and refuse, which was deemed unclean. Furthermore, a Middle Eastern society keeping large stocks of pigs could destroy their ecosystem.
Dogs in Islam, as they are in Rabbinic Judaism, are conventionally thought of as ritually impure. This idea taps into a long tradition that considers even the mere sight of a dog during prayer to have the power to nullify a pious Muslim's supplications.
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.
In these verses, God institutes a plant-based diet for both humans and non-human animals alike. God, in other words, created the world vegan. And it is this vegan world which God proceeds to declare very good (Genesis 1:31).
By virtue of being free from animal products, vegan goods share an important overlap with halal products: namely, the absence of pork – the consumption of which is strictly prohibited in halal diets. To be clear, vegan products are not equivalent to halal.
Mark 7 – Jesus declares all foods clean
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.
Are vegan Muslims on the rise? Although an estimated 24% of the world's population identify as Muslim, there is currently no recorded number of vegans that are Muslim.
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).
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.
Muslims do not eat pork or other haram (forbidden) animals. Insofar as meat products go, animals such as cows, veal, lamb, goats, turkeys, chickens, ducks, game birds, bison, and venison are acceptable for consumption, so long as they are slaughtered according to Islamic law.
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.
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.
One answer is the huge environmental cost of industrialised animal farming. Today, the UN says meat and dairy (farmed livestock) accounts for 11.2% of manmade greenhouse gas emissions. But if we all went vegan, the world's food-related emissions would drop 68% within 15 years, limiting global warming.
No, they're not here for the purpose of being our food, and it's made abundantly clear throughout scripture that God shows displeasure at animals being killed (Isaiah 1: 11- 17; 11:6-9; 66:3; Daniel 1:8-17; Psalms 50:8-13).
Black Americans are almost three times as likely to be vegan and vegetarian than other Americans. Why is giving up meat so popular?
In Islam, cats are viewed as holy animals. Above all, they are admired for their cleanliness. They are thought to be ritually clean which is why they're allowed to enter homes and even mosques. According to authentic narrations, one may make ablution for prayer with the same water that a cat has drunk from.
There is a general consensus among Sunni and Shia fiqh experts that Surah Al-Baqarah 221 and Surat Al‑Mumtahanah 10 ban Muslim women from marrying non-Muslim men. This consensus is still standing strong. On the other hand, the Quran allows Muslim men to marry non-Muslim women (“People of the Book”).
For those who aren't aware, tattoos are considered haram (forbidden) in Islam. There is no specific Islamic verse outlining this point but many people believe wudu (the purification ritual) cannot be completed if you have a tattoo on your body. Hence, you can never pray.