STUDY ISLAM - Become vegetarian is now a movement the world over. Many people associate it in the name of the animal's rights. The consumption of meat and other non-vegetarian product to be a violation of animal rights, they say. Islam enjoins mercy and compassion for all living creatures. But at the same time Islam maintains that Allah, The Almighy God has created this entire universe and this earth, including 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 niqmat (Divine blessing) and amanah (trust) from Allah.
Let's see what Islam said about this issue.
First of all, consume a meat or non-vegetarian food is not compulsory in Islam, so a muslim can still be a good muslim even by being a pure vegetarian. The Holy Qur’an however permits a Muslim to have non-vegetarian food. The following Qur’anic 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."
[QS Al-Maidah 5:1]
"And cattle He has created for you (men): from them Ye derive warmth, and numerous benefits, And of their (meat) ye eat."
[QS An-Nahl 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."
[QS Al-Mu'minuun 23:21]
Islam allowing a muslim to consume a meat or non-vegetarian food also because it's a good source of 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.
Further more, if you observe the set of teeth of the carnivorous animals like the lion, tiger, or leopard, they all have a set of canine or pointed teeth i.e. suited for a carnivorous diet. If you observe the teeth of herbivorous animals like the sheep, cow, or goat, you will find something similar in all of them. All these animals have a set of flat teeth i.e. suited for herbivorous diet. And if you analyze the set of teeth of humans, you will find that human 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 Allah the 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.
If we analyze deep through the digest system, the digestive system of carnivorous animals can digest only meat. And the digestive system of herbivorous animals can digest only vegetables. But the digestive system of humans can digest both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Then why Allah gave us digestive system that can digest both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food? I think you know the answer.
Certain religions have adopted pure vegetarianism as a dietary law because they thought killling living creatures is a cruel act, so they totally against the killing of living creatures. Before technology advance such as this time, people thought plants were lifeless. But today, it is a universal fact that even plants have life. So, a vegetarianism maybe not to be a violation of animal rights but they violation of plants rights.
They further argue that plants cannot feel pain, therefore killing a plant is a lesser crime as compared to killing an animal. Once again, today science has tells us that plants can feel pain and even the plants can cry. 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.
If someone become a pure vegetarian, we as muslim respect that. But if someone forbid others to consume non-vegetarian food, then we argue.
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