Islam and Veganism: An Introduction
Key Takeaways
The idea that veganism is haram is a myth, as nothing within the idea of a vegan lifestyle goes against Islamic principles. Even scholars from the strictest of schools do not consider it to be haram.
The animal agriculture industry is guilty of injustice and cruelty that violates Islamic animal rights, giving Muslims a clear reason to adopt a vegan lifestyle.
Taking the lives of animals for food is permitted where it perpetuates humanity. However, since animal agriculture poses a threat to humanity as one of the leading causes of climate change, Muslims have a reason to oppose it even in principle.
Islam and veganism are closely related in their emphasis on morality and ethics for all life.
This might come as a surprise for some readers, as veganism is, unfortunately, a contentious topic within many Muslim communities. Many believe it to be an un-Islamic or ‘Western’ ideology, with no links to Islam’s ethical outlook. And some even consider it to be outright haram.
However, such views mainly arise as a result of misinformation about what veganism entails, what it means to Muslims who identify as vegans, and scholarly opinions on Islam and veganism.
We have previously highlighted the immense benefits that veganism has for the environment. In this article, let us break down the essentials of Islam and veganism, important points of conversation in this debate, and highlight how the two are perfectly compatible.
What is veganism?
Veganism is defined as:
"A philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals."
- The Vegan Society
As is clear from the definition above, there is nothing within the concept of veganism itself that goes against the dictates of Islam.
In fact, the opposition to cruelty, coupled with an emphasis on animal welfare and environmental preservation is exactly in line with Islam’s concept of environmental stewardship and prescribed treatment of animals, as we shall elaborate below.
Is veganism haram?
The above makes it clear that veganism being haram is simply a myth.
This position is held by many contemporary scholars, including those who belong to the Salafi school of thought.
The only caveat with the view of such scholars is that vegan Muslims should not believe the consumption of animal products to be haram or that it is morally better to abstain from these foods (the points raised in this article shall reveal why this is a mistaken position, in our view).
Reasons for adopting veganism
Contemporary scholarship has raised deep concerns about the incredibly inhumane treatment of animals in factory farms (discussed below), and the destructive environmental effects of animal farming, a leading, but often overlooked, cause of global climate change. These constitute the main reasons for adopting veganism.
In a previous article, we discussed in detail the disastrous environmental effects of animal agriculture. Let us turn our attention now to the ethical violations in factory farms.
Ethical violations in factory farms
The industrialization of animal farming has led it far away from all ethical considerations, and into a system that is purely concerned with efficiency and profit maximization. Unfortunately, this includes modern halal farms, as they’ve strayed far from Islamic principles as well.
In this blind pursuit, factory farms subject animals to numerous inhumane practices:
For example, dairy cows are artificially inseminated multiple times throughout their lives and are separated from their calves soon after birth.
The calves are forced to live isolated lives in cages, are denied their mother’s milk, and are fed formula milk instead. This inhumane treatment leads to severe depression and distress for both the cows and their calves.
A similar fate is observed among chickens. They are kept in closed and confined spaces, and their beaks are partially amputated to stop them from pecking each other (a common behavior caused by close confinement).
Living such lives leads the chickens to develop brittle bones and several deformities. They are also subjected to a process known as forced molting, where they are starved for multiple weeks to increase their egg yield.
This is just a glimpse of the abuse and cruelty animals have to face at factory farms (for more information, see ‘Intensive Animal Farming’ by Shaykh Musa Furber [1]).
These practices stand in complete opposition to Islam’s prescribed teachings of animal welfare and compassion for all living beings. Let us now analyze these teachings to understand the severity of these violations.
Islamic guidelines on animal welfare
We have previously explored in-depth the extent to which Hadith of the Prophet (SAW) emphasize animal rights and welfare in Islam. Let us turn to look at the views of scholars on this topic.
In his book Al-Wasit, Imam Al-Ghazali lays down the following guidelines for animal welfare:
Similarly, Imam Al-Izz Bin Abdul Salam, in his book Shajarat al-maʿārif wa al-aḥwāl, presents one of the most profound commentaries on animal welfare in Islam [2]:
“[Beneficence towards a kept animal] is by providing its fodder or grazing it as much as it needs. [It is] by being gentle when loading it and traveling it, so one does not make them responsible for something they are not able to do. [It is] by not milking its milk except what is in excess of its children[’s needs], to treat its mange, and to treat its sicknesses.
…
[Beneficence includes] that if some animals harm other animals, such as by goring—even if some annoy others through head-butting, or something else—he separates between it and what annoys it, since [the Prophet (SAW) said that] “there is a reward for service to every living animal”, and “So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it” (Qur’an, 99:7)
…
Whoever sees someone load an animal with more than it can bear is to order him to reduce it. If [the owner] refuses, he removes it with his hand, since “He who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not strength enough to do it, [even] then he should [abhor it] from his heart, and that is the least of faith… ”
The above two excerpts from two of the greatest scholars in the history of Islam show the extent to which Islam gives importance to animal rights and welfare. And also how far removed modern animal farming is from such ethical considerations.
It is owing to these severe ethical violations that we Muslims must stand against the present animal agriculture industry.
Adopting a vegan lifestyle and abstaining from this culture of cruelty and inhumane treatment of animals is exactly in line with Islam’s ethical spirit which prescribes peace, dignity, and compassion to all living beings.
Going vegan helps us live out Islam’s ethical spirit for all living beings to its fullest sense.
But consuming animal products is still okay in principle, right?
Despite the obvious ethical reasons and harmful consequences of eating animal products in practice, many Muslims may turn around and say that consuming animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs is still allowed in principle, and therefore cannot be completely ruled against.
However, because animal farming is threatening the future of humanity as one of the leading causes of climate change, there is reason to abstain from it even in principle. We find precedence for this in the works of Shaykh Musa Furber.
Although himself not an advocate of veganism/vegetarianism, Shaykh Furber cites Imam Al-Izz Bin Abdul Salam and says [3]:
Al-ʿIzz ibn ʿAbd al-Salām explains that slaughtering animals for food is one of the cases where a harm or detriment (mafsadah) is combined with a benefit (maslahah) and—contrary to the general rule—the benefit has priority even though harms are involved. Slaughtering is a detriment (mafsadah) for the animal but a benefit (maslahah) for humanity in that it keeps them alive, and the benefit of perpetuating human species has priority.
He goes on to say [4]:
The Sacred Law prohibits us from inflicting harms—even to ourselves. Killing animals and consuming their meat are permitted as a means for obtaining the objective of protecting human life and perpetuating the species (hifz al-nafs). But a means ceases being permitted if it leads to the very opposite of its intended objective. So while the default is that killing animals and consuming their meat are permissible, they cease being permissible when it leads to harm and undermines the very objective for which they are permitted.
Thus, we argue that the very purpose for which taking the life of an animal is permitted in Islam i.e. to perpetuate the human species, is undermined by the modern food system and animal agriculture, as they instead lead to human suffering and death through climate change.
This, in our view, gives us a strong reason to abstain from consuming animal products, even in the absence of ethical violations.
Islam and Veganism: What’s the verdict?
Through this article, we have aimed to highlight how Islam and veganism are perfectly compatible.
Veganism is about opposing the exploitation of and cruelty towards animals perpetuated by the modern animal agriculture industry, whether halal or otherwise. Muslims must stand in opposition to this injustice as it is against Islamic principles of animal welfare, found within the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the works of scholars, which we have highlighted.
Muslims must also stand in opposition to global environmental degradation, of which the animal agriculture industry is one of the leading causes. As Allah’s appointed Khalifah (caretakers) of the Earth, we must preserve the environment and all life forms.
By adopting a vegan lifestyle, Muslims can take a stand against the cruelty of the animal agriculture industry, and work towards a safer planet for all of Allah’s (SWT) creatures.
All creatures are [like] the family of God: and He loves most those who are kindest to His family.
- Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
(Mishkat al-Masabih, 3:1392; quoted from Bukhari)
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[1] Furber, M. (2017). Intensive Animal Farming: Wrongs and Responsibilities. Tabah Papers Series, 5.
[2] Ibn ʿAbd al-Salām, Shajarat al-maʿārif, sec. 390. See also Furber, Rights and Duties Pertaining to Kept Animals, 32–4.
[3] Furber, M. (2017). Intensive Animal Farming: Wrongs and Responsibilities. Tabah Papers Series, 5.
[4] Ibid.
