Saving the World’s Species from Extinction through Veganism
Key Takeaways
Our planet is going through the “sixth mass extinction”, where our actions are eradicating species at a rate about 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than the natural rate of extinction.
Animal agriculture lies at the heart of the global biodiversity crisis, destroying the habitats of millions of species through mass deforestation around the globe.
By adopting veganism, we’d allow forests to regrow, habitats to be restored, and prevent the extinction of millions of species.
Our beautiful Earth is home not only to us humans, but also to millions of other creations of Allah (SWT). What sets humans apart from all other species on Earth is our unique responsibility as Khulafah of the Earth, where we serve as the protectors and caretakers of all of Earth’s children.
Notice the final words from the Hadith above - the Almighty is observing us on how we’re acting with regard to our responsibility. Each of us must ask ourselves whether we are truly living up to our role as Khulafah.
One look at the present state of affairs and it becomes clear that rather than acting as its caretakers, we are instead exploiting and abusing the Earth. Indeed, our present way of life, marked by excessive consumerism and indulgence of desires, is destroying our planet and threatening the lives of millions of species.
The dangers of animal agriculture
One of the leading causes of environmental destruction, and unfortunately one of the least discussed in the Muslim world, is animal agriculture. Not only does animal agriculture contribute to over a quarter of all global greenhouse gas emissions, it also causes the depletion of scarce resources, such as global freshwater reserves.
Animal agriculture also poses a severe risk to global flora and fauna and is contributing to the destruction of forests and biodiversity all over the world. It is imperative that we change our ways to save the diverse lifeforms under our care, and the environment at large.
One of the best decisions that we can take in the spirit of divine stewardship, is adopting a vegan lifestyle. While veganism is primarily known for its ethical dimension, it has incredible benefits for the environment and can help us stop deforestation, the biggest global driver of wildlife decline, and save species from extinction.
Veganism prevents habitat loss
While most people are aware that we’re in the midst of a climate crisis, they are not aware of the other crisis at play: the global biodiversity crisis.
While the causes of the former (such as greenhouse gases) are well known by now, it is vital that we determine the cause of the biodiversity crisis as well, in order to prevent a catastrophic biodiversity collapse.
Recent research has highlighted land use change i.e. the deforestation and conversion of wild land into agricultural land, as the primary cause of global biodiversity loss.
Such wide scale deforestation results in habitat loss and the destruction of important ecosystems that are absolutely vital in maintaining the balance of nature.
Coming back to the topic of animal agriculture: It takes a lot of land and subsequent deforestation to fulfill the requirements for meat and other animal products that dominate our global food system. So much so, that beef production accounts for almost half of all global deforestation.
The meat industry clears millions of acres of forests every year to make room for cattle grazing and growing crops for animal feed, leading to the destruction of habitats for several species. Such habitat loss leads to several species going endangered or extinct.
Such large-scale destruction of forests and habitats to fulfill our desires stands in sharp contrast to Islam’s prescribed way of life, where planting trees was always encouraged as a form of charity [1]. The Prophet (SAW) himself designated protected areas, known as Himas, where the hunting of animals or the cutting of trees was forbidden, to preserve the ecosystem.
By adopting a vegan lifestyle, we can protect the Earth’s forests as well as the countless species that live within them. This is because the adoption of a plant-based diet worldwide would reduce agricultural land requirements from 4 billion to 1 billion hectares.
Thus, through veganism, we’d be able to free up space for forests to regrow as well as fulfill our nutritional requirements without the destruction of habitats. And in doing so, we’d be able to save countless creations of Allah (SWT) from extinction.
Source: Our World in Data
Veganism saves species
Many describe our present era as the “sixth mass extinction”, where tens of thousands of species are driven to extinction each year. This ongoing extinction event is driven by unsustainable human actions, primarily animal agriculture, which is contributing significantly to climate change, deforestation, and biodiversity loss.
The destructive potential of our actions is so great, that the current loss of species is estimated to be between 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate!
While our responsibility as Khulafah of the Earth mandates that we protect all life that has been placed under our care by the Almighty, our actions are leading us in the exact opposite direction.
By letting go of our desire for animal products and adopting a vegan lifestyle, not only would we be sparing countless farm animals from a life of exploitation and unimaginable abuse, we’d be protecting wild animals and their homes as well.
Living up to our responsibility
The onus is on each of us to live up to our responsibility as Khulafah and change our ways. However, if you’re still on the fence and have questions, check out our myth-busting section where we address many myths related to veganism and Islam.
[1] There is none amongst the Muslims, who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charitable gift for him. – Prophet Muhammad (SAW) (Bukhari, 2320)
