The Eid-al-Adha Sacrifice as a Climate Concern: Exploring Islamic Alternatives
Key Takeaways
The Eid-al-Adha sacrifice is subject to misconceptions regarding its status in Islam and often becomes a hurdle in adopting eco-friendly alternatives.
Contrary to popular belief, the Eid Sacrifice is a Sunnah. Even Companions such as Abu Bakr (RA) and Umar (RA) would refrain from animal sacrifice so that people would not consider it obligatory.
Considering the threat of climate change, Muslims should explore eco-friendly alternatives to the Eid Sacrifice, such as distributing charity money directly or donating plant-based meals to the needy. This is not only approved by the scholars of Islam but also coincides perfectly with the teachings of the Hadith literature.
Every year on Eid-al-Adha, Muslims around the world sacrifice livestock animals and share their meat with members of the community, especially the poor. Like all religious festivals, however, the Eid sacrifice has a significant environmental impact.
This is due to many reasons, such as the large number of resources (space, water, food, etc.) required to keep and care for the animals, the methane produced by the animals (cows are among the worst methane producers on the planet), as well as the post-sacrifice waste (blood, leftover limbs, intestines, etc.).
While going vegan is one of the best decisions we can make for the environment, environmentally conscious vegan Muslims must contend with some questions: How do vegan Muslims observe Eid-al-Adha? Do they sacrifice animals? Are there environmentally friendly alternatives to animal sacrifice?
Before we answer such questions about vegan Muslims and Eid, we need to consider some preliminary matters. These include the status of the Eid sacrifice, its conditions, and scholarly opinions on what alternatives, if any, are available to vegan Muslims from within the Islamic tradition.
A widespread perception among the masses (even including vegan Muslims) is that animal sacrifice on Eid-al-Adha is an obligatory act. This, quite often, becomes a major hurdle in the discussion regarding veganism and Islam. The truth, however, is that animal sacrifice on Eid-al-Adha is not unanimously considered obligatory, with many leading scholars and jurists categorizing it as part of the Sunnah only. [1]
In fact, animal sacrifice on Eid-al-Adha was not considered obligatory even in the early days of Islam, where major figures such as Abu Bakr (RA) and Umar (RA) would refrain from animal sacrifice to avoid confusion regarding its status:
Hudhayfa ibn Usayd said: I lived during the time of Abu Bakr and Umar (may God be pleased with them), and they did not sacrifice out of fear that people would believe it was obligatory. [2]
Thus, even the nearest and dearest of the Prophet (SAW) were aware of the non-obligatory status of the Eid-al-Adha sacrifice. While this awareness may not have continued amongst present-day Muslim masses, it is, however, clear among contemporary scholars. Dr Khaled Abou El Fadl, Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law and founder of the Institute of Advanced Usuli Studies, explains:
“While the zakat due in the udhiyah remains obligatory, the consumption and providing of meat is not.” [3]
Another issue regarding the Eid sacrifice is the un-Islamic manner in which it is carried out in contemporary times. It can be incredibly wasteful, unhygienic, and, in the words of Dr El Fadl, involves “many instances of cruelty and undue suffering caused to animals.”[4] Owing to these procedural issues, scholars have argued that there is a “Sunnah imperative to go vegan.” [5] Thus, not only is there no religious obligation to perform the Eid sacrifice, but there is, in fact, a strong case to avoid it based on environmental and ethical grounds as well.
So, now that these preliminary considerations have been clarified, let us return to the questions raised at the beginning. Yes, vegan Muslims can and do indeed celebrate Eid-al-Adha. They do so without the needless spilling of animal blood through alternative practices, such as distributing charity money directly or donating plant-based meals to the needy. This attitude of vegan Muslims towards Eid sacrifice, as we have seen, is not only approved by the scholars of Islam but also coincides perfectly with the wisdom from the Hadith literature. [6]
Thus, vegan Muslims turn to religious ethics, values, and principles and reapply them to the modern context. In the process, they uncover forgotten practices that are more in line with the spirit of Islam than contemporary ones.
(For a detailed exposition of this topic, see here.)
[1] Shaikh, Z. (2022) ‘Heresy or Moral Imperative? Islamic Perspectives on Veganism’, in Leaman, O. (Ed.) Routledge Handbook of Islamic Ritual and Practice. London: Routledge, p.445. doi: 10.4324/9781003044659-37.
[2] Ghilan, M. (2016) ‘The Dilemma of Being a Muslim Vegetarian on Eid al Adha’, Mohamed Ghilan’s blog. 11 September. Available at: The Dilemma of Being a Muslim Vegetarian on Eid al-Ad’ha | Mohamed Ghilan (wordpress.com) (Accessed: 22 June 2023).
[3] El Fadl, K. A. (2016) ‘FATWA: On the Sacrifice of Eid al-Adha’, The Search for Beauty: on beauty and reason in Islam. 15 June. Available at: FATWA: On the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha - Khaled Abou El Fadl on The Search For Beauty in Islam (Accessed: 22 June 2023).
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ghilan, M. (2016) ‘The Halal Bubble and the Sunnah Imperative to Go Vegan’, Al Madina Institute, 26 July. Available at: The Halal Bubble and the Sunnah Imperative to Go Vegan – Studio (almadina.org) (Accessed: 22 June 2023).
[6] El Fadl, K. A. (2016) ‘FATWA: On the Sacrifice of Eid al-Adha’, The Search for Beauty: on beauty and reason in Islam. 15 June. Available at: FATWA: On the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha - Khaled Abou El Fadl on The Search For Beauty in Islam (Accessed: 22 June 2023).
