Q8.Science tell us that whatever
one eats, it has an effect on ones behaviour. Why then, does Islam allow
Muslims to eat non-vegetarian food, since eating of animals could make a person
violent and ferocious?
NON-VEGETARIAN FOOD MAKES MUSLIMS VIOLENT
Answer:
1.Only
eating of herbivorous animals allowed
I agree
that, what a person eats has an effect on his behaviour. This is one of the reasons
why Islam prohibits the eating of carnivorous animals like lion, tiger, leopard,
etc. who are violent and ferocious. The consumption of the meat of such animals
would probably make a person violent and ferocious. Islam only allows the eating
of herbivorous animals like cow, goat, sheep, etc. that are peaceful and docile.
We Muslims eat peaceful and docile animals because we are peace loving and non-violent
people.
2.The
Qur’an says Prophet prohibits what is bad
The
Qur’an says:
“The
Prophet commands them what is just and prohibits what is evil”. “He allows them
as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them what is bad (and impure),”
[Al-Qur’an7: 157]
“So
take what the Messenger assigns to you and deny yourselves that which hewith holds
from you.”
[Al-Qur’an59: 7]
For a
Muslim, the Prophet’s statement is sufficient to convince him that Allah does not
wish humans to eat some kinds of meat while allowing some other kinds.
3.Hadith
of Mohammad (pbuh) prohibiting eating of carnivorous animals
According
to various authentic Ahadith narrated in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim including
hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas in Sahih Muslim, Book of hunting and slaughter,
Hadith No. 4752 and Sunan Ibn-I-Majah chapter 13 Hadith no. 3232 to3234, the
Prophet (pbuh) prohibited the eating of:
(i)Wild animals
with canine teeth, i.e. meat eating carnivorousanimals. These are animals belonging
to the cat families such as lion, tiger, cats, dogs, wolfs, hyenas, etc.
(ii)Certain rodents like mice, rats, rabbits with claws, etc.
(iii)Certain
reptiles like snakes, alligators, etc.
(iv) Birds
of prey with talons or claws, like vultures, eagle, crows, owl, etc.
Q7.Why do Muslims slaughter the
animal in a ruthless manner by torturing it and slowly and painfully killing
it?
ISLAMIC METHOD OF SLAUGHTERING ANIMALS APPEARS RUTHLESS
Answer:
The
Islamic method of slaughtering animals, known as Zabiha has been the object
of much criticism from a large number of people.Before
I reply to the question, let me relate an incidence about a discussion between
a Sikh and a Muslim regarding animal slaughter.
Once a
Sikh asked a Muslim, “Why do you slaughter the animal painfully by cutting the
throat instead of the way we do with one stroke i.e. jhatka?” The Muslim
replied “We are brave and courageous and attack from the front. We are marad
ka baccha (macho men), you are cowards and attack from behind”.
Jokes
apart, one may consider the following points, which prove that the Zabiha method
is not only humane but also scientifically the best:
1.Islamic
method of slaughtering animal
Zakkaytum is a verb derived from the root word Zakah (to purify). Its
infinitive is Tazkiyah which means purification. The Islamic mode of
slaughtering an animal requires the following conditions to be met:
a.Animal should be slaughtered with sharp object (knife)
The
animal has to be slaughtered with a sharp object (knife) and in a fast way so that
the pain of slaughter is minimized.
b.Cut wind pipe, throat and vessels of neck
Zabiha is an Arabic word which means ‘slaughtered’. The ‘slaughtering’ is to
be done by cutting the throat, windpipe and the blood vessels in the neck
causing the animal’s death without cutting the spinal cord.
c.Blood should be drained
The
blood has to be drained completely before the head is removed. The purpose is
to drain out most of the blood which would serve as a good culture medium for micro
organisms. The spinal cord must not be cut because the nerve fibres to the heart
could be damaged during the process causing cardiac arrest, stagnating the
blood in the blood vessels.
2.Blood
is a good medium for germs and bacteria
Blood
is a good media of germs, bacteria, toxins, etc. Therefore the Muslim way of
slaughtering is more hygienic as most of the blood containing germs, bacteria, toxins, etc. that are the cause of several diseases are eliminated.
3.Meat
remains fresh for a longer time
Meat
slaughtered by Islamic way remains fresh for a longer time due to deficiency of
blood in the meat as compared to other methods of slaughtering.
4.Animal
does not feel pain
The
swift cutting of vessels of the neck disconnects the flow of blood to the nerve
of the brain responsible for pain. Thus the animal does not feel pain. While dying,
the animal struggles, writhers, shakes and kicks, not due to pain, but due to
the contraction and relaxation of the muscles deficient in blood and due to the
flow of blood out of the body.
Q6.Killing an animal is a
ruthless act. Why then do Muslims consume non-vegetarian food?
EATING NON-VEGETARIAN FOOD
Answer:
‘Vegetarianism’
is now a movement the world over. Many even associate it with animal rights.
Indeed, a large number of people consider the consumption of meat and other non-vegetarian
products to be a violation of animal rights.
Islam
enjoins mercy and compassion for all living creatures. At the same time Islam maintains
that Allah has created the earth and its wondrous flora and fauna for the benefit
of mankind. It is upto mankind to use every resource in this world judiciously,
as a niyamat(Divine blessing) and amanat(trust) from Allah.
Let us
look at various other aspects of this argument.
1.A
Muslim can be a pure vegetarian
A
Muslim can be a very good Muslim despite being a pure vegetarian. It is not compulsory
for a Muslim to have non-vegetarian food.
2.Qur’an
permits Muslims to have non-vegetarian food
The
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.”
[Al-Qur’an 5:1]
“And
cattle He has created for you (men): from them Ye derive warmth, and numerous benefits,
And of their (meat) ye eat.”
Al-Qur’an 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.”
[Al-Qur’an 23:21]
3.Meat
is nutritious and rich in complete protein
Non-vegetarian
food is a good source of excellent 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.
4.Humans
have Omnivorous set of teeth
If you
observe the teeth of herbivorous animals like the cow, goat and sheep, you will
find something strikingly similar in all of them.All these animals have a set of flat teeth i.e.
suited for herbivorous diet. If you observe the set of teeth of the carnivorous
animals like the lion, tiger, or leopard, they all have a set of pointed teeth
i.e. suited for a carnivorous diet. If you analyze the set of teeth of humans,
you find that they 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 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
wellas non-vegetarian food.
5.Human
beings can digest both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food
The
digestive system of herbivorous animals can digest only vegetables. The
digestive system of carnivorous animals can digest only meat. But the digestive
system of humans can digest both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. If
Almighty God wanted us to have only vegetables then why did He give us a
digestive system that can digest both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian
food?
6.Hindu
scriptures give permission to have non-vegetarian food
a)There are many Hindus who are strictly vegetarian. They think it is
against the irreligion to consume non-vegetarian food. But the true fact is
that the Hindu scriptures permit a person to have meat. The scriptures mention
Hindu sages and saints consuming non-vegetarian food.
b)It is mentioned in Manu Smruti, the law book of Hindus, in chapter 5
verse 30
“The
eater who eats the flesh of those to be eaten does nothing bad,
even if he does it day after day, for God himself created some to be eaten and
some to be eater.”
c)Again next verse of Manu Smruti, that is, chapter 5 verse 31 says
“Eating
meat is right for the sacrifice, this is traditionally known as a rule of
the gods.”
d)Further in Manu Smruti chapter 5 verse 39 and 40 says “God himself
created sacrificial animals for sacrifice, ...., therefore killing in a
sacrifice is not killing.”
e)Mahabharata Anushashan Parva chapter 88 narrates the discussion between
Dharmaraj Yudhishthira and Pitamah Bhishma about what food one should offer to Pitris
(ancestors) during the Shraddha (ceremony of dead) to keep them
satisfied. Paragraph reads as follows:
“Yudhishthira
said, “O thou of great puissance, tell me what that object is which, if dedicated
to the Pitiris (dead ancestors), become inexhaustible! What Havi,
again, (if offered) lasts for all time? What, indeed, is that which (if
presented) becomes eternal?”
“Bhishma
said, “Listen to me, O Yudhishthira, what those Havis are which persons conversant
with the rituals of the Shraddha (the ceremony of dead) regard as
suitable in view of Shraddha and what the fruits are that attach to
each.
With sesame seeds and rice and barely and Masha and water and
roots and fruits, if given at Shraddhas, the pitris, Oking, remain
gratified for the period of a month.
With fishes offered at Shraddhas,
the pitris remain gratified for a period of two months.
With the mutton
they remain gratified for three months and
with the hare for four months,
with the flesh of the goat for five months,
with the bacon (meat of
pig) for six months, and
with the flesh of birds for seven.
With
venison obtained from those deer that are called Prishata, they remain gratified
for eight months, and
with that obtained from the Ruru for nine months, and
with the meat of Gavaya for ten months,
With the meat of the bufffalo
their gratification lasts for eleven months.
With beef presented at the
Shraddha, their gratification, it is said, lasts for a full year. Payasa mixed
with ghee is as much acceptable to the pitris as beef.
With the meat of
Vadhrinasa (a large bull) the gratification of pitris lasts for twelve
years.
The flesh of rhinoceros, offered to the pitris on anniversaries
of the lunar days on which they died, becomes inexhaustible.
The potherb called
Kalaska, the petals of kanchana flower, and meat of (red) goat also,
thus offered, prove inexhaustible.
So but
natural if you want to keep your ancestors satisfied forever, you should serve them
the meat of red goat.
7.Hinduism
was influenced by other religions
Though
Hindu Scriptures permit its followers to have non-vegetarian food, many Hindus adopted
the vegetarian system because they were influenced by other religions like Jainism.
8.Even
plants have life
Certain
religions have adopted pure vegetarianism as a dietary law because they are totally
against the killing of living creatures. If a person can survive without
killing any living creature, I would be the first person to adopt such a way of
life. In the past people thought plants were lifeless. Today it is a universal
fact that even plants have life. Thus their logic of not killing living
creatures is not fulfilled even by being a pure vegetarian.
9.Even
plants can feel pain
They
further argue that plants cannot feel pain, therefore killing a plant is a
lesser crimeas compared to killing an animal. Today science tells us that even
plants can feel pain. But the cry of the plant cannot be heard by the human
being. This is due to the in ability 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.
It can also cry.
10.Killing
a living creature with two senses less is not a lesser crime
Once a
vegetarian argued his case by saying that plants only have two or three senses while
the animals have five senses. Therefore killing a plant is a lesser crime than
killing an animal. Suppose your brother is born deaf and dumb and has two
senses less as compared to other human beings. He becomes mature and someone
murders him. Would you ask the judge to give the murderer a lesser punishment
because your brother has two senses less? In fact you would say that he has
killed a masoom, an innocent person, and the judge should give the
murderer a greater punishment.
In fact the Qur’an says: “O ye
people! Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good”
[Al-Qur’an 2:168]
11.Over
population of cattle
If
every human being was a vegetarian, it would lead to overpopulation of cattle
in the world, since their reproduction and multiplication is very swift. Allah
(swt) in His Divine Wisdom knows how to maintain the balance of His creation
appropriately. No wonder He has permitted us to have the meat of the cattle.
12.Cost
of meat is reasonable since all aren’t non-vegetarians
I do
not mind if some people are pure vegetarians. However they should not condemn non-vegetarians
as ruthless. In fact if all Indians become non-vegetarians then the present
non-vegetarians would be losers since the prices of meat would rise.
