Creating Space for Muslims in the Vegan Movement

“Do not unjustly eat fish the water has given up,
And do not desire as food the flesh of slaughtered animals,
Or the white milk of mothers who intended its pure draught for their young.
And do not grieve the unsuspecting birds by taking eggs;
for injustice is the worst of crimes.
And spare the honey which the bees get industriously
from the flowers of fragrant plants;
For they did not store it that it might belong to others,
Nor did they gather it for bounty and gifts.
I washed my hands of all this; and wish that I
Perceived my way before my hair went gray.”

— Abul ʿAla Al-Maʿarri
Arab philosopher, poet, and writer

If there is one group of people that is least associated with veganism, it is probably the Muslim community. In fact, the stereotype that Muslims are inherently barbaric and cruel towards animals is not uncommon. Islam and veganism are often perceived to be in conflict with one another, which is why Muslim vegans are usually on the receiving end of puzzled reactions when they express their commitment to or interest in veganism and animal liberation.

The truth is, our treatment of nonhuman animals and their sentience has been an important topic within Islam, at least since its emergence in the seventh century. Numerous Muslim scholars and poets had advocated for the abstinence from animal products and highlighted the importance of animal welfare long before Descartes started questioning whether animals have any capacity to think and feel pain. Muslims care about animals and nature just as much as anyone else, or maybe, they care just as little as everyone else. Muslim or not, animal liberation is still far from being a dominant idea wherever you go. This is why it is particularly troubling that Muslims who wish to be involved feel that there is little to no space for them in the vegan movement; a movement that is naturally supposed to be inclusive and compassionate. Considering that Islam is one of the biggest religions worldwide, the vegan movement must make space for Muslims and welcome them to participate in the effort to liberate animals. An important starting point is to dismantle some of the most common and unfortunate stereotypes Muslims face within the movement. We wouldn't want to take for granted that readers are familiar with the terminology around Islam so let's begin with some basic vocabulary that will help you navigate this topic: Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion; Muslims are individuals who follow Islamic teachings; the Quran is the sacred scripture of Islam; Muhammad was the prophet and founder of Islam; a mosque is a place of worship for Muslims, and Allah is the Arabic word for God.

Islam is the fastest-growing major religion globally, with approximately 1.9 billion people (25% of the world population) identifying as Muslims. While Islam is often associated with Arab countries, Arabs account for only 20% of all Muslims. Most Muslims live in many different countries such as Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, the Maldives, India, China, Bangladesh, Singapore, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran, Nigeria, and the Gambia. Sadly, Islamophobia is rampant at least since 9/11, and groups such as ISIS or the Taliban are perceived to represent Muslims worldwide, inevitably leading to an aversion towards Islam and a refusal to learn more about an immensely influential culture.

“Do not allow your stomachs to become Graveyards.”

— Hazrat Ali Ibn Abi Talib
cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad

It might come as a surprise that Islam and animal rights are not mutually exclusive. Interestingly, a largely ignored fact is that the Holy Prophet Muhammed rarely ate meat and is known to have been following a mainly plant-based diet. Yup, the founder of Islam was what one might call vegan-ish! In fact, generally speaking, early Muslims of the seventh century barely ate animal products. Considering that he lived in an animal-dependent context, Prophet Muhammed, it can be said, was way beyond his time in his advocacy for animal welfare. Numerous references can be found in the Quran regarding animals being sentient inhabitants of the Earth who form communities just as we do and the importance of considering animal welfare. Note that this is close to 1,000 years before Western philosophers debated whether animals even have the capacity to suffer. 

“May God curse the one who disfigures an animal.”

— Prophet Muhammad

The Quran and other Islamic teachings are full of these references, but let it be known that Islam does not prohibit the use and consumption of nonhuman animals. While there is no obligation to consume animal products, treating animals humanely is obligatory; in fact, violating Islamic animal welfare standards is certainly haram, i.e., sinful. Mistreating any creature of God is considered a grave sin under Islam; one may only take an animal's life if there is a valid reason, and in doing so, it must be done as quickly and painlessly as possible, i.e., halal. 

“Allah will not give mercy to anyone except those who give mercy to other creatures.”

— Prophet Muhammad

Halal meat refers to animal flesh that was taken respectfully and humanely. Is it, though? Of course not. The by Islam prescribed procedure of slaughtering an animal involves conditions such as killing them swiftly, while (nowadays) playing pre-recorded prayers to thousands of animals, and the absence of stunning. Regulations also include that the animals who will be slaughtered must be healthy, fed clean foods, and treated gently during their lifetime. Any unnecessary suffering must be avoided. A myth, of course. Investigations have shown that such standards do not exist, and even if they did exist, no regulation could justify using or killing someone when it is unnecessary. Ironically, the criticism directed particularly at Muslims for their refusal to stun animals before killing them usually comes from those who believe that killing unconscious animals is morally permissible. Apart from the fact that the stunning procedure is incredibly unreliable, the vast majority of us live in a context in which taking an animal's life has become entirely obsolete and as such, killing an animal who wants to live is everything but humane, regardless of whether they were stunned or not. People advocate against halal meat, then happily turn around to eat animals who have been knocked out before being cut into pieces. More often than not, meat-eaters argue with one another about whether another culture's method is cruel, crueler, or cruelest. For vegans, it is baffling to watch these discussions unfold without even the mention of the by far most reasonable option: don't own them, don't breed them, don't kill them. 

“It is a great sin for man to imprison those animals which are in his power.”

— Prophet Muhammad

The discussion on Islam and animals usually peaks during the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha, a tradition in which Muslims honor the prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his own son for God. This celebration often includes a ritual sacrifice of a goat or a sheep. The slaughtered animals are then distributed to the poor and needy. Nevertheless, not only is it voluntary to participate in this ritual but there are many Muslim vegans and non-vegans who actively protest this tradition and ask Muslims worldwide to veganize the celebration. There are no less than 60 references in the Quran to fruit and vegetables and descriptions about the abundance of plants. The Vegan Muslim Initiative is a Muslim animal rights group that calls for an end to Eid-al-Adha and pleads for Muslims to help those in need in ways that do not involve the murder of an animal. Their vision is to educate Muslims around the world and to work towards a significant paradigm shift. 

“The wooden shoes I do like best because that skin did once live, aye, and even think.”

— Abul ʿAla Al-Maʿarri

Who knows, such a paradigm shift among Muslims might be more likely than the mainstream vegan movement perceives it to be. The long history of vegetarianism, veganism, and animal rights within Islamic studies signals the incredible potential for Muslims to join in and in fact, become leaders in the vegan realm, if only, we opened our hearts and minds to the possibility that there is potential for compassion in every single one of us, regardless of one’s race or religion.

A good deed done to an animal is as meritorious as a good deed done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as an act of cruelty to a human being.

— Prophet Muhammad

Ayse Deniz Kavur