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Question:
Killing an animal is a ruthless act. Why then do Muslims consume
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.
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.
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]
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.
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 well as 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?
c.
Again next verse of Manu Smruti, that is, chapter 5 verse 31
says
d.
Further in Manu Smruti chapter 5 verse 39 and 40 says
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,
O king, 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 remaingratified
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. 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.
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.
They further argue that plants
cannot feel pain, therefore killing a plant is a lesser
crime as 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 inability
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.
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"
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.
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. |