Halal and Tayyib in the Here and Now

The Prophets Ate Meat
It will be said that some, many, or most of the thousands of Prophets (peace be upon them all), messengers, warners, guides, and saints ate (and may continue to eat) meat. The fact that at least some have, and do, is beyond debate—the Holy Qur’an gives specific and repeated sanction for meat-eating, at least under certain conditions. But many believers see clearly that simply because a permission is given for an action, does not make that action required, nor does it make it the best or most appropriate action in all conditions.

Nomadic peoples of the deserts usually eat meat—there is very little else to eat there. In historical and geographic situations where eating meat is essential for survival, revelations have been given to regulate and mitigate that behavior. But for most of the world’s people, in very different environmental circumstances than the Prophets of the ancient desert religions found themselves, meat production means industrial meat production. And these industrial practices are haram (Islamically unlawful) not only because they are so barbaric and cruel, but also because they lead directly to environmental degradation and destruction on a massive scale (including the mass cutting of trees—specifically forbidden in the Qur’an—and the near-total disappearance of entire forests on practically every continent).

Struggle
It will be said that plants and vegetables are also food, they are also grown in ways that are not, strictly speaking, Islamically acceptable, and science has shown that they may also feel pain when they are killed. These points are true, and we should strive to participate in clean and ethical practices regarding all of our food. Everything in creation partakes of the divine quality al-Hayy (The Living) to some extent and must be respected as a unique divine emanation. However, the Qur’an is also clear that there is a hierarchy of physical being, from the mineral, through the vegetable, through the animal to the human—and the animals are closest to us in the measure of their attributes and qualities. In addition, it should be remembered that plants differ fundamentally from animals in that many of them do not have to be killed to be used for food. Regardless, none of these points in any way contradicts or negates the fact that the suffering, misery, and terror experienced by billions of animals every year in the pursuit of profit is something that can and should be avoided. We are not charged with being perfect, but we are charged with struggling to perfect ourselves—this is the greatest jihad (struggle).

Compassion
Our master, Muhammad, peace be upon him, was sent as a mercy for the “whole universe,” not just for Muslims or even just for humans or jinn. He felt overwhelming concern for animals and was always their protector, defending their rights and speaking volumes about human beings’ responsibilities toward them. Not even the slightest instance of animal abuse or neglect escaped him. Below are just a few well-known examples from the hadith (traditions):

“There is a reward (ajr) for helping any living creature.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

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

“The worst of shepherds is the ungentle, who causes the beasts to crush or bruise one another.” (Muslim)

“You will not have secure faith until you love one another and have mercy on those who live upon the earth.” (Bukhari, Muslim, and Abu Dawud)

“Fear God in these mute animals, and ride them when they are fit to be ridden, and let them go free when … they [need to] rest.” (Abu Dawud)

“There is no man who kills a sparrow or anything beyond that, without its deserving it, but God will ask him about it.” (Ahmad and al-Nasai)

“The grievous things are: shirk (polytheism); disobedience to parents; the killing of breathing beings …” (Bukhari and Muslim)

“May god curse anyone who maims animals.” (ibn al-Athir)

“Whoever is kind to the creatures of God is kind to himself.” ^vi

It could not be clearer that the current system of industrial agriculture, particularly animal agriculture, is totally un-Islamic and deeply contrary to the letter and the spirit of Islam.

What Can I Do?
It will be said that eating consistently halal and tayyib is nearly impossible in industrialized society. This may be true for most of us—we do not have the luxury of raising and growing all of our own food, or eating only the food that our neighbors grow and that we know for a fact has been grown wholesomely. So what are we to do? The answer lies inside each of us, but we must be willing to look deeply and unflinchingly at our hearts and what they tell us. We must be able to look critically at our own beliefs, assumptions, and behavior and be motivated to work with what we find. How much of how I eat is just habit? Addiction? Laziness? Cultural or “religious” conditioning? How much control do I actually have, and how much do I abdicate and why?

We must also be willing to try to look with our “deep intelligence” at the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah (example) of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. We do ourselves a disservice if we do not strive to avail ourselves of the vast range of meanings housed within the outside forms. What was Rasulullah’s (the Prophet of God’s) deep Sunnah, his heart practice? What was the example he offered through and beyond the outward practices dictated by the time and place that he lived? What was appropriate there and then, and what is appropriate here and now?

Many Muslims who believe that, practically speaking, there is no meat available that is both halal and tayyib choose to eliminate it from their diets entirely. Some choose to simply cut down on their meat consumption. Some who can afford the cost choose to eat only certified organic halal meat. Others continue to eat meat occasionally, but no longer use it as a staple food. Some, of course, choose to make no changes. Others find other solutions. We must necessarily each arrive at our own answer to the problem. The point is not for us to determine what is eternally “right” or “wrong” and to subjugate others to our way of thinking. The point is to live consciously and intentionally—to walk on the path of continual, voluntary self-surrender, for this is what it means to be in Islam. First for the Creator, then for our own spiritual development, for the good of the beings we share this world with, and for the continued health of this delicate world itself.

I ask Allah and my gentle readers to pardon me for any errors. Please feel free to contact me with any thoughts or for details on any of my sources or citations.

Love, Peace, Mercy, Justice, and Freedom
Ezra Ereckson
November 1, 2004

“The real criterion of man’s superiority in Islamic thought lies in his spiritual volition, called taqwa, in the Qur`an. This spiritual power bestows on humans a greater measure of balance between their conscious and unconscious minds, thus enabling them to make the best use of their freedom. They are considered the best of God’s creation only because of this difference. Without the proper exercise of this power, our (claim to) superiority would be groundless.”
—Imam al-Hafiz B.A. Masri, Animal Experimentation: The Muslim Viewpoint

Further Reading and Other Resources

www.islamicconcerns.com—Qur’an, hadith, and many links to other sites and articles including helpful tips on meat alternatives
www.ifees.org—The Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences, the world’s leading Islamic environmental nongovernmental organization
www.fire.al-akbar.net—downloadable .pdf pamphlet of Imam al-Hafiz B.A. Masri’s “Animal Experimentation: The Muslim Viewpoint”
www.jesusveg.com/abraham.html—Comprehensive essay on animal rights and vegetarianism in the three Ibrahimic religions

ⁱDena Jones, Crimes Unseen, Orion, July/August 2004.
ⁱⁱDr. David Pimentel, Ecological Integrity: Integrating Environment, Conservation, and Health: Island Press, 2001.
ⁱⁱⁱwww.factoryfarming.com, 2004.
^ivDr. Stephen Emanuel, Agway Feed Company, quoted in Mad Cow: It Is Time to Be Organic and Natural, www.soundvision.com, 2004.
^vMuhammad Amin, Wisdom of the Prophet Muhammad: Pakistan, Sh. Muhammad Ashraf, 1965.
^viDetailed information on these traditions, Islamic standards of husbandry, and legal rulings (qwdidatul-fiqhiyah) can be found in Imam al-Hafiz B.A. Masri’s Animals in Islam: Athene Trust, UK, 1989.

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