No, I am not going to sacrifice an animal this Eid-ul-Adha nor am I going to pay someone to do it for me.
Instead, my sacrifice is going to be of a non animal nature and yes, it is religiously sanctioned and justified.
I saw animals being slaughtered when I was a boy and it hurt me deeply.
I couldn’t understand why such beautiful creatures had to die.
Still don’t.
Remember, killing is not something humans are innately born to do.
Children do not naturally kill kittens, lambs and bunnies. They play, explore with and protect them. Their first instinct is to love.
In other words, I don’t see how it’s part of the “fitra” or natural human disposition to go out of one’s way to kill when there’s no genuine need to.
Yes, I am aware of the verses in the Qu’ran regarding consuming certain animals but if you’ve ever seen an animal get slaughtered from a young age when your innocence is still intact, it stays with you; believe me.
We’re told Islam requires us to slaughter humanely. What exactly, is “humane” slaughter?
The word humane is defined as: having or showing compassion or benevolence.
How does one “compassionately” or “benevolently” cut someone’s throat? Doesn’t the act of killing by definition negate any benevolence?
This is another discussion worth exploring as I genuinely would love to learn.
For now, I know in my heart God will not be displeased because I decided to show compassion to his creatures and not kill them.
In fact this attitude was openly condoned by the Prophet Muhammad in an authentic tradition:
Qurra ibn Iyas reported: A man said, “O Messenger of Allah, I was going to slaughter a sheep but I had mercy on it (or felt sorry for it).” The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “If you had mercy on the sheep, then Allah will have mercy on you twice.” (al-Adab al-Mufrad 373 Book 20, Hadith 373), Graded as Sahih (authentic) by Sh. Al-Albani, rh).
The Issues At Hand
Having said that, let me make a couple of things abundantly clear from the outset:
- I am not here to argue against the fact Islam allows eating certain animals. It does.
- Nor am I here to declare and/or make what is permissible impermissible and vice versa. Not my area.
I’m here to ask how these can be reconciled with the very real challenges we are faced with today.
Yes, some difficult and perhaps uncomfortable questions will be asked and I sincerely hope our scholars, learned folks and community alike have the spiritual, moral and ethical courage to address these questions with objectivity and pragmatism.
I feel there are two main points:
1. The impact our animal consumption is having on our world today
2. The way animals are treated especially during the Haj season (and of course at other times of the year).
As stated earlier, Islam permits Muslims to consume certain animals.
So we have the text.
Scholars have written extensively about the rules and regulations on this topic.
We have the guidelines.
Sadly however they are devoid of today’s context.
What we have today are rules and regulations based on what “should be” and not “what is”.
From an environmental perspective, today’s world is vastly different than the one Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) lived in.
Unfortunately, we are yet to upgrade our practices to reflect this reality.
In fact, we have superimposed our modern day cruel and exploitative practices on Islam thereby rendering the original mosaic into an eyesore.
The Impact Mass Killing Animals Is Having On Our World Today
This brief video highlights precisely some of what animal agriculture is doing to our world today (sources in video):
In case you missed it, animal agriculture is:
- Responsible for 51% of all greenhouse gas emissions – more than the global transportation industry combined.
- The leading cause of species extinction
- The leading cause of ocean dead zones
- The leading cause of habitat destruction
- The leading cause of water pollution
Ocean dead zones are perhaps one of the most disturbing.
This occurs when so much animal excrement and toxins (mainly from factory farms) are dumped by the billions of pounds into the seas. They vanquish all life in the area by depleting oxygen rendering them uninhabitable for marine life. As such, once flourishing ecosystems become “dead zones”. No more naturally landscaped corals, no more darting schools of fish, no more gliding rays or turtles: it’s a desolate, eerie underwater grave.
We are not talking about small, insignificant areas either.
The dead zone off the Gulf of Mexico measured 6,474 square miles (16,760 square kilometers) in 2015.
Today, that’s ballooned to 8,776 square miles – larger than the State of New Jersey.
Industrialized factory farming, cruelty, torture, greed and pollution can only result in one thing:
Corruption has appeared throughout the land and the sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]. – Qu’ran 30:41
Now if that were the only thing killing animals has done to our world, it would be worth prioritizing.
But wait, there’s more:
- Livestock covers 45% of the earth’s total land
- 1-2 acres of rainforest are cleared for animal agriculture every second
- Animal agriculture is also a leading cause of human starvation.
Wait, what?
Yes, over 1 billion humans are starving and malnourished today and animal agriculture is a leading cause of this.
They starve because the food we could feed them with is given to billions of animals instead.
We then kill these animals and feed less people with them and use up ungodly amounts of resources to do so.
But isn’t the entire purpose of udhiya (qurbani) supposed to be to feed the poor?
Well the question arises : Given the purpose of sacrifice is to feed the poor, but sacrificing today is contributing to more people going hungry among many other environmental disasters, then isn’t it time to re-examine this practice?
If we have a choice to make this world better, why wouldn’t we?
Points To Consider
We have a golden opportunity to set an incredible example if we fed the poor with non animal sources because:
a) It would feed a lot more people and isn’t there more reward for feeding more people? (An acre of land properly harvested can yield around 35,000 lbs of plant foods Vs around 250 lbs of meat).
b) It would give the earth and animals much needed respite from the hell mankind has unleashed on them
c) Not doing so will contribute further to the environmental calamities we face.
Another thing to consider:
- The verses in Surah Al Hajj outlining the sacrifice (verses 31-37) were revealed in the first year after the Prophet (pbuh) arrived in Medina. The Muslim population at that point in time was approximately between 300-400. The number of animals they would have sacrificed can be safely estimated at a few dozen or hundred. We are now fast approaching 2,000,000,000 (billion) Muslims. We are not collectively sacrificing a few dozen or even hundred, we are now killing tens of millions on Eid alone. The sheer number slaughtered (not including the ones killed throughout the rest of the year) exacts a horrific toll on both animals and our planet as highlighted above. This is simply unsustainable.
Aren’t Islam’s objectives to maximize benefit and minimize harm to all?
Surely it also allows for suspending an action, even if it’s for a period of time if not doing so will result in further and greater harm.
So would Islam still sanction the mass killing of animals on Eid today given the fact our planet is in peril largely because of…mass killing of animals?
I hear a very loud NO train hurtling towards us on that one.
I can already hear alarm bells in some folk’s minds: “He’s trying to change the faith!” “Islam’s rules don’t change!” “We have to sacrifice an animal on Eid no matter what!”
None of these statements are factually correct.
Islam doesn’t require us to stop striving to become better global citizens.
In fact it mandates it.
So how can you claim to be a compassionate, caring soul when your actions are directly contributing to the misery of others?
Animal Abuse – Sheep
The other side of this discussion and perhaps the most important in terms of restoring our sense of humanity are the victims themselves – the animals.
See, nobody in our communities talk about them unless they’re posting cute shots of their pets on Facebook or telling their kids bedtime stories.
We treat them like they don’t matter.
William Ralph Inge, an 18th century Anglican bishop said it best:
We have enslaved the rest of the animal creation, and have treated our distant cousins in fur and feathers so badly that beyond doubt, if they were able to formulate a religion, they would depict the Devil in human form.
They are the most oppressed beings on the face of the planet.
As we approach another Eid, millions of animals – mainly sheep but also goats, cows, buffalo and camels are subjected to some of the most horrific treatment imaginable.
Many suffer from physical and psychological torture before they are mercilessly massacred – ironically all under the name of the faith that mandates the opposite.
Australian sheep are shipped by the millions thousands of miles to the Middle East to accommodate the bi annual mass killing that occurs. These animals are made to endure hell on earth.
They are crammed tightly into transport trucks that look exactly like the concentration camp carriages Jews were placed in during The Holocaust.
That’s violation #1 and in direct conflict with Islamic principles. We may not transport animals in such ways.
They are forced to stand in often sweltering conditions the entire journey.
You try wearing a woolen coat in 35 degree heat with 200 other humans packed into a single room. That’s violation #2.
Once they arrive at the transport dock, there is no respite. They’re marshalled onto ships and sent off on a 3 week cruise to the Middle East where on average, 3 sheep share 1 square meter of space. Around 40,000 (out of the 4 million shipped) of them die every year before arriving. They die from stress, they die from suffocation, they die from thirst, they die from exhaustion, they die from overheating and they die from being trampled.
Mind you, it is considered “haram” (forbidden) for these animals to be eaten now so they basically died for absolutely NOTHING.
40,000 sentient souls with central nervous systems and the ability to feel pain and trauma gone forever for NOTHING but human greed.
That’s violation #3.
The ones that make it are subjected to open air lots under the searing Middle Eastern sun frequently topping 40 degrees.
That’s violation #4
They are then sold to customers who routinely pick them up in cars and put them in the trunk AND close it. In 40 degree heat.
That’s violation #5.
They are often dragged by their necks or heads.
That’s violation #6.
Many of the ones “processed” on the lot are slaughtered in plain view of each other.
That’s violation #7.
They are not watered, fed or properly cared for.
That’s violations 8, 9 and 10.
How does your meat taste now?
Animal Abuse – Camels & Cows
Sheep have it hard but camels don’t have it any better.
They are often held in large pens with sometimes more than a dozen camels in a pen and literally have their necks sliced at the base in front of each other.
As one camel walks around, its strength gradually seeps away as it’s legs buckle and blood waterfalls forth.
It thuds to it’s side taking in it’s last moments of life as the next and the next is subjected to the same abhorrent treatment.
Some are tied and paraded in the middle of the street so passersby can watch the spectacle and not even let these majestic animals die with a shred of dignity.
They are often prodded with sticks, spikes and dragged by nose and mouth rings and forced to watch and smell the deaths of their fellow members before they are brutally murdered:
GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW: THE IMAGES BELOW SHOW ACTS OF ANIMAL SLAUGHTER SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTRESSING
Camel screams in pain as knife is plunged deep into it’s neck and nostrils yanked with hooks. Another camel looks on.
A camel is slaughtered publicly in front of a cow awaiting it’s turn. Notice the rope attached to a ring around the camel’s nose to restrain it. Child in background staring at pool of blood.
Public bloodbath. Out come the phones.
These images quite frankly, are disgusting.
If these images aren’t good enough for your eyes, then why are they good enough for your stomach?
I am ashamed to associate myself with people who treat animals this way and want no part in anything that treats God’s creation in such a manner.
The Prophet Muhammad admonished his Companions for hurting the feelings of a mother bird as recorded in Saheeh Muslim:
We were on a journey and during the Prophet’s absence, we saw a bird with its two chicks; so we took them. The mother bird was circling above us in the air, beating its wings in grief. When Prophet Muhammad returned he said, “Who has hurt the feelings of this bird by taking its chicks? Return them to her.”
And this woman was condemned to hell for mistreating a single cat:
A woman was tortured and was put in Hell because of a cat which she had kept locked till it died of hunger.” Allah’s Messenger further said, “Allah said (to the woman), “You neither fed it nor watered it when you locked it up, nor did you set it free to eat the creatures of the earth.” Bukhari 3:553, Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar [Also in Muslim, Narrated Abu Huraira]
Hell.
For one cat.
One bird’s feelings were hurt and this caused the Prophet (pbuh) enough grief to arrange for her chicks to be immediately returned to her.
Yet around the Muslim world, tens of millions of animals this Eid are not spared from the treatment shown above.
They are openly slaughtered in front of the other and where do you think the stress hormones of a 1,500lb animal end up?
Inside you when you eat the tortured soul and then we wonder why much of the Muslim world is very sick (we’ll explore that another time).
Cows and buffaloes are often subjected to even worse treatment because they have a tendency to fight back.
Some Muslims who have lost their sense of decency and compassion tie them in front of each other as menacing crowds gather in giddy anticipation.
Children are often encouraged to participate in the decapitations.
Visibly shaken and terrified, the animal knows what’s coming next. They aren’t stupid.
There are countless more disturbing images and videos online showing these animals being kept in a perpetual state of fear as they are tied to walls and taunted before they are killed.
When it’s time, it takes between 6-8 men to try and physically restrain the animal as it violently kicks (I personally love it when it lands one), desperately trying to save it’s life.
As valiant as their efforts are, they end up having their throats slit in wide, plain open view of other animals while a feverish crowd, drunk on blood go into a trance like celebration.
The stench of death soon follows and open air markets are soon stacked with swaying corpses as throngs of people check out the goods.
The foul smell makes me physically gag.
I personally do not know or understand how this is supposed to be part of the “beauty” of Islam.
Each and every one of these examples ends in the torturous and barbaric death of these beautiful animals.
Each one ends up on the floor, its lifeless, staring eyes the only sign of beauty remaining in a very ugly world.
Why Is This Acceptable?
Where are the scholars? Where are the “fiqh councils”?
Where are the imams, the muftis and community leaders openly condemning such actions and educating our communities not to torture animals?
It would be really nice to hear a Friday sermon, keynote speaker or conference dedicated to these issues.
Yes, you may hear the often repeated narrations of the prostitute that was forgiven for quenching the thirst of a dog or even the “mercy to all the world’s” verse from the Qu’ran but actionable, real world advice?
Zero.
It saddens me even further when such actions are justified by many Muslims using the Qu’ran and Sunnah (sayings, actions and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh).
Yes, we become very strict Muslims when it comes to killing and eating animals and we defend our right to the death to do it even when the world is burning…but not so strict in other matters.
Not so strict in our personal hygiene when attending the mosques.
Not so strict when dealing honestly in business. Not so strict when selling alcohol, cigarettes and other vices in our stores. Not so strict with our taxes.
No so strict when it comes to sexually harassing 99.3% of women on the streets of Egypt or Pakistan or India or any other Muslim majority country where women are easy targets.
I realize this may be uncomfortable for many people but this to simply illustrate the complete disconnect Muslims by and large have with their own faith.
We’re still asking our leaders if eating McDonalds is ok or not!
The real question should be “When are you going to tell folks to stop supporting such vile industries that are antithetical to everything Islam stands for?”
We have largely become a nation who are into “aadah” (habit) not “ibadah” (worship).
Please, Enough Is Enough
I really wish we would stop using Islam as a front to justify these atrocities against God’s creatures.
It’s outright cruel and inhumane.
It’s not okay to do this and you don’t need a scholar or any other human being to tell you otherwise.
If you have a heart, a conscience and an ounce of compassion, you would instinctively object to this.
It’s high time we evolved a new approach in order to bring about a positive change to this world.
Replacing factory farms with “halalified” versions will simply; pardon the pun, put lipstick on a pig.
You will still be destroying the environment, animals will still be abused and you will have accomplished very little.
Killing animals on such a large scale to satisfy the meat addictions of billions of people virtually guarantees animal welfare will be neglected.
The concept of mass animal agriculture is inherently wrong.
What You Can Do About It
As God’s representatives on Earth (Qu’ran 2:30), is it not our duty to protect it or are we just content peddling slogans and lip service on social media and conventions?
This Eid, make your sacrifice truly meaningful.
Sacrifice your addiction to meat for one day. You can feed many more poorer people with better quality plant based foods for the same amount of money.
Don’t be part of the global crime taking place against animals and our planet.
You have a choice to make and your choices are a vote for either change or more of the same.
One can spend considerable time learning of the ecological catastrophes we’re facing due to breeding, feeding and killing approximately 100 billion land animals each year worldwide but more importantly…
What can we do about it?
Boycott these industries forever.
Do not be part of it.
The issue is far beyond the opinion of one person or the other. It is far greater and more serious than fixating on the rules of killing animals (Dr. Tariq Ramadan covered this in more detail here.)
Final Thoughts
Given the fact our past generations never had to face such significant environmental and ethical challenges of this magnitude, is it unreasonable to ask our scholars today to better inform themselves of these haunting realities in order to set us on a better course?
In fact, the Arabic word fiqh means deep understanding or full comprehension.
This is exactly what they need on these issues so they can produce a new fiqh for food relevant to us today.
A fiqh that accounts for our current climate so we can correct our course and serve mankind better.
I would really love to know what they have to say about killing billions of animals today given the devastating impact this has on our world.
Yes, I also want to know about GMO’s, chemicals and additives in our food, our obligations towards the environment and other such pertinent issues.
Allhamdulilah, I sleep well at night knowing I am not voluntarily contributing to the needless suffering of animals and destroying our world.
When I stand before God, I have absolutely no problem whatsoever saying to Him from the deepest place in my heart:
“Oh Allah, I did what I did out of sincere concern for your creation. I saw so much corruption and evil dished out to it, I wanted no part in it. Your seas were polluted heedlessly, your animals were massacred without mercy; even to extinction, your trees were razed in swaths and your people were starved and sickened. I did everything within my power and conscience to not partake in any of it; but to fight it for Your sake.”
Knowing what you do now, what will you tell Him?
Remember, we weren’t born killers.
Islam is not about WHAT you think is right . IF ALLAH ORDERS SOMETHING that is WRONG FROM EVERYONE’S PERSPECTIVE .YOU have no way but to do it …REMEMBER we are SLAVES of ALLAH . Just killing some animals ,,IF my Allah says i can even KILL MY FAMILY …
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So, what do you think about the actual article? 🙂
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To all U munafiqs & kuffaar..Ie…hypocrites & disbelievers in ALLAH…DO U KNOW WHO IS A MUSLIM…A MUSLIM IS ONE WHO IS SUBSERVIENT TO ALLAH..he doesn’t question the authority of his creator…whether he can comprehend it or not…mankind’s intellect is very limited as to the wisdom n intellect of his creator ALLAH…IF U GO AGAINST EVEN ONE RULING OF ALLAH IE.WILFULLY GIVE JUSTIFICATION FOR YOUR DISOBEDIENCE,U WILL END UP IN HELL…THE QURAAN CAN NEVER CHANGE,WILL REMAIN TILL ALLAH DECIDES…BE CAREFUL U MUNAFIQS N KUFFAAR…THE FIRE OF HELL AWAITS U .CHANGE BEFORE ITS TOO LATE.
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You seem to be a little upset about something.
Could you please try and articulate what exactly is bothering you? Perhaps try to incorporate some of the very ethics and manners you claim to uphold?
Thank you.
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I love Islam but I don’t support killing of animals.
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Here, here!
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P.s…i would just like to add, no matter what people do to try save planet and what statistics people try present regarding numbers and percentages for what’s left and what’s gone from our world…no amount of science, maths and human records can ever calculate or predict the blessings of our Lord on the world..if people say their are only 10% cattle left..by the creators will and grace on the same day he can multiply 7,000,000,000 cattle to appear times by 100 on the same day to sustain every soul so they receive what is written for them to receive and if he wants to take away from someone he can also give back double triple 100 times over as he wills, we can damage the world as much as we want thinking we are the ultimate beings and intelligence is our survival trait…but the world will only end when he wills, if he says “be” for abundance then if you can’t believe that regardless of your religious faith, then you can be a soul who fasts daily for life and live off leafs for your remaining years but its the Lord who will provide that , and the ultimate truth in my eyes for the following and unity of Islam to me is the day when everyone who is with or against this topic here all join together and agree on one path , the same path and love and respect each other and the world and all he put in it for us. So maybe everyone should think about this..? And by the way…i am the biggest supporter for sustainability and actually a member of the UN DESA to promote 17 SDGs till 2030…and I’m a Muslim who practices islam and always will
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Not sure what exactly you are trying to say here.
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I would like to leave a message for thought…the qurbani has 3 meanings to the act itself in my eyes..im not a scholar, teacher, or even learned and educated individual..but I am a Muslim and follow islam and since being tested at the age of 6 becoming and orphan I had to find the truth and knowledge what my beautiful parents had the chance to teach me in such short time before their demise, gifted to them and me by the creator all merciful Allah swt.
The ritual of sacrifice to me has 3 major and vital points and benefits which Allah ordained for us to follow and complete which I would like to share and explain in my simple understanding of life and world. 1st major good deed and reward for the act for me is the fact and truth that the animal we sacrifice will be our means and transport across the bridge constructed to the likes of a fine hair..the fact that them same hooves on the animals permissible are shaped that way and will be perfect fits with the hair in between while crossing, ragardless of taking 5 min or 50,000 years to cross is down to allahs mercy and reward to us, so I personally believe every human and believer of hearafter and judgement should take this step if they wish to cross the final test every soul shall face, you either cross and reach the gates of heaven or no sacrifice made for the sake of Allah and you slip on your first step into the depths of hell and face the punishment for deeds. 2nd reason and major good deed and doimg this act is actually hand in hand with the first for me but for detailed reasons I split in 3 for understanding. The reason to do this act to please Allah and carry out this act in his name is something which shows our love and grateful hearts and souls for him showing us mercy and gifting us with this life and blessings as he rewarded Abraham for his devotion and step to please Allah by sacrificing his son which was a major test hence Allah changed the situation to a animal after the prophet Abraham passed the ultimate test! No other human in the history of mankind/womankind has taken such a step for the love and sake of the creator save him (hence given status by the creator as his companion and friend!) To do this act using an animal is a privilege we have been bestowed. And again every human should follow this task atleast once in their lives…now why repeat this act every year and sacrifice an animal for sake of Allah? Because their is no guarantee your sacrifice will be accepted if you do only once…the prophet Adam had 2 sons (the first humans to walk the earth) before the brutal killing of the rightous brother when a brother murdered his brother under the motivation of jealousy, both brothers offered their sacrifices to Allah yet one was accepted the other rejected…keeping that in mind no human is perfect save the final prophet and if 99% are bad and 1% good hence world revolving today, I would certainly want to keep doing sacrifice to be sure my efforts are solely for Allah and his pleasure.and 3rd the final act and good deed of this action, many people who agree with the not to sacrifice have stated its an act of cruelty, while others are protesting its a means to end to follow religion..if you look up YouTube and internet you can find millions maybe of videos were you will see a true pious sacrifice and devoted act to do it the animal themselves will come forward not even tied up and present its jugular to be cut for a quick painless death..as I believe these creations just because they don’t talk they were created and know who the true creator is and know the reward they will get for such a great deed is beyond anything they face and will live for on world..thst is a fact and truth and miracle which they are aware of even if we are not and can’t see the truth and wonders of our Lord…and once the act is complete, that food source can and should be given and distributed to the needy and poor which it was intended for in first place. If you choose not to eat meat while having access all around is a choice you are privileged to act on, but some people (the true needy and poor) are not so lucky and some cannot afford and see or feed their families all year due to their circumstance and these are the ones who deserve this benefit and act we have been taught to follow and fulfil. If you cannot eat the meat and refuse to live this way, I believe as a Muslim you should still complete this good deed for the sake of Allah and poor with the intention and faith of the ultimate rewards for carrying out this rightous act and deed..no offence to anyone, just some thoughts and insights of a illiterate soul in his journey and tests to reach the ultimate goal. Peace and love to all souls and people.
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!!! Attention Author and Readers !!!
In the Quran , you’ll see in many places where Allah says about the creation and the purpose of other creations.
example:
36:72
And We have subjected these ˹animals˺ to them, so they may ride some and eat others.
Its amazing you have created an entire website with the name similar to the subject just for this stupid argument.
Allah is All Forgiving , All Merciful. He says to eat animals and you saying don’t???
Are you claiming to be more Merciful than the All Merciful ???
turn to Allah my brother/sister if you are truly Muslim.
or If it is some nonmuslim or atheist who is trying to brainwash Muslims that don’t have much knowledge with this stupid idea of veganism. I mean what can you do about them! May Allah guide you to the straight path.
!!! Attention Readers !!!
Don’t listen to such liberal Muslims or Pretending to be Muslim, Who wish to extinguish the light to please people around them.
We are not here to please people but to please Allah.
Allah has made Halal for us to ride some (eg: horses ) and eat others (Halal animals eg: Cattle, Ships, Goats etc..).
“Do not do what the Jews have done; Do not commit what Allah has made Haram. and Do not prohibit ˹yourself˺ from what Allah has made lawful to you and Do not with the silliest of tricks.”
Allah knows Best!
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You have gravely misrepresented what Allah (swt) and the Qu’ran has said.
“And We have subjected these ˹animals˺ to them, so they may ride some and eat others.”
Which animals? You think God created animals that have existed for millions of years for humans, that have a 10,000-15,000 year history so we can eat them?
The Qu’ran doesn’t forbid slavery – do you have slaves and if no, why not despite it being an absolutely repugnant practice?
If you take the time to go through the site, you will understand the precise perspective of why it’s better not to eat animals.
Just because an idea challenges you, doesn’t give you the right to imply we are non Muslims.
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I know people often associate vegetarianism and veganism with health, but I know from personal experience that for me, I am only healthy when I eat meat.
I’ve been a vegetarian at various times in my life. Once as a child, once because a natural doctor advised me to eat a gluten free vegan diet, and a couple of times when halal meat was hard to come by.
No matter what different kinds of food I exploded, I felt sick .
I think my distant ancestors may have been sheep herders for long enough for it to have left a genetic marker or something, but I can instantly feel the difference when I eat meat.
When I eat mutton or lamb, I feel like a new man, back to life. My stomach feels happy; I feel happy.
Other meats don’t sit well with me, and grains and vegetables, I just don’t seem to digest them very well.
I can literally feel something being off with me if I eat bread, grains and vegetables without meat. 2 days in a row, and I start to feel sick, lightheaded and weird.
My father was the same way. If he didn’t eat meat he felt bad.
Now that I know what my system needs to operate, and since meat is halal, from al tayyibat, wal hamdu lillah, I do my best to eat it as close to every day as I can.
The alternative is to feel sick, weak and miserable.
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No, the alternative is actually to clog your arteries and have heart disease, systemic inflammation, and all sorts of problems caused by saturated animal fat:
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-effects-of-processed-meat-on-lung-function/
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-big-meat-manipulated-the-science/
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-inflammatory-meat-molecule-neu5gc/
There are literally hundreds of these available.
What you describe is a perfect example of ingesting animal hormones that stimulate your body.
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• https://vegan.com/health/nutrition/
• “A well-planned, plant-based diet can be good for both your health and the planet. But it’s important to keep an eye on what foods and nutrients you might be eating to avoid deficiencies of essential nutrients.”
https://www.sciencealert.com/a-scientist-explains-how-to-get-all-the-nutrients-you-need-on-a-vegetarian-or-vegan-diet#:~:text=A%20well%2Dplanned%2C%20plant%2Dbased%20diet%20can%20be%20good%20for%20both%20your%20health%20and%20the%20planet.%20But%20it%27s%20important%20to%20keep%20an%20eye%20on%20what%20foods%20and%20nutrients%20you%20might%20be%20eating%20to%20avoid%20deficiencies%20of%20essential%20nutrients.
• “guidance of a certified nutritionist is needed to understand where your diet might be lacking, and how to overcome it in the right way. Well-Planned vegan diets are regarded as appropriate for all stages of life, including infancy and pregnancy,
Vegan diets have been shown to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and ischemic heart disease. ”
https://vikaspedia.in/health/nutrition/the-vegan-diet-and-its-implication#:~:text=guidance%20of%20a,ischemic%20heart%20disease.
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On the animal treatment, we all must work to make sure they are well treated. But banning sacrifice or calling to ban is to have a fight with Allah. Because you are encouraging others to ban Commands of Allah to slaughter, eat meat, give meat to others. WHICH IS PERFECTLY HALAL and fine if done according to Islamic teachings.
Think about what you spread, we are already having so many other problem and with such stupids moves, a normal person like I will doubt that you are even a Muslim.
DON’T GET AFFENDED BUT YOU OPEN THIS TO YOURSELF. YOU MUST READ HISTORY, RELIGION LITTLE MORE. IT IS SOMETHING NEVER IMAGINED BY ANY RELIGIOUS GROUP IN THE WORLD. SO, THERE HAS TO BE SOME LOGIC, SCIENCE TO IT.
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Have you even read the article or did something specific trigger you to be so defensive?
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If you are a Muslim, your Faith is in danger. You are such a dumb and stupid person that want to destroy his/her own faith by trying to adhere Sharia’a (Commands of Allah) to your own sick desires to please some stupids around you. You quoted an Hadith of mercy but couldn’t get the chance to understand the “بسم اللہ اللہ اکبر” that we don’t say full Bismillah because that act of worship (sacrifice of animal) is not a mercy moment, it is order/command of Allah.
May Allah give you guidance, Aameen. And if you are a non-Muslim spreading this non-sense in the name of Islam, May Allah make it a painful trial for you and all who support you. And destroy your bad intentions. Aameen
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I find it ironic you attempt to come across as a religious Muslim, yet your words are filled with hatred, judgment, and the exact opposite of what Islam promotes. That and, the fact, you simply resorted to personal attacks rather than expressing your opposition with a particular point.
Be better than that.
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I really appreciate this article , I’m a Muslim from Karachi pakistan living in USA . If we take a moment to think about what is right and wrong you will know from natural instincts that Allah has engraved in us that it’s wrong to kill animals unless you have to . Quran says kill an animal if you must. That means if there is no other option . We have many options to eat other food so we do not have to kill his creatures and torture them . For the people saying that we need to look at bigger problems of the world like war , we should do that but it’s harder to change that , but it’s easier to stop hurting gods creatures and eating them when we have other foods . If you think you will have a nutritional issue which you won’t , but if u do you can eat meat twice a year to fulfill that. There plenty of vegetarians who if they eat fruits vegetables nuts they are healthier than us . Hadith says for an animal to be halal ,an animal cannot see another animal being killed , that animal cannot be tortured or suffer any pain , he should have a natural life before being killed . In modern day factory farming the animals are already not considered halal because they are tortured and crammed together . You think Allah would allow this I wish people would use their brains. I know there is bigger things to think about than this but if you can’t change the bigger problem at least stop hurting allahs creatures
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Thank you and well said. We really should be striving to become better rather than being dogmatic just for the sake of it.
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Well, look sammer taking everything into account. What do we do on EID then?
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this is ridiculous who you are tonting on our religion
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You need Understand our religion correctly .Quran says to sacrifice animals if we MUST and it says the animals cannot be tortured in anyway if they are it makes it haram to eat. If we have other food we should not kill allahs creatures
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I think, it’s part of the Ecosystem or Food Chain that Allah created. Plants are primary producers. Humans can be primary consumers (PC) or Vegan, and also can be secondary consumers (SC) or non-vegan.
Imagine, if your dream comes true: if we are prohibited to eat animals, and human will only eat plants (the producers), those PC animals population will increase surprisingly and they also eat plants and drink water!! So, humans and the PC animals will be competing with each other for the food. The goat will eat our rice, fruits, etc – bcos not enough grasses for them…
We may kill them too in this fighting/competition. If we kill them but not to eat them 😊.. so the Decomposers will eat them for sure!!
So, in Allah’s ecosystem, snakes must eat frogs, frogs must eat insects, and so on… to maintain the balance of nature.
Btw, I agree some of your opinion. We should not eat meat everyday – like the richs eat at McDonalds, KFCs, Steakhouse/BBQ restaurants. They kill millions of those animals every day. Let’s eat once a year in Eid Adha and share some meat with the poor. We also can eat meat in Walimah and Aqiqah. So, we eat beef/goat once or twice a month, and fishes/seafood once a week. I love shrimps.. 😊
Allah knows THE BEST for all of us – humans, animal, plants, even non-living things.
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The animals you refer to are artificially bred by humans by the BILLIONS each year – just to be killed. If we stopped bringing them into existence, it would go a long way to restoring the balance you refer to.
In our time, we can celebrate, be healthy and take care of our planet without other beings needing to die so what is your moral reason for not going vegan? Just curious.
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Ok so have you ever thought that if the entire world become vegan like you, how are you going to fulfill each and everyones nutrition needs? I think you should do some more research on this vegan stuff. There are many researches that say that there are some nutrient requirements that we cannot get by just consuming plant-derived foods, They admit that living healthily on a vegan diet is possible on an individual level, but they believe it would be difficult to scale up. if you want to be vegan then go for it but don’t impose your impractical ideas on others. We already have ppl starving and malnutrition, such ideas will cause more problem for the world.
And btw, quite frankly I cringe when ppl show so much concern for animals because human slaughter them to fulfill their need but these ppl got zero emotions for poor 3rd world nations dying due to poverty, wars, crimes. Like wouldn’t it be better if you spread awareness, telling ppl to resist rich terrorist countries from invading other countries, killing thousands with drone attacks and destroying their economy, enslaving them with huge debts? Shouldn’t we spread awareness in ummah to wake up and stand up against this injustice happening to them and other poor (non-Muslim) nations? If you believe in hereafter then Allah will not punish you just because you didn’t speak up for cattle rights but He will punish you for not speaking up against oppression and injustice done to humanity
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1. If the entire world went vegan, it would be much better off. There have been numerous pieces written on this.
2. What nutritional requirements can’t you get from plants? Where do you think animals you eat get their nutrition from?
3. How am I “imposing” anything by writing an article when we are bombarded 24/7 by animal-killing “fast food” conglomerates whose only objective is profit?
4. We have starving people because developed nations feed most of their plant foods to factory-farmed animals instead of humans.
5. One can walk and chew gum at the same time.
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• https://www.veganindia.net/vegan-food-chain-argument/
• https://deeppeacetrust.com/the-myth-that-there-will-be-too-many-animals-on-earth-if-everyone-goes-vegan/#:~:text=Another%20big%20myth%20we%20need,concern%2C%20but%20it's%20not%20true
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As a Christian, I wholeheartedly support your research and I hope that others can see things from your perspective. I myself only consume white meat occasionally with the intent of becoming a vegetarian in the near future.
I cannot understand why the masses glorify the slaughter of such beautiful and majestic animals. As a child, I used to hide in my room for three days before I considered it safe to venture outdoors. The stench makes me want to throw up, and the waste management is not up to par in most places. There should be a better and gentler way to handle these animals we know are about to die but unfortunately, many of them are mistreated.
I have nothing against Islam because Muslims are some of the nicest people I met. I just don’t agree with most of the pre and post sacrifice procedures, and why the elite tend to show off their animals. It’s not a competition. I also see families giving the needy substandard cuts whereas they keep the better portions for themselves. This is not the Sunnah of sacrifice, the focus should be on sharing and caring.
Anyway, I’m glad I’m not the only one with the same views, and thank you for your take on the subject. God speed.
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You make an important observation Lau.
The fact they keep the good cuts for themselves and give the poor the lesser only shows they have not sacrificed anything at all and the animals have essentially died in vain.
May God guide you always.
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What a great article. That proves I am not alone who thinks like this. Why would God be happy by killing these innocent animals? We better kill the animal that is hiding inside us.
and brother don’t worry about these haters , they are blind followers.
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Thank you Hassan, your support is much appreciated.
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Munafiq !!!!!
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I’ve been called far worse! 🙂
But thank you for your insight and valuable feedback.
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Thank you for your take on this matter. As a faithful Muslim I too feel we should act according to the times and let go of the traditions that do more harm than good. I feel we have been missing the intention of Eid and it is rather just a tradition for most, than act of faith.
I see a lot of negative comments. I hope you pay no attention to them and carry on your good work.
Allah is all knowing and He has given us conscious to do the right thing.
I pray we Muslims can keep focusing on strengthening our faith by doing our part to treating others, all living things and the mother earth better.
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Much love to you Qazi.
Thank you.
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Asalaam Aleikum wa rehatmatulahi wa barakatu, Sammer I appreciate your wide research and glad you quoted excellent scholars of hadeeth such as Sheikh Albani. However, you and I aren’t scholars but are probably just all students of knowledge. In order to get a good explanation of this topic being acceptable and or even verified, it would be wise to ask a scholar to study your findings. Remember, we need reliable scholars to research this before they can agree or disagree. One thing for sure, if you have eemaan, then you would understand that Islam was sent for all mankind, meaning Allah was aware of the future, hence your case does not stand. It could only be acceptable as a way of following if it has been ratified. Otherwise you are blindly leading people away from Islam, which I am sure isn’t your intention. My final point, others who are reading, please refrain from insulting Sammer, as this is not the correct way of debating. Jazakh Allah Khair. Asalaam Aleikum wa rehatmatulahi wa barakatu
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Walaykum Assalam Warahmatulahi Wabarakatu,
1. Scholars are practically worshipped in the Muslim world and it’s unacceptable the way they are almost deified. I don’t need a scholar to tell me how I feel or how to think. So I will not forfeit my God-given rational mind, intellect and critical thinking to someone so they can mould my mind into the narrow confines of their own limited experiences.
2. Stating Islam is for all mankind for all time is true yes but oversimplistic. The core tenets of Islam are immutable; but the fiqh MUST change and it always has. You cannot apply rulings from 500 years ago to our time. That’s just commonsense.
Thank you for your input!
Walaykum Assalam
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Unfortunately you are trying to find “cracks” in our Quran. Your next venture or Project as you call it will be prove the faults in our our religion or beliefs. All you doing is promoting people who are not muslims to hate our religion. Maybe you should put all the effort you making in your project is to promote saving people from being killed, raped and so on. Your article creates division and not love for each other. Loving your neighbor whatever religion he or she is. How giving out sadqa / charity in Islam is so important.
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Thank you but none of what you have stated is relevant to the material presented.
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some good points, but some bad ones too. it also seems your unlearned when it comes to Islamic rulings and understanding of Hadith (ie you quote a Hadith from a less renowned book ‘authenticated’ by Albani but reject/don’t accept more clear accepted Hadith that don’t agree with you)
it seems like your experience as a child has instilled an unnecessary bias that causes you to make irrational arguments.
I was a child, and have been around children, when I witnessed a sacrifice. never had the same experience you did. it’s just the natural order of things. seeing blood and a decapitated head is not ‘disgusting’
the methods in the two pictures of the slaughtering of those camels does bother me, because it to me is not in line with the Islamic principles.
same with the treatment of the sheep, from Australia to ME.
but that’s from an Islamic basis. yours seems more from a basis of ‘I don’t like bad treatment of animals’
you also say ‘not killing is always better than killing’
where have you derived this from? that one Hadith (which I’m not sure is truly authentic)
Sacrificing an animal that Allah has blessed you with for sustenance in the name of Allah is an act of worship. and when you do it with this is mind, understanding the sacrifice of this animal, treating it with respect, as a creation of Allah, knowing Allah blessed you with it, how can you say ‘killing’ is a lesser act than keeping it alive? what’s necessary and unnecessary is highly subjective.
I like the point about the stress hormones and the effect is has on the Ummah. interesting.
I think your position is a noble one at the end of the day, and can definitely be refined by removing certain arguments, and refining your good ones. The only way you’ll appeal to the scholars and the majority of laymen, is if you stick to the most sound and most rational positions, and whatever is most in line with the Islamic tradition.
I think the best thing you could do, is get in contact with your local Imam, or a scholar, present your arguments, see what his response is, and refine even more in accordance with that. Also do better research in terms of your arguments in regards to the impact on environment cause the claims you make aren’t specific and when examined closely aren’t actually true in the way you mean.
I’ve always been conscious about meat and whether I’m contributing to something unIslamic, this has made me think more. What I’m going to do is try to present this question to a very learned scholar, and if he answers, you’ll also see the response cause it’ll be on a livestream, which I’ll be able to link.
I have a feeling the answer will give you hope.
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“some good points, but some bad ones too. it also seems your unlearned when it comes to Islamic rulings and understanding of Hadith (ie you quote a Hadith from a less renowned book ‘authenticated’ by Albani but reject/don’t accept more clear accepted Hadith that don’t agree with you)”
Interesting comment. You state I am unlearned “when it comes to Islamic rulings and understanding of hadith” but give zero references as to what you are alluding to. I referenced everything from “authenticated Islamic sources” in this article and throughout the website. Feel free to browse and verify.
“I was a child, and have been around children, when I witnessed a sacrifice. never had the same experience you did. it’s just the natural order of things. seeing blood and a decapitated head is not ‘disgusting’”
It is utterly disgusting, offensive and undeniably filthy. The fact decapitated heads, blood and death don’t unsettle you in any way; I think says more about your state of mind than anything else. “The natural order of things” is not to run streets red with blood by mass slaughtering animals. Other animals eat other animals out of necessity.
“you also say ‘not killing is always better than killing’
where have you derived this from? that one Hadith (which I’m not sure is truly authentic)
Sacrificing an animal that Allah has blessed you with for sustenance in the name of Allah is an act of worship. and when you do it with this is mind, understanding the sacrifice of this animal, treating it with respect, as a creation of Allah, knowing Allah blessed you with it, how can you say ‘killing’ is a lesser act than keeping it alive? what’s necessary and unnecessary is highly subjective.”
I have derived it from both commonsense and my inner conscience as well as the foundation principles of Islam that life is sacred and it is always better NOT to kill than to kill. Why do you CHOOSE to kill when we have so many options in our day and age not to?
“I think your position is a noble one at the end of the day, and can definitely be refined by removing certain arguments, and refining your good ones. The only way you’ll appeal to the scholars and the majority of laymen, is if you stick to the most sound and most rational positions, and whatever is most in line with the Islamic tradition.”
Thank you but I have zero interest in appealing to anyone who puts theory, dogma and rituals over using their God given intellect and recognizing it is not necessary to mass kill animals today.”Tradition” used to mean slavery was ok as well in Muslim majority countries. Are we to blindly uphold something that clearly in our day and age, has no place? No scholar can come up with a single convincing argument that is both necessary and beneficial to kill billions of God’s creatures at a time when doing so is ruining the rest of God’s creation.
“I’ve always been conscious about meat and whether I’m contributing to something unIslamic, this has made me think more. What I’m going to do is try to present this question to a very learned scholar, and if he answers, you’ll also see the response cause it’ll be on a livestream, which I’ll be able to link”
Why do you need a scholar to think for you? Why this incessant need to be validated by someone else when your heart and conscience says otherwise? Personally, I don’t need a scholar to tell me it’s better to leave animals alone and not forcibly kill them against their will when there is no need to. They do not speak for God, they merely offer their opinions.
Animals have never harmed me nor am I in a dire state of food so I live and let live and somehow; this isn’t understanding the faith of mercy and compassion correctly.
What a world we live in.
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Assalamu Alaikum Dear Summer,
Ma’sha-Allah!!! … Excellent research, article and reasoning.
It would be a great idea to make a YouTube video out of this article so more people can be educated and inspired by it.
Jazakallah Khairan and Thank You so much for this very important outreach.
May Allah increase your Blessings my Dear Brother in Islam and Humanity. 😀
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Walaykum Assalam Rouzbeh, thank you very much for your support.
Working on a few projects that will reach out to more people inshallah!
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Thank you for posting this! I do not believe ritual animal sacrifice has a place in Islam or in the world today. It’s barbaric.
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Glad you found the article helpful.
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The only barbaric is you vegan piece on shit
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She’s far more compassionate than you and, better mannered.
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I agree. This cruelty has to stop. I think we should live alongside animals not hurt, bully and eat them
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Now that’s wrong bro. Actually Allah made these animals so we could eat yummy food. And Allah made a nerve in the goat’s neck. When you cut the neck the goat will endure the pain only for one second and the goat will start thinking that it’s sleeping until it dies. And if you have money for qurbani and you’re still not slaughtering any animal line goat cow and others, you will get a huge about of bad deed. And the nerve thing I told you is scientifically proven
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Your ignorance and callousness shames Islam.
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No, these animals have been around for millions of years before humans ever appeared. So I guess they were just waiting around all this time so we could eat them eh? Sounds logical to me! It’s always better to NOT kill than to kill – especially if you have alternatives. As far as your claim that it is scientifically proven, you will need to furnish evidence of this as all the papers I have seen show the animal endures great pain (which tends to happen when you’re getting your head sawn off).
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Salaam Sammer,
I practice human medicine and am also a practicing muslim encountering the same difficulties as you when addressing muslim friends.
I find all that you say without exception is compatible with Koran ,that same Koran which constantly urges us to use our reason,to reflect and to act with kindness.
As to the presentation of your case to a wide and unknown audience I find it difficult to imagine anybody doing a better job than what you have done.
So,my congratulations and thanks to you. I make duah for you that you might have the Sabr which you will need to continue your valuable work.
If you have time you might be interested in and get some consolation from reading Death of the Wolf by french poet Alfred de Vigny which is one of my favourites.
The link is : ttps://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Sheaf_Gleaned_in_French_Fields/The_Death_of_the_Wolf_(Alfred_de_Vigny).
Bon courage and all my best wishes to you.
Khalill
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Walaykum Assalam Khalill, thank you for your support. I very much appreciate it and I will check out the book you referenced by de Vigny.
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I found your position in relation to the sacrifice of animals in the name of a belief magnificent when confronted with the magnitude of the difficulties that the planet faces and, consequently, the human being! Sacrifice presupposes in its essence a relationship between love and loss; the party symbolizes a death that did not happen.
This devotion could be symbolized in a way other than this bloody barbarism besides the fact that we are counting down to the future that awaits us in this land.
To claim that in addition to symbolism, the party contributes to alleviating the hunger of the less affluent is a fallacy.
It is more a question of economic status – there is a certain material vanity to the purchase of the animal – than a strictly religious celebration in essence.
There is really a huge frenzy with the date, it has more to do with commerce and meetings to celebrate.
It is frightening to imagine that today, with the chaotic situation we face, our supposed evolution to rationalize our actions, there are still whole people and communities, who are indifferent and are proud of this cruel bloodshed of sentient beings.
Congratulations again for the article and for the great example!
We need more and more conscious and compassionate people!
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Good observations indeed Luiza!
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HAIL TO MCDONALDS, KFC AND ALL THOSE MEAT CAFES TO WHICH WE DONT TALK ABOUT AND WHENEVER EID COMES, OUR HUMANITY AWAKE. SERIOUSLY!!!
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You are aware you are on a site that opposes all forms of animal cruelty, yeah?
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Brother,
You have Courage, because in this world, many men has stolen the Words of Allah and his Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to justify fear and non human behaviors. These one will track you down because they are hypocryts .
Islam is the religion of Freedom, Love and Mercy. Islam broke bounds and chains to bring us Allah as the only Master. The Man who full of hybris think he can enslaved and torture animals to Please the Mercyfull…. May Allah have mercy upon him.
Coran is the book for those who think and even if something is said somewhere, always read it twice and in the globality of the book. The day of the judgement, even with the most sheep attitude following all the rules… There will be question about the global conséquences of your acts as Earth destruction or animal slaugthery…
Those who have been touch by His Light and Mercy must speak louder but only with Love as you do !
Sorry for my poor english this not my main langage
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or Sister*
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Thank you for your heartfelt advice and input. I understood what you were saying, you have a tender heart of gold! May God make more people in our community like you.
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First of ALL what the hell is VEGGIE MUSLIM ?Second are you saying that almost 2 billion muslims must stop sacrificing animals and start cutting vegetables? 3rd of All what the hell are you talking about my friend you need to socialize with your neighbors and family
and friends or else you ll become a creature that has input My Friend Allah Created us the best of best and he provided all the material for us to use so dont say that in simple words You r denying the religion of ALLAH AND SAYING WHAT OUR BELOVED PROPHET DID WAS WRONG ? SO DONT CALL YOUR SELF MUSLIM PLEASE AND STOP INSULTING OUR BEAUTIFUL RELEGION
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Thanks for your input.
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I receive dozens of comments, emails, etc. daily and do not have the time to repeat myself given the fact most of the commenters opposing my views have either not read the article in it’s entirety or not fully understood it.
If you are going to comment, please keep them brief and to the point of the actual material.
Long winded essays, personal attacks and those not addressing the content will be removed.
Thank you! 🙂
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Hey ..i read your artical ..this i mean i know about slaughtring befor how dose they treat thes beutiful cretures ..?sadly i feel so sad about this ….who dose this shits* to the animals ……i am veg ..i love animals they feel pain they are not fool….i could do nothing i am not able to do somthing for them …i wish these slauthring factries should be byycot..i am not able to write what i actully feel about them but still i tryed …
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Thank you for your positive attitude and efforts. Just do your best, that’s all you can do!
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Salam,
This piece has so many contradictions, it it so hard to reply on. First you acknowledge that islam permits eating of certain animals and that you are not here to make the permissible impremissible and vica versa, but then later on in your piece you have so much trouble with these values and try to make the impermissible permissible.
—SNIP!
This was a long winded, irrelevant slab of text that did not address a single point in the article.
Please express your ideas briefly and keep them relevant to the post.
Thank you.
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“Not so strict when it comes to sexually harassing 99.3% of women on the streets of Egypt or Pakistan or India or any other Muslim majority country where women are easy targets.”(BTW,India is not a Muslim majority country. Nothing new. You don’t know your facts)
By this it seems. You are strongly against those men who sexually abuse women.
“The issue is far beyond the opinion of one person or the other. It is far greater and more serious than fixating on the rules of killing animals (Dr. Tariq Ramadan covered this in more detail here.)”
Now, you are promoting Tariq Ramadan, a reformist and secular Muslim. There are three RAPE complaints against him and he has accepted having five EXTRAMARITAL affairs.
Source:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariq_Ramadan
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Irrelevant.
Look at what’s being said, not who’s saying it.
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nice discussion
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I read some of the comments here saying it’s not possible to kill an animal in a humane manner. The guy in the you tube video link below shows it can be done. Unfortunately, modern society and modern farming don’t follow what he does in the video. I’ve seen cows and sheep killed in such a brutal manner. I’ve seen a sacrifice where the knife wasn’t sharp enough, where it took four people or more to restrain a terrified bull and pull him to the ground. It resembled a wrestling match. I didn’t see any comparison for the animal at that time. As also stated in the article above, I’ve seen sheep in transport lorrys, packed in like sardines, their heads poking out through slats barely able to breathe.
It’s like we’ve all forgotten, or rather swept under the carpet the very real suffering that an animal endures before and during the sacrifice.
For me, I live in a city, if I want to make a kubani, I would have to pay someone to do it for me. How do I know how well my bought and paid for sheep has been treated before it is sacrificed? Is it done like a conveyor belt system, hundreds of sheep sacrificed one after another, with a quick mention of my name as my sheep is sacrificed? It doesn’t feel right to me. Of course, at the end, the meat is distributed to the needy and they benefit from this. The question still remains however, do the ends justify the means? For me, the means of how an animal is killed is just as important as the end result.
The guy in the link below managed to calm the animals pretty quick with a Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. He said it from his heart and the animal submitted.
https://youtu.be/MYcnrALgqLs
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This video is not representative of what 99.99% of animals go through and not every animal on this guy’s farm is killed in this manner. Also realize many of these animals have been through this exercise with him before so they know nothoig will happen so they remain calm.
It’s never better to kill than to not.
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“When it’s time, it takes between 6-8 men to try and physically restrain the animal as it violently kicks (I personally love it when it lands one), desperately trying to save it’s life.”
When the prophet (pbuh) would be slaughtering an animal, the animal would also have kicked violently. So, would you have also liked it landing on the prophet (pbuh) or his companions.
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There’s zero evidence to support your claim.
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“Anas reported that Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) sacrificed with his own hands two horned rams which were white with black markings reciting the name of Allah and glorifying Him (saying Allah-o-Akbar). He placed his foot on their sides (while sacrificing).”
(Sahih Muslim: Book 22 ,Number 4841)
“A’isha reported that Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) commanded that a ram with black legs, black belly and black (circles) round the eyes should be brought to him, so that he should sacrifice it. He said to ‘A’isha: Give me the large knife, and then said: Sharpen it on a stone. She did that. He then took it (the knife) and then the ram; he placed it on the ground and then sacrificed it, saying: Bismillah, Allah-humma Taqabbal min Muhammadin wa Al-i-Muhammadin, wa min Ummati Muhammadin (In the name of Allah, “O Allah, accept [this sacrifice] on behalf of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and the Umma of Muhammad”).”
(Sahih Muslim: Book 22, 4845)
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This does not prove the animals were kicking and under stress. Secondly, Sahih Bukhari is riddled with weak and fabricated hadith. Not all but many. Thirdly, even if we are to accept this hadith the Prophet himself said “Accept this sacrifice on behalf OF MY UMMAH”. This clearly means the rest of the ummah does not need to kill an animal whereby tens of millions are massacred in an annual bloodbath and we claim it is because God wants this. Just sick. My point stands.
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1) Even if sahih bukhari and sahih muslim have weak narrations. I assume you are not a shaykh-ul-hadees to decide which one is correct and which one is not.
2) Wow! Shaykh Sameer has unveiled a truth which nor the companions of the prophet(pbuh) nor the salaf could understand. When the prophet said to Allah accept my sacrifice on the behalf of my ummah from then on Sacrifice by us is not needed
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The guidelines for accepting hadeeth as outlined by numerous hadith scholars:
-It must not go against reason
-It must not go against the Qu’ran
-It must not go against clearly established principles
Not all hadith are commands. Some are merely narrations, some relate history, incidents and many other reasons. Hadith like the Qu’ran, must be examined within it’s context and one should understand when the statement was said, to whom and under what circumstances.
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You asked a scholar whether it is allowed to “sacrifice” plants on Eid. That means you were not capable of coming to a conclusion yourself even if you new all the guidelines. So, you should also ask a scholar whether “sacrificing” plants in the current situation is better than sacrificing animals.
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This makes no sense whatsoever.
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Somebody has an animal which he reared himself. On eid he sacrificed him in the best possible way. Didn’t show it other animals getting slaughtered. Feed him nicely and cleaned him properly before sacrifice. At the time of sacrifice, he made sure that the animal gets comfortable first without causing any stress to it. Then sacrificed him as fast as possible. Do you think this is inhumane and cruel?
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It’s certainly more cruel than sparing the animal’s life. I mean, wouldn’t you agree it’s better to NOT kill than to kill?
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“Animal agriculture is responsible for 51% of all greenhouse gas emissions – more than the global transportation industry combined.”
This is a lie. Here are the sources I used:
http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/197623/icode/
https://metafact.io/factchecks/70-does-cattle-livestock-contribute-51-of-human-derived-greenhouse-gas-emissions
https://skepticalscience.com/animal-agriculture-meat-global-warming.htm
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It’s not a lie – the sources for these claims are in the very video. Watch it. Thank you.
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You are saying animal agriculture is causing pollution. So what is the solution to the problem. Just let them grow and increase in numbers? Also, animal agriculture includes dairy farming, egg farming, etc. Does that mean we have to give up all those products which contain dairy items and eggs.
You mentioned: “We’re told Islam requires us to slaughter humanely. What exactly, is “humane” slaughter?
The word humane is defined as: having or showing compassion or benevolence.
How does one “compassionately” or “benevolently” cut someone’s throat? Doesn’t the act of killing by definition negate any benevolence?”
I want to ask you didn’t the prophet (pbuh) slaughter animals by cutting their throats. But, It seems for you humans have more wisdom in deciding what is the right way of slaughtering than their Creator. You are suffering from doubts and you shouldn’t spread them.
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If you go through the website in more detail, you will see I cover the dairy and egg industries and expose the horrific practices they unleash on God’s creation just for profit. Raping cows, mass gassing/grinding male chicks alive, etc. I won’t be a part of it.
Please do not compare how the Prophet (pbuh) did something out of necessity to how we do it today. It is completely misplaced. Secondly it wasn’t only the Prophet (pbuh) who very rarely ate meat, his worst enemies did as well. So it is not something in of itself holy.
The solution proposed is to move towards a plant based diet thereby slashing demand for animal based products. That would result in less being bred, less suffering and less exploitation. That way, everyone wins – humans, the animals and our world.
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These bad things which are happening with the animals are due to the industrial revolution. The solution to the problem is not to stop consuming meat,eggs,milk and the things which contain these, but to adopt more animal friendly practices. It doesn’t mean that pollution is too much, so we should stop using vehicles and all those things which cause it, but we should make our vehicles more efficient. Similarly, more animal friendly practices need to be adopted in animal agriculture. This is the pragmatic solution to this problem.
According to you prophet sacrificed animals out of necessity otherwise he would have not done it. Prophet never said this nor did he tell us it’s better not to sacrifice an animal. You are imposing this on our prophet. What are your religious qualifications which give you more right to decide what the prophet taught than our normal scholars. BTW, do you agree that cutting a throat of an animal for sacrifice is not cruel, because the prophet also did the same.
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These points have been addressed in detail in the article.
Please familiarize yourself with them so I don’t have to repeat them here. Thank you.
Trying to “halalify” an evil industry is only going to migrate, not solve the problem.
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Bro, you are misguided. Period. This is your religion not Islam. Indeed you can onky to misguidance
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Thank you Roger but that doesn’t actually address the points at hand.
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So according to you we should not kill animals and just let them grow even if they become old. In India they do exactly the same with cows because they consider them holy. When a poor man’s cow stops giving milk, he is forced to eject the cow from his home as he is unable to feed her. Luckily, some religious Hindus have set up cow shelters so some cows go there. But, not all get accommodated there.
So they become stray cows. These cows sleep in the open, eat from dustbins and have to fight with dogs at night. I really feel bad when I see them wounded,covered with dirt and hungry for food. Nobody cares for these cows they have no value for anybody. They have to suffer this toture untill they die. When they die and their bodies started stinking, vehicles of the municipal corporation come and through them in some wasteland.
This happens in all of India because of the law banning cow slaughter. However, in Kashmir the situation is different. When poor man’s cow gets old here, she doesn’t lose any of her worth. The man cares for her, feeds her and values her. The man doesn’t think the animal is burden on him, but a blessing from Allah. Then, the man slaughters her one day. The pain might be huge, but it is short. In the other case, the animal is slowly tortured to death humiliatingly. That is the wisdom of Allah,the most wise.
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This makes very little sense Tahseen. There are billions of animals artificially bred because of our greed, not because this is the natural order of God. Allah (swt) did not create the planet where 96% of life is humans and livestock, the remaining 4% are wild animals. We have messed up the balance so badly and now we seek to justify more of our atrocities on our planet.
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I dont agree with the slaughter of an innocent animal on Eid either. You can give it any justification you like or sugar coat how you want it but at the end of the day its murder of an animal that has every right to enjoy a fulfilling life as we do. As a Muslim who prays 5 times a day, helps the poor and needy this act has never sat well with me. Its a relief to know lm not on my own in thinking this way. I’m sorry but there is no humane way to murder an animal. They know and feel fear.
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God bless your pure soul Sam.
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Eating vegetables is also a crime. I hope you may know vegetables have life.then u dont have no rights to eat. If you look at the teeth of domestic animal then you will see that they have plain teeths and they can digest only green vegetables leaf etc.and beast have sharpen teeth they can only digest protiens.and human have both teeths and our digestive system is for both protien and vegetables.so why did allah gave us a body like this.so allah knows the best.at the end of the day the things you said was your own oppinion.Hope you will understand.?
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You are trying to compare cutting open someone’s throat with eating an apple. Your argument is absurd.
With regards to teeth, gorillas, hippos and camels all have huge canines and they are plant eaters. Teeth are not symbolic of diet – jaw structure and movement is.
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So, It doesn’t matter to you whether plants have life or not. Just they shouldn’t feel pain. So, I can eat an animal if I do proper anesthesia on it first.
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Not this again.
You’re seriously trying to equate eating a carrot to sticking a knife into a goat’s throat, slashing it open and watch it die in pain?
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First you are saying that we shouldn’t kill animals because they feel pain. Now your problem is that the sight of an animal being slaughtered is too terrible even if it doesn’t feel any pain. We need to apply logic here not our emotions. The difference between cutting an carrot and an animal( on which proper anesthesia is done) is only the difference of sight. But, if your like every other illogical vegan who say “Stop using animals no matter what,” than bye.
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The article addresses this in detail. Thank you. It’s also absurd to compare eating a carrot with slashing an animals throat!
What you are saying is – if a puppy runs out on the road it is better to hit and kill it than to swerve onto the grass and avoid it because “plants feel pain and are alive”.
I don’t think you actually comprehend how ridiculous your argument is.
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It is not only about the pain at the moment of slaughtering but the horrible suffering through the whole process of animal farming.
• “The plant isn’t actively aware that it is alive. Animals however, can feel pain and are aware that they are alive. They eat, sleep, and show care for their families just as we do. Even if you kill the animal so quickly it doesn’t necessarily feel any pain, you are taking the life of a conscious being that otherwise did not want to die.”
https://www.quora.com/From-a-vegan-perspective-is-there-a-difference-between-killing-a-plant-or-killing-an-animal-in-a-painless-way/answer/Zach-Rowell-1?ch=3&oid=63712025&share=11ce9867&srid=3bvJp&target_type=answer
• “when meat eaters attempt to give a completely hypothetical situation, wherein they ask whether or not humane slaughter (e.g. anaesthetised before being slaughtered) make vegans be okay with the factory farm industry, they are missing a great portion of why vegans tend to be vegan in the first place.
It’s because by and large, the animals are treated horribly, the public is complacent in this and it has extremely negative environmental impacts.
The slaughter portion isn’t even terribly relevant, in comparison to an animal spending its lifetime confined indoors, without fresh air or sunlight with little to no requirements for their welfare.
We do not castrate plants. We do not confine them indoors with no fresh air or sunlight, because they would not survive otherwise. We don’t allow sick plants to suffer and then kill them for food. We do not pump them full of hormones so strong that their breast grows too large for their body and their legs collapse underneath them. And we don’t separate them by sex and kill a couple million males every year as waste.”
https://www.quora.com/From-a-vegan-perspective-is-there-a-difference-between-killing-a-plant-or-killing-an-animal-in-a-painless-way/answer/Lauren-Campbell-21?ch=3&oid=63715365&share=2dbf7ff7&srid=3bvJp&target_type=answer
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• “The plant isn’t actively aware that it is alive. Animals however, can feel pain and are aware that they are alive. They eat, sleep, and show care for their families just as we do. Even if you kill the animal so quickly it doesn’t necessarily feel any pain, you are taking the life of a conscious being that otherwise did not want to die.”
https://www.quora.com/From-a-vegan-perspective-is-there-a-difference-between-killing-a-plant-or-killing-an-animal-in-a-painless-way/answer/Zach-Rowell-1?ch=3&oid=63712025&share=11ce9867&srid=3bvJp&target_type=answer
• “when meat eaters attempt to give a completely hypothetical situation, wherein they ask whether or not humane slaughter (e.g. anaesthetised before being slaughtered) make vegans be okay with the factory farm industry, they are missing a great portion of why vegans tend to be vegan in the first place.
It’s because by and large, the animals are treated horribly, the public is complacent in this and it has extremely negative environmental impacts.
The slaughter portion isn’t even terribly relevant, in comparison to an animal spending its lifetime confined indoors, without fresh air or sunlight with little to no requirements for their welfare.
We do not castrate plants. We do not confine them indoors with no fresh air or sunlight, because they would not survive otherwise. We don’t allow sick plants to suffer and then kill them for food. We do not pump them full of hormones so strong that their breast grows too large for their body and their legs collapse underneath them. And we don’t separate them by sex and kill a couple million males every year as waste.”
https://www.quora.com/From-a-vegan-perspective-is-there-a-difference-between-killing-a-plant-or-killing-an-animal-in-a-painless-way/answer/Lauren-Campbell-21?ch=3&oid=63715365&share=2dbf7ff7&srid=3bvJp&target_type=answer
And Yes, Plant lives do matter. Embracing vegan lifestyle we would cause least harm to the nature. By eating animals we are taking more plant lives and also causing the suffering of animals.
“It is estimated that “for every 1 kg of high-quality animal protein produced, livestock are fed about 6 kg of plant protein,” according to the study “Sustainability of meat-based and plant-based diets and the environment.”
If this is the case then many more plants are killed to feed an animal up to slaughter weight, and then kill and eat the animal, than to just kill and eat the plants ourselves. When it comes to soybeans – a staple ingredient used to make tofu, tempeh, and more modern plant-based meat – 98 percent of the crop grown in the US is actually used to feed livestock.”
https://www.livekindly.com/do-plants-really-feel-pain-what-does-science-say/#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated,to%20feed%20livestock.
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As for your information, plants don’t have Central Nervous System (CNS) so they don’t feel any pain.
Plants also have a lot of protein not just animal foods. So pls have some basic knowledge before commenting anything.
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The prophet(pbuh) also slaughtered animals himself or in your words, murdered them. So is he also inhumane and cruel according to you.
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So did his worst enemies. Read the article Why Did God Allow KiIlling Animals. Thank you.
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The innocent living animal would not have existed in the first place if humans hadn’t provided it with food, shelter and care. Humans don’t provide care for free,if they could,they would have given it to their fellow humans. So, they should be able to get some benifit from their animals. They should be able to get milk, eggs and eat from them. While doing should be gentle with their animals, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get meat from them. This is the reality of the world. This is the fitrah of a man. We can’t give it up for the feelings of a minute vegan community.
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Fitrah of a man? You sure about that?
Okay, try this experiment so we can decide the true fitrah of man.
Put a bunny rabbit and an apple inside a crib with a baby.
Let me know when the baby plays with the apple and tries to eat the bunny.
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Everything that is in a fitrah of man, he would not start doing it from the moment he is born without the ability and knowledge to do so. It is in fitrah of a person to mate with a person of the opposite gender. That doesn’t mean when he is born you will keep him in a cage with a person of the opposite gender and expect him to mate with that person. Ridiculous logic!
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Because you do not understand.
Using your example – when someone matures, they get the natural surge of hormones to make them want to be with another person. However, KILLING IS NOT a natural action of man, it is taught.
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AoA someone
Not to slaughter animals is a thinking of capable ones who dont want to spend thier money on one of the important element of islam…Dear you take parts of quotes and joined them to make you point valid but it isnt valid..
And son dont worry about the End of this world. One day this World gona End.
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This is a great article. I think its because my parents due to culture reasons ends up buying meat in other countries to give to poor people. Is there a way that you can do this with plant-based sources?
I wish there was a zakat page that gives charity with plants instead of killing animals?
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Muslims today need to wake up, our mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters are being slaughtered by the hands of the non believers but we have time to write essay long articles on slaughtering animals, the very same ideology which this disbelievers have.
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This is irrelevant, whataboutism and contributes nothing to the discussion at hand. One is capable of supporting multiple causes. Thank you.
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One definitely is capable of supporting multiple causes UNLESS one is a militant vegan.
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Agreed.
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Allah in his glories quran says:”And the camels and cattle We have appointed for you as among the symbols of Allah ; for you therein is good. So mention the name of Allah upon them when lined up [for sacrifice]; and when they are [lifeless] on their sides, then eat from them and feed the needy and the beggar. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may be grateful.”22:36
This is all we need, any vegan or vegetarian that states that Allah would be more pleased if they dont eat meat is lying and going against islam. Any vegan who thinks they are more pure or obtain more deeds for not eating meat are lying. The best of men were the prophets and all of them ate meat.
Any vegan that thinks their hajj is accepted without sacrifice of an animal on mina is mistaken. there is no way around this.
it is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.(33:36)
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Read the article asad.
I’ve addressed this.
Thanks.
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You are a lier sammer. period. You are going against what ALLAH has made halal and thereby going against islam with your stupid vegan logic. end of the discussion . May ALLAH guide you to the straight path is what i can make dua for you
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Personal attacks do not detract from the contents of the article. Feel free to address the actual contents of the article. Thank you.
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Assalamwalaikum..i really support your idea to some extent if one has given choice to sacrifice in a way which more meaningful to oneself. Like feeding poor people with or doing charity.
On the same hand i would be happy to have your opinion on the alternative of sacrificing animals
Would you encourage if one buy an animal from his money and keep it and feed just like a normal pet.or freed and leave in a forest. Do you think this could be a better alternative to that so called barbarism.
And when we say the killing of ‘animal’ is a barbaric act in the name of religion because we can see those as living creature. Don’t you think plants also feel as we human do. Does killing of those creatures is appropriate for us.
Please ignore my english but i believe i able to put my opinion
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Plants have no central nervous system as vertebrates do so their pain receptors are not the same. Secondly, when you pick a fruit from a tree or tomato from a plant, it doesn’t die. It regenerates and continues giving life-giving food. An animal dies once its throat is sliced open.
The alternative would be to sacrifice from what you really find valuable. The poor today would value many things above meat since it’s no longer considered a luxury item. For example, if you offered the poor money, employment, medicine, etc. it would benefit them far more than just giving them a bag of chopped up flesh.
Or you can donate plant based meals instead – there’s nothing that says you must kill and give meat.
That’s just my view 🙂
Thank you.
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I think we should switch to a symbolic sacrifice instead of killing animals. The poor can still be fed with rice etc…
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Agreed.
So many options today in helping the poor; way too many!
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Thanks for writing this. This has made me feel like I’m not alone in this.
I was the same like you having to witness the ritual slaughtering at young age and the visions still haunt me till this day.
And everytime the eid adha comes i will be overwhelming with sadness for so many animals that have to face cruelty and torturing. Instead of celebrating I mourn for them ?
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You’re welcome and thank you for choosing the compassionate and merciful road to heal our world. Eid Mubarak to you and your family.
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I did not find a single place where he used the word Allah instead he is referring to God all the time.
This guy has hidden agenda. He is one evil genius who is being paid to do propaganda against islamic values.
Cruelty against any kind of animal is haram in Islam and our beloved Prophet peace be upon him has many incidents throughout his life when he showed his compassion for all kind of living things but sacrifice on Eid is a total different matter and Muslims sacrifice animals if they have enough wealth just to commemorate the the passion and sacrifice of Ibrahim alaihissalam
I am amazed that still people are commenting on this post when it is clear that this man has only one motives that is to prove wrong what is being done throughout centuries.. According to his theory all the Muslims WHO were sacrificing animals in the love of Allah are wrong.
I pray for this man who is entangled in the shackles of devil .. May he come back to real islam..
I dont expect a reply and i will not bother to argue with you..
Thanks
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Well maybe you should read more carefully Talha; particularly the the final paragraph in ” marks. Allah is God’s name in Arabic. If this is all you could manage to glean from the article, then perhaps it would be advisable to re-read it with an open mind.
I won’t respond to your other false accusations.
Peace.
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Did you view the images? Do you think the animals are suffering? Is that OK by you? To me, religio plays no part, torture of another sentient being is inexcusable in 2019 when kinder, healthier plant-based alternatives are available. Why do you call kindness and compassion for the vulnerable and helpless, evil?
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Exactly said talha. This man is shackled in disguise and his articles with stupid logic dosen’t make any sense. He is playing a deception with a face of peaceful man but intentions are evil. There is a day of judgement when all the liers will be brought to account. May ALLAH guide him
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Feel free to address the contents of the article any time you wish. Have a nice day.
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Salamu a aleikom dear brother. I loved your article. I am a practicing veg muslim, . The neg. Comments here are very disturbing. It seems like too many Muslims a re against any use of reason and logic and compassion also. It seems like they never bothered reading all the good points you made . The basic point is this: why should I cut the throat of an innocent animal which never did anything bad to me, or to any one else just for my selfish pleasure ? When people can live perfectly well without eating meat. You can sacrifice by giving the money which you love to the poor. There a re many sunnas which people Dont practice today, like living on dates and water , like reading sura baqara in tahajud salat, riding a camel, wearing a turban, walking barefoot and having many wives, why is udhia the only sunna muslims are so fanatical a bout, when there are many other sunnaa not being practiced. Look at the spirit of the law, not only the letter.
I commend you for your patient response to all these ignorant fanatics who pretend like they are such great muslims, while their manners a nd conduct a re the opposite of islam
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Thank you Samer for your support and choice to be compassionate to all God’s creatures.
Change usually is slow but already, we are seeing many great initiatives occur in the Muslim world and they sill only increase with time.
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I wholeheartedly agree with Sammer, the writer of this article. Thank you Sammer for taking the time to research and prepare this. Ask just one simple question to yourself. Does a human need to eat meat to survive ? Islam is in need of huge reform today. Basically generation after generation of Muslims have been on an ‘autopilot’ without really thinking things through, like what Sammer has done here. But, also, at the same time, there is alot of disinformation about what correct halal food slaughter procedure is. I can hardly find any proper source of information through google, and there appears to be a strong disinformation campaign in progress to confuse people about what halal food slaughter practice is. Basically and put quite simply, the animal would need to be aware of what would be happening, and would need to volunteer, with no resistance. Then, and only then, would I personally consider the food to be ‘halal’. If the animal is nervous, not calm, or resists, then the animal must be returned to pasture. This would greatly reduce the number of animals that could really be considered halal sources of food. Humans just have to deal with it. I am not mentioning of course special circumstances, for example, where if one is needing food and there are no other sources of food, then one would be compelled to hunt animals, against their will, in order to survive. But this would be an extremely rare situation on this planet. Also for your information, all of the popular translations of the Koran in circulation have been grossly mistranslated in English, leading to this misunderstanding that animals have to be slaughtered on Eid for example. This is not a requirement, and again the Koran has been grossly mistranslated in this respect. I am personally against any use of animals for human food sources. I would also encourage people here to consider a very good faux meat source called Beyond Meat – beyondmeat.com. We all need to stop being mindless drones and start thinking things through. Incidentally and as an aside, here are some sources of information concerning cruelty to animals incidents:
http://www.theprogress.com/news/one-year-later-still-no-charges-in-chilliwack-chicken-abuse-case/
http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/undercover-investigation-by-mercy-for-animals-reveals-horrific-cruelty-at-ontario-turkey-factory-farm-513922641.html
Veganism and Islam would be totally compatible. I would also say that above incidents could never happen at a properly implemented halal animal agriculture facility. Not to speak of the horrible things being reported in the above links, ‘tossing’ a chicken into a cage, or battery caging chickens, would never be permitted in Islam. Only kindness and full respect to any animal.
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Great comment Ali – thank you!
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Its just .. I can’t believe .. I find supporters .. I thought people would be negative .. I tried all my life for people to change their mind I ask question which no one can answer saying its aqida .. I love all of u guys .. U actually support it .. Plz plzzz just consider that by not sacrifising the poor animal and sacrifizing the money worth a camel instead to a poor person will change the Muslim world ..Allah sab pe raham frmae .. I am just so glad .. Hats off
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Thank you Barkha.
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Assalaamualaikum Sammer,
brother, may I ask how many times you pray in a day?
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5.
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First of all, I am amazed that a Muslim is making this point of compassion on a large scale to create awareness. Its really difficult to find. And I m feeling worth living on earth with people who can feel the pain of others.
To further support you, i want to tell you that in every religion sacrifice of animals is permissible with a lot of restrictions. And the purpose of restrictions is to uplift the person to the highest level of compassion slowly. As a doctor who asks a serial smoker to reduce his cigarettes from 60/day to 59/day doesn’t means that he is recommending smoking. The point is that he wants to stop his smoking slowly. Similarly all religions want peace and no killing of animals.
Again I am thankful for your efforts.
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Bless you Roshan and I appreciate your words of support.
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God bless you…….Eid Mubarak
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And you too Sandy.
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God Yahwe (al-laah in arabic) asked Abram (abraham/ibrahim) to sacrifice his son.
Accordingly, Abram sacrificed his son. As per Jew, the son was Issac. As per Muslim, the son was Ishmael.
Jew never sacrifice animal, but Muslim sacrifice animal.
I think sacrificing animal to please god or feeding poor is superstitious.
I support your effort in eradication of superstition.
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Just wrote an article about the sacrifice. Abraham didn’t sacrifice either of his sons but thank you for your support and compassion.
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Nic article summar
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Thank you.
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Eid Mubarak to you dear brother! I support your cause totally. Keep up the great work of enlightening our fellow brother and sister. May Allah bless you and your family abundantly!
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Thank you so much Sameer – May Allah bless you and your family as well. Eid Mubarak 🙂
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Thanks Sammer ! for such a boldly move to speak up on this sensitive topic, being myself a Zoologist,
I appreciete natures every creatures on this Planet created by Allah. You have meticulously described the views with appropriate references and logic.
I wish more community experts should debate with healthy discussion on this topic of voilating animal rights, killing animals for sacrifice and food, when an alternate is available which is also created by God through us in the form of healthy nutricious diet of modern day compare to recomendation by him for eating meat for survival in 7th Arab century. I encourage you and aim to be Vegan…
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Thanks Syed for your terrific feedback and kind words, I really do greatly appreciate and welcome it.
Very happy to hear you are a Zoologist – we need more of you in our communities!
Eid Mubarak.
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Your mind is corrupted by your thoughts you are trying to make your minds thoughts into shariah which is not possible. Qurbani is big sacrifice. I think you are protagonist.
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Thank you Muzafar for your comment. Please feel free to attack the arguments presented and not me personally as I do not know you and have done nothing but express my opinion. Eid MUbarak! 🙂
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I am a vegan Muslim and this article helped me. Eid is coming and I have nothing but faith in Allah, but every year around this time I get so sad. It’s good to know that there are other muslims out there with the same feelings.
Thank you brother!
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You’re very welcome – glad you found it helpful. Eid Mubarak and stay blessed.
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There is a lot of great points you are making with respect to the fact that animal cruelty and slaughtering mechanisms fall away from the sunnah and right method of sacrifice. And I completely agree with this fact that if you eat meat slaughtered in such a fashion, there is no need to sacrifice the animal at all. Therefore, how your article is presented with the improper methods of sacrifice, and the animal abuse is very accurate and that practice needs to stop.
The other issue you bring up is the fact that its not prescribed in Islam. There is a verse: “So pray to your Lord and make your sacrifice to Him alone” [108.2] that could counter indicate that. The scholars of the past and present and the various schools of thought, folks who are much qualified than you and me, have interpreted this and came to a conclusion that this means it is Wajib. Therefore, we should leave the “analyzing of quranic text” to the experts and not how we interpret it on an individual basis.
So with that in mind, there is a command from Allah SWT where he has ordained us to sacrifice and we should follow that command in the correct way as understood from the sunnah. However, as you said and which I agree with, the way we do it today is pathetic and completely unjustifiable.
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Thank you very much for your comment.
This is the sort of discourse that enables MORE animal cruelty.
I am free to analyse the Qu’ran as I like and with all due respect, I do not need your permission to do so.
Have a look around son – the earth is being destroyed because of mass animal slaughter. Re-read the article and please note how the very act of raising and killing billions of animals is degrading our planet.
Secondly if it was “wajib” – why didn’t God say so? Where is this explicit, direct command that is “nass” in nature where no disagreement of it’s meaning occurs? And why did the Prophet (p) and his closest companions not do so every year? Why did Umar actually say “For I fear people will think it is mandatory”.
It is unethical, cruel and highly irresponsible to continue consuming animals today.
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Great insights Sammer. More power to you. Thanks a ton for being an exception in your religion and being compassionate because that should be the only way of life.
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Thank you Shreyansh.
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I honestly agree with all your points. The way we are consuming meat today is indeed unethical and that was definitely not how it was prescribed. We definitely have the responsibility to keep this planet and all it’s inhabitants in good standing. Muslims definitely negret those core principles.
You can definitely analyze but what I’m saying is that your analysis could be incomplete. Unless you are a scholar of Hadith, a scholar of the Arabic language, studied extensively for years, it’s unfair to take verses from the texts and put them in a context that supports an argument. I could take those same verses and put them in another context to support another argument.
My thoughts are that yes, everything is true and that we are slaughtering. However I do believe that the general consensus behind most scholars in Islam are that it’s wajib. So perhaps it’s the fact of how this whole process is done which is leading to the destruction of the earth. I’d say if we were to go back to how this practice should be performed at it’s core, all these calamities would not present themselves.
What you argue is definitely a solution to this devastating problem.
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Everything about animal cruelty in terms of the WAY we do this sacrifice is true and is wrong.
However, you have missed the point. The purpose of sacrifice is neither to eat meat, and nor is it to feed the poor.
It is to sacrifice a living thing which you love, for the love of Allah. Allah doesn’t need you to feed the poor. Nor does he need a grain of food that you grow to feed his creation.
We eat meat throughout the year. No need to specially cut up animals on this day just to eat meat.
The purpose is to SACRIFICE.
That’s it.
If you don’t want to do this sacrifice, don’t. But to go through all this effort just to support your vegan campaign is plain silly.
This is how it was meant to be, this is how it will always be no matter how many articles you write, how many websites you start.
You are NOTHING in front of Allah.
Accept it. Move on.
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Thanks Raafay for your insight however, you didn’t really address anything in the article. If you would like to delve further int the topic of sacrifice, please feel free to read our latest one regarding the myth of Abraham being told to sacrifice his son.
Also, I was not aware Allah appointed you as his attorney to tell people “you are nothing in front of Allah”.
If this is the type of Islam you wish to call to, then I will politely decline and wish you the very best in your life.
Have a wonderful day.
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I am sorry my friend but the story of Abraham and the sacrifice is not a myth as you have quoted..Surah as-saffat in the Qur’an 101 and 102 clearly tell the story. To call this truth and fact from quran myth is blasphemy! Everyone needs to do more research before posting assumtions and presumptions
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There is an article about this very topic. Feel free to read and consider the points put forward.
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Sacrifice something you love? Tell me something. You really believe that the animal you purchased and fed and walked around for no longer than a week or two is “something you love”? You’d be more upset if you had to destroy your phone or your car every Eid.
It’s all so hypocritical it hurts my brain.
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Well said.
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There is nothing dearer to Allah during the days of Qurbani than the sacrificing of animals. The sacrificed animal shall come on the Day of Judgement with its horns, hair, and hooves (to be weighed). Allah accepts the sacrifice before the blood reaches the ground. Therefore sacrifice with an open and happy heart. (Tirmizi, Ibne Majah)
Hadhrat Husain Ibn Ali (radiallahu anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “The Qurbaani rendered wholeheartedly, happily and with sincerity of intention will on the Day of Qiyaamah be a shield against Jahannum for the sacrificer.” (Tibrani)
Sacrificing animals is from the command of Allah in quran.
“Sacrificing (animals) has been ordained on every Ummah so that the Name of Allah is mentioned on these particular animals which Allah has bestowed on them…” (Surah An’aam)
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Thanks for your post.
Unfortunately, no such Qu’ran verse exists.
You copied and pasted that Qu’ran “reference” from another website.
Secondly, it is not “a command from Allah in the Qu’ran” otherwise the Prophet himself and many of his closest companions would have sacrificed every single eyar; which they didn’t. Omar (r) explicitly stated he didn’t do so so people (like you) don’t think it’s an obligation.
Be well.
Thank you.
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These are hadiths. Authentic hadiths. N sacrificing on eidul azha is wajib upon whoever has got wealth enough to buy even a single animal for sacrificing. Ur case is strange. If it was cruelty to sacrifice animal on eid or to eat animals like cow sheep camel etc then Allah would have made them haram upon us. Not only that, Allah would have not made halal for us any animal. But he made some animals halal for us to eat n forbade us to eat other animals. If u want to blame anyone for cruelty upon animals then blame it upon Allah bcoz it is he who prescribed us to eat animals that are halal. We r Muslims n not like u. U have become a murtad n a victim of some ignorant filth called veganism
Lastly i read ur reply yo sister maheen where u asked her to show her where is it written that Allah ordered prophet Ibrahim pbuh to sacrifice his son. This reflects the kind of knowledge u have about Islam n particularly quran here are the verses. N go open quran if u have any at home (which most probably u won’t be having so go to a nearby masjid n read these verses in quran.
101. So, We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy. 102. And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: “O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you. So look what you think!” He said: “O my father! Do that which you are commanded, if Allah wills, you shall find me of the patient.” 103. Then, when they had both submitted themselves, and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead; 104. We called out to him: “O Ibrahim!” 105. “You have fulfilled the dream!” Verily, thus do We reward the doers of good. 106. Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial. 107. And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice;
Surah As-Saffaat (37 : 101 – 107)
P.S. Dreams of a prophet are revelations. Dreams are a form of revelations for a prophet.
I advise u to come back to Islam n make repentance from ur religion of veganism. Follow Islam in its pure form. Just like prophet Muhammad pbuh taught his companions. N no need to reply to this comment as i reckon I have already given u enough points as evidence. May Allah guide u to Islam.
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It’s good to see you have indirectly retracted your statement that God said in the Qu’ran such and such when He said no such thing.
Now, you are claiming there are hadeeth that say “sacrificing on eidul azha is wajib upon whoever has got wealth enough to buy even a single animal for sacrificing” – when the Prophet himself and his closest companions including Omar ibn Al Khattab, Ibn Abbas, Bilal ibn Rabah and others didn’t sacrifice every year.
Does it make sense to you the Prophet says “it’s wajib” and he himself and his closest companions don’t do it?
Thank you for resorting to personal abuse by calling me an apostate; this is usually what folks without a solid argument fall back on.
This conversation is now over.
Have a nice day 🙂
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Sammer, it’s painfully obvious that you are fighting a losing battle.. I really admire your compassion and love for animals, but I don’t see how you’ll ever change the mindsets of barbarians.. it might be that one day you will have to make a choice between the religion you love and the animals you love equally..
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I refuse to believe I must choose between the faith that mandates compassion towards animals and the animals themselves.
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Thank you Sammer – as a vegetarian Muslim from a non religious vegan/veggie family I found this very helpful, interesting and useful.
Do you know of any charities I could donate to who will use non animal sources to feed those who are less fortunate?
Best wishes to you all!
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Thanks Rachael for your support, very much appreciated.
Best to donate to your local charity, they will be able to make best use from the funds they receive.
Thanks again and Eid Mubarak.
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Allah didn’t ask Ibrahim to sacrifice his son. He asked him to sacrifice that which is most dear to him. That does not necessarily mean his own child. Maybe you should brush up on your knowledge before speaking.
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There is stuff in islam that is considered hukm…. something we must do its wats ordered by Allah… and then there are things in which one can have a preference …… disobeying a commandement is a sin….. theres a diff between us and the people before us and people of the book before us… we do not pick and chose what we wish to follow based on our own nature and likes….. yes we are born on the fitrah but our evil actions and evil around us causes us to lose that innocence… and when we grow up we think we are making pure good decisions buy chosing to disobey and giving a reasoning behind it..this is what shaitan did… he chose not to obey the commandment and gave reasoning that he is better then a man made of clay….. and what was his end????? He to was created to worship but that evil thought within him caused him to fall from such a status
Learn the history behind it….. ibrahim could have said “ITS NOT NORMAL TO TO BE ASKED To SLAUGHTER MY SON” did he ??? No he chose to obey gods commandement and he passed the test where hes son was replaced by the animal…..
These debates ideology and spreading of these thoughts is dangerous….. im not a blind follower i try to seek my answers by going to those who study the deen…. becaz i am just a muslim by name and blood…. not by knowledge…… so when an action needs to be cartied out who better to go to then he who has dedicated his life to learning and teaching the deen
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Kindly show me where God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son in the Qu’ran.
Thank you.
PS: Probably best to await the next article addressing this very point.
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Thank you, Sammer for a wonderful interpretation of Islam and its teachings. I love what you have said in your article and will share it widely. Much love and regards. May you keep planting more seeds of compassion with your thoughtful and compassionate approach.
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Stay blessed Poonam and thank you for your kind words and compassion.
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Amazon article….couisn’t really look at the pictures tho…..a vegan friend here …keep up the good work
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Thank you Khadija.
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Great article! I’ve been vegan for 5 years. I wish more Muslims would consider as well and not be so caught up in their high meat culture.
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Thank you for your support and compassion Khadija.
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Hey brother ,what a great topic. You are really compassionate and spiritually developed human being. After clear evidence of posssesion and effects I had when listening to Allah swt words in ruqya. I’ve been struggling for a few months now to fully accept Islam because of this cruel satanic rituals which are not connecting to what I was reading in Q’aran. I’m really glad there are woked up muslims , it will be easier for me to go to a mosque now ,knowing that there are Muslims like you. Thanks
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Stay blessed my friend and never do what your heart knows deep down isn’t right.
Allah is more understanding of your deep down thoughts than the judgement of any person.
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Dear Sammer,
Lots of love and best wishes to you.
Yours thoughts cannot be understood and comprehended by blind followers…..also those who wanna have their taste buds satiated for 2 seconds at cost of lives….
You should reconsider your religion….Hinduism teaches the same as your thoughts….though many Hindus self-righteously would justify meat consumption as many here….still at least there is hope here.
ASEEM
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Thank you Aseem for your support. Let’s continue to strive together to bring people of all faiths to a more compassionate way.
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Please stop being abusive to Sammer (the author). I will pay tribute to him and this article this coming Eid ul Adha by sacrificing 2 sheep this year. One in my name and the other in his name.
The meat will then be distributed to the poor.
Kwaab Mubarak,
Amar
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When one is simply unable to articulate a solid counter argument; they resort to comments like this.
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Agreed.
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Thank you! May all the world be vegan!
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You’re welcome. Thanks for the support.
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Nonsense. Rasoolullah asked us to have mercy on all living things. Allah says on Quran that Prophet Muhammad PBUH is mercy to the whole universe. Rasoolullah made sacrifice on eid and ate them. Are you more merciful than Rasoolullah? Your an quoting an ambiguous verse from an hadith to turn down a direct commandment in Quran. Bloody hypocrite! Do you think people are foolish to listen to you? Why were you not hurt when killing plants? Don’t they have life? They have and are conscious too. They have senses and can feel pain too according to modern science. You are so stupid. Go back to school.
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Thank you for your comment Basith although I must say dear brother, your manners are not reflective of the mercy and compassion you call to.
If that’s the sort of Islam you are claiming, where you think you have the right to personally abuse people because you disagree with them, then that is something I want nothing to do with.
If you want to attack something, then my arguments are right there for you to take a shot at.
Secondly, it seems you didn’t read (or fully understand) the contents of the article.
Please re-read it carefully and try to recognise the perspective I am coming from.
Perhaps if you engage on a more civil level, I will be more than happy to discuss with you.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
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Plants don’t feel pain you retard. YOU are stupid. Get educated
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Sammer, i am deeply influenced and moved by your thinking more b’cause its from a muslim. I am on the same page with being against with non veg.
I would like your support.
Please drop a mail to my inbox.
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Thank you Shreya, I’m glad the message resonated with you.
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WOW Can not read these terrible comments!! It just proves me more that most of Muslim do not have heart!!! I am disturted to read these comments such a cold heart Muslims have((((( They have mercy only on humans nobody else and think that humans on the top of everything!!
Article is GREAT thank you! I appreciate your courage to write it and share but honestly these kind of comments from muslims I did not expect(((
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Thank you Inna for your support. It’s an uphill battle but one worth fighting.
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Wonderful website and series of articles. Thank you for speaking up Sammer!
Please keep spreading the message, these rituals don’t make any sense.
Our beloved prophet a gentle and kind being, full of compassion would be horrified at what takes place now
All the best to everyone on both sides of this argument
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Thank you Amir.
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i can feel the pain of the author i am a vegan agnostic Muslim and thanks a lot for this beautiful article i have lost all hopes from my fellow Muslims they are so much brainwashed in the name of Islam and Muhammad no hopes just killing innocent animals mercilessly and stupidly saying god wants it and we cannot understand this limited brain and bla bla bla if someone’s hand is cut then they realize the pain and then all fake logic’s stop plant have life silly but plant dont have central nervous system they feel almost nothing when broken. the only hope i have is atheism will grow among some open minded youth and may be after 50 years muslims will be more matured and think and act correctly …………… just hope and i am very sad all love and thanks to the author
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Thank you Muhammad. The noble teachings of Islam inspired me to write this in order to try and restore our sense of mercy and compassion to all living things.
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An insightful article, true facts written by this wonderful author. Religion is constructed by men. God is beyond all these dramas that men conduct in the name of religion & rituals. God is not in a book, cross or stone. God is in the Ocean, Mountain, Rain, Sun, Moon, Trees the Animals. God is in his creations! Pls don’t ever hurt or harm them .
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Loved your article and have shared it. Eid Mubarak to you and may Allah bless you. ?
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Thank you.
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As a vegan Muslim, I applaud you. Your article was very well written and to be honest, the lack of compassion in the comment section disgusts me.
Many Muslims repeatedly fail at being critical thinkers and look at the bigger picture.
Please keeping doing what you are doing and speaking out. I support you wholeheartedly.
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Thank you for your support and compassion Iman.
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Salām…this Article, despite raising important Points concerning the Adab/Etiquette of Animal-Treatment according to Islām, is extremely Disingenuous, Dishonest, Confusing, Textually-Inconsistent, Textually-Deceptive, Agenda-Driven. All the Facts mentioned in this Article, regarding Animal-Mistreatment, Environmental-Consequences, etc.: the Author purposely negleted to mention that most Cases of Animal-Cruelty in the Food-Industry are conducted by Non-Muslims within Non-Muslim/Non-Muslim Majority Countries.
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Walaykum Assalam and thank you for your feedback.
If you could point out precisely where the article was “extremely Disingenuous, Dishonest, Confusing, Textually-Inconsistent, Textually-Deceptive, Agenda-Driven”, I would be happy to clarify.
Thank you once again.
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Sammer – thank you.
Someone needs to make a short film about the life of a sacrificial animal and use your article to storyboard; so it can go viral on social media!
Your 10 violations are reason enough for how we achieve nothing by sacrificing tortured souls.
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Great idea Ahmed. We strongly believe the message is spreading rapidly and thank folks like yourself for your amazing support.
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Dear Sammer
It is an absolute asset and a privilege to have a Muslim like you amongst our community.
You embody the true essence of Islam.
Keep up with your amazing efforts to create awareness about false detrimental religious practices and to educate the Muslim masses about what constitutes the real unadulterared Faith, Iman & Taqwa.
God bless you.
Kind regards
And warm salam
Nadine
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Much appreciated Nadine.
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Killing animals Is a criminal and we should not kill them .because we human being are also a kind of animal .so please don’t kill animals .
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Thank you for writing this article. As i have been becoming more environmentally conscious I have been appalled at the impact of animal agriculture on the Earth. I have reduced my meat consumption to almost nought however I struggled with Qarbani this year. I spoke to my siblings and in the end I paid for it via a charity however next year I will give the equivalent as sadaqah in some way that will reflect the act of Qarbani. I have also struggled with the unislamic way animals are treated and sacrificed. I always say to my siblings what would the prophet pbuh do if he were here today. The prophet I have been described would never tolerate such behaviour towards animals or an industry that has such a negative impact. I will be sharing this amongst my family so we can start a conversation on how to make the ‘qarbani’ more Islamic and preferably meat free. Much peace and love. Eid Mubarak
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Thank you for your support and compassion. Peace, love and Eid Mubarak to you as well.
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Awesome article! Thanks!
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You’re welcome, glad it was of value to you.
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SHAME ON ALL YOU HATERS AND HYPOCRITS IN THE COMMENT SECTION! You call yourselves “muslims” and yet in a very SHAMEFUL and SINFUL way you DISRESPECT someone who is trying their best to show all of you ignorants (who 100% didn’t even READ THE ARTICLE and yet DARE open their mouths in a filthy and uneducated way!!!) that you are clearly misguided and dellusional!! All of you claim follow Islam’s message, the message of LOVE and PEACE and COMPASSION(!), you claim you worship and love Allah, the MERCIFUL, and you seak mercy from Him, yet you don’t show no mercy at all towards innocent living beings who feel joy, sadness, fear, pain and who NEVER EVER COMMIT SINS!? How dare you expect mercy when you are not being merciful yourselves?! SHAME ON YOU! The Prophet (pbuh) dispised those who mistreated animals and he would NEVER let anyone hurt those innocent creatures of Allah who have done NOTHING wrong, yet are treated like trash, like inanimate objects! The Prophet was concerned about ANTS being killed and TREES being chopped down, how do you think would he react if he saw what today’s “muslims” are inflicting on BILLIONS of animals each year and the planet itself?! Massmurderings and killing animals in general can and does only please SHEITAN! Only SHEITAN loves the masses of blood and killings!! How can you be so foolish to think that Allah would want to see His beautiful gentle creations be OUTRAGEOUSLY BARBARICALLY MISTREATED and MERCILESSLY MASSACRED without any remorse whatsoever?! You ignorant people need to realise your
own hypocrisy and foolishness. If you expect Allah, the MERCIFUL, to show mercy upon you, CHOSE COMPASSION OVER KILLING, LIVE AND LET LIVE, simple as that!! Why is that so hard for you oh so flawless muslims to understand!? How come that the major rule of all possible religions including Islam is: “Thouth shalt not kill”, the most important, yet most ignored rule of all!? – People, I know that deep down inside you are not evil and you want to be good muslims. In today’s world, a vegetarian – or even better -vegan diet and lifestyle combined with showing RESPECT, KINDNESS and COMPASSION towards fellow humans and ALL LIVING CREATURES at all times can bring you as close to Allah and Islam’s message as possible. –
PLEASE, READ THE ARTICLE WITH AN OPEN MIND!
Dear author of this article: I THANK YOU AND APPLAUD YOU, for you are a truely blessed! You inspired me, and I have a question: May I translate your text into my native language and print a few copies? I would love to share your great article in my local mosque and raise awareness in my community over this insanely important, yet vividly ignored topic.
And haters out there, remember: Islam means PEACE, so be kind.
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Thank you Saya for your passion and support, I greatly appreciate it.
Yes, of course you may translate it. Feel free to share it as the goal is to educate as many people as we can what their dietary choices are having on the world we live in.
Be blessed.
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GOOD ON YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS.
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Thank you Saya! It give me hope that not muslim like in the comments! Love you!
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Islam is superior to modernity
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Thank you for kindness towards animals and for your bravery to speak about it.
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Salaam Sammer. Just wanted to let you know I appreciated this piece and agree fully with it. I’m comfortable saying I’m Muslim while believing that the faith allows for flexibility and supports humanity.
I am frustrated at the haters in the comments who are completely unwilling to even consider anything outside a literalist interpretation of Islam. But then, this isn’t anything new… Those types of arguments are the ones used to continue archaic thinking and laws (such as a woman’s testimony = 1/2 a man’s — because a uterus makes you prone to lying??!?)
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Wassalam Ashah and thank you for your support and comment. It is an uphill battle but allhamdulilah I do what I feel in my heart to be best. Literalists haven’t come to terms we are not living in 7th century Arabia and we must adapt and change our behaviours today if we are to be relevant and valuable to modern day society.
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You seriously need to read your Kalima again , you weirdo . No one agrees with animal cruelty . But going against allahs commands because your intellect is so small . Give us a break. Shame on you, call your self a kafir and promote your shit but don’t call your self a Muslim and try and dismiss something allah has commanded .
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Why Adam? have you got a personal “copyright” on the adjective “Muslim”? No? Didn’t think so. Live and let live (including animals) PEACE.
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Why should Islam have to conform to modernity? It is modernity that must conform to Islam.
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If anyone needs your logical option , believe me we would be asking you . But since your not god nor a prophet we are going to dismiss your illogical thinking and tell you to remain quite . I’m will actually do an extra Qurabni in your name ?
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See that is ignorance at it’s best. Congratulations
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For some reason I couldn’t respond to the same comment! Here’s a direct quote from your article (How does one “compassionately” or “benevolently” cut someone’s throat? Doesn’t the act of killing by definition negate any benevolence?). I have a huge issue with this. You are directly criticizing the practice and teachings of the prophet pbuh. The teachings of whom come from Allah swt, the most benevolent and merciful. Are you saying that you are more merciful than the Creator? Because I like to give you the benefit of the doubt, I’ll say that was an unintentional mistake on your part due to your sensitivity towards animals. But please be careful about the things you say when it comes to religion. I didn’t mention anything about the animals because I already mentioned that this article has valid points. That is, I agree that there is mistreatment and abuse going on in the animal industry. I wasn’t throwing red herrings, but rather tried to give you examples that both support and negate your logic (depending whether you’d like to encompass all wrong doings going on or just focus on animals.
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No, I am asking a legitimate question which so far I have not received an answer for it yet so will continue asking it. Do not confuse sincere, legitimate questions with criticism. If you can tell me how one can kill something benevolently when the very act of killing isn’t by definition benevolent, I am open to understand. I also did say that is something I wish to explore at another time as it is not a simple matter. I will continue to do more research into it to see if I can uncover anything to reconcile these two seemingly polar opposite concepts.
This article was about Muslims contributing to animal abuse and the planet’s destruction. The other issues you discussed aren’t relevant to the topic so won’t be addressed at this point in time.
Thank you.
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Bro , you have cognitive dissonance which is a problem with Muslim that hold leftist ideologies.
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These comments are disturbing!
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The environmental mess in the world today has nothing to do with the Islamic concept of Qarbani but has to do with new man made ideologies such as capitalism.
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Billions of animals are being killed year after year. You can say it has nothing to do with Qurbani if you so wish but they are still being killed and it is the number 1 reason for climate change.
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Sammer, congratulations on becoming an A Class Native Informant. I won’t tire you with a tirade because I’m pretty sure you’re tired about reading the backlash against you. A few points thought:
I think we can all agree that everyone eats way too much meat. I’ve definitely tried to cut it down and in MY ideal world, Muslims would eat meat twice a year (two Eids). This is clearly closer to the Prophetic template, ecologically sustainable and needless to say, a lot healthier. Red meat isn’t that great for you in the quantities that we eat it in the west and it’s clearly not environmentally sustainable as you have pointed out.
I’m not so sure why you felt you were entitled to push a very personal view of yours on the rest of us and then try and give it a veneer of religious sanction, since you must have known it wasn’t going to go well at all. Yes, animals are mistreated all over the place. Yes, animal husbandry is one of the greatest contributors to the greenhouse effect on the planet. Simple facts, but you’d be better off telling Muslims that they should eat less meat in emulation of the Prophet instead of just arrogantly telling people how enlightened you are, how barbarian everyone else is. A lot of people joke about the self-righteousness and fanatical proselytization of vegans but it’s really true and you’re proving it further.
Lastly, I couldn’t help whilst reading your piece that you really have some very sad misplacement of priorities in your conscience. Look at your Umma dude, Burmese military forces are rampaging through Rohingya Muslim villages in Myanmar and tossing toddlers and elderly people into wells and then dragging young women and girls into huts to gang rape them. Picture that in your mind for a moment. In Yemen, hundred of kids are dying every day now from starvation and disease brought on by the Saudi war there. It’s an incredibly insensitive time to talk about sheep and goat rights when our people are the ones being slaughtered, literally.
Lastly, a word of caution: careful with the “what would the Prophet say if he was alive now” or “Islam has to change for the modern age” wormholes. Don’t go down them or you’ll lose everything. Yourself, your present and your akhira. I guarantee this to you.
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Hamza,
Please address the material in the article.
Which part of the facts that I posted do you dispute?
I do not care if you think I am trying to “push a very personal view of yours on the rest of us” when it was YOU who came here on your own accord and decided to engage.
With regards to your lecture about Rohingya and Yemen, etc, one CAN actually care about animals and fight for their rights AND humans and other causes as well.
Thank you.
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I APPLAUD you for staying strong and kind and articulate after reading all this nonsense. It is the guilt within that drives people to make the type of comments I am reading…and for the folks that have displayed no respect towards you, they really should think a little harder about what they are ‘defending’. And for the record animals for consumption are never treated humanely, in life, in death or on your fork.
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SubhanAllaah… What a delusion. This brother is completely westoxicated. How can you stand before Allaah using your logic and reasoning against His laws? We sure need to correct something’s but not this your veg belief into Islam. Vegetables too have life like animals. So? May Allaah return your taqwa.
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Please address the material and refrain from irrelevant tangents that contribute nothing to the discussion. Thank you.
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For sure, the most ethical way to source meat is to raise one’s own livestock, ensuring that they are treated well, given access to their natural diet and slaughtered the same way the Beloved, sal Allahu alayhi wasallam, did.
Or, alternatively, leave them alone in their natural environment where they can carry in their normal lives and then take them a single, well placed shot, such that they don’t suffer at all.
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So your solution to the environmental mess the world is in due to raising, killing and eating animals is to raise, kill and eat animals?
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The author of this article is mistakenly conflating today’s practices with Islamic principles.
First: Islam’s stance on animal sacrifice is is meant to help us understand the importance of giving up something we are very close to, for the sake of God. This is why its actually always been recommended that you buy the sacrificial lamb / cow / bull etc well before Eid ul-Adha. In fact some people would buy it right after Eid ul-Fitr. You’re supposed to become acclimated with the animal, develop a sense of attachment and love, so that when Eid ul-Adha arrives you know what it feels like to sacrifice something close to you. [I’m sure the author is aware of this]
Second: The improper or unethical practices of some Muslims and non-Muslims cannot be used to judge Islamic principle. You can evaluate their conduct in light of Islamic principles, sure – but not the other way around. Islam is pretty explicit about treating animals kindly before slaughter, including guidance such as making sure the knife is super sharp, and that the animal doesn’t even see the blade, and so on. All death involves some sort of pain, and Islamic scripture and guidance is being quoted in the article then I’m sure one will remember (or find) the words of the Rasulallah (saws) that stated all death involves some pain, however slight. So just because the animal is going to feel some pain does not mean you end the act of animal slaughter.
Third: This article really falls apart when you consider that many Muslims in the west do actually go get their animals from small farms where animals are raised sustainably, ethically, and responsibly. These animals aren’t mistreated during their life, nor at the point of slaughter.
As Shk. Ahmad Kutty (who I know personally, and also know his son Faisal very well) stated in the article linked above, explicitly prohibiting the consumption of (halal) meat is contradictory to God’s laws and this article comes very close to crossing that line.
I have no problems with someone (Muslim or non-Muslim) laying out the case about why they are vegetarian. But I do object to such people making poor pitches to the masses about why they should do the same.
Yes, I’ve also seen animals being slaughtered right in front of me, when I was a child. No, it didn’t leave me with any kind of psychological scars. And I like my steaks medium-rare, thank you.
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It’s interesting your response did not contain a single reference to the destruction animal agriculture is having on our planet.
It’s rather regrettable you chose to ignore the underlying points of the post and focus on irrelevant tangents.
1) The reason the sacrifice was stipulated was at the time, animals were a measure of someone’s wealth. If you were poor, your animals were not slaughtered. They sustained you with milk and wool. If you were wealthy, you could afford to eat them. So the verses came to specifically address the issue of sacrificing from what would be your most valuable asset. These facts are explained in more detail here.
2) The post made it crystal clear “from the outset” Islam’s principles were not the focus. Please stick to the topic.
3) There is no such thing as mass producing animals “sustainably, ethically, and responsibly”. Please stop using euphemisms for mass animal abuse because that’s what it is. Each time you eat an animal in our time, you are directly contributing to destroying God’s earth and supporting industries that institutionalise cruelty. If you think “halal” today is merciful asnd does not contribute to the environmental disaster we are in, you need to get a serious reality check my friend.
Please educate yourself on how your dietary habits are directly contributing to what Islam condemns. You may also want to look into atherosclerosis.
Thank you for your input.
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Sammer,
Skip the condescending nonsense, thank you.
I’m very familiar with where my zabiha meat comes from, and for you to accuse me of contributing to destroying God’s Earth is utterly laughable. I’ll continue to eat fish, lamb, steak, and chicken until the day I die.
Quite happily, quite contentedly.
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Go ahead and keep your head firmly planted in that hole in the sand.
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This article left a sour taste in my mouth. The adhia is NOT animal cruelty. Sure, some people and facilities dealing with adhia have serious issues and flaws, but the essence of the adhia and implementing it properly according to the sunnah is far from cruel. In fact, it’s the best and most efficient way to slaughter an animal. If you were traumatized by that and found the blood and gore hard to stomach as a child, I’m sorry. However, that doesn’t justify instigating people to deviate from the sunnah. The meat is meant to be slaughtered and distributed to the needy who, unlike our ourselves, don’t have the luxury to fill themselves up with fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. in amounts sufficent enough to maintain their bodily needs. And meat IS a great source of food, regardless of your opinion on it. So if you decide not to follow the sunnah, at least don’t tell others to stop so needy people can get some meat this year. Also, there is a theological flaw that you need to be careful of. The adhia was mandated by Allah (swt) who is inarguably the most merciful to his creation – man & animal alike. So by stating “I know in my heart God will not be displeased because I decided to show compassion to his creatures and not kill them” you’re [though probably not purposefully] implying that you’re more compassionate to His creatures than He is. Just for your info, even if all people stop slaughtering and benefitting from sheeps/cows/etc., they would still have to be killed sooner or later due to overpopulation and outsourcing.
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It appears you have completely missed the point of the article.
“The adhia was mandated by Allah (swt) who is inarguably the most merciful to his creation – man & animal alike”
No it was not.
Abu Bakr, Umar Ibn Al Khattab, Abdullah Ibn Masud, Ibn Abbas and Bilal Ibn Rabah ALL did not sacrifice on Eid at one point for this exact reason – that Muslims would think it’s obligatory when in fact, it isn’t.
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Some also make the argument that religion itself is irrelevant today and no need to follow it or believe in a God due to modern context. Doesn’t mean they’re right.
Also killing animals for food is normal and part of the human experience. I also was exposed to animals slaughtered on Eid at a young age and have done it myself as well but it didn’t bother me at all. We all used to enjoy it. Not everyone has the same reaction to things, I think you’re generalizing a bit too much of how it made you feel.
Cruelty in general of course is wrong towards animals. This is why the kill should be swift as possible as recommended by the Prophet pbuh.
I would support perhaps reducing consumption of animals in general but to discourage something explicitly mentioned, I would never. Rituals and laws explicitly mentioned never change due to time or place except in very dire circumstances, even that temporarily. We can reduce greenhouse effect by encouraging reduction in animal products in general but don’t need to discourage an explicit ritual. I think Allah knows better than us when He explicitly mentioned it.
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You all “used to enjoy” killing animals?
Thank you for admitting you’re a sadist and possess psychopathic tendencies.
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You are awesome keep up the good work to keep your pocket filled, they are all jealous of you.
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That’s all you could come up with everything else? Wow delusional much?
There is nothing sadistic about enjoying eating meat. It’s part of life. Get over it.
Now, about to go enjoy a kabob.
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I agree
How can a person enjoy causing the suffering of an animal
Muslims could celelebrate the day without this barbaric practise
I became vegetarian because when I was very young I saw killing an animal and this shocked me.
I can’t believe Islam says to kill an torturing animals causing them such a sufference
I can’t believe Islam lacks the basic compassion and mercy
I hope there are educated Imans who really know te Kou’rn to educate their community to respect the rights of all living beings even the animals
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it’s sadistic killing an animal in that way
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Brother I never read such nonsense before this.if you are a sensitive person who can not see animals being slaughtered,dont promote your views.its your sharia right to slaughter and animal and if you dont you are definitely sinning.
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This article makes me very sad. I was going to slaughter an animal this year for the sake of Allah but after reading this post honestly I will slaughter two animals inshallah.
I think this article was insensitive, tone deaf and very discriminatory to vegetables, grains and non meat food items!!
I ask Allah to guide all of us. Ameen.
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الحمدلله
The best response! Stay blessed!
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Enough said
[Quran 22:36] The animal offerings are among the rites decreed by God for your own good.* You shall mention God’s name on them while they are standing in line. Once they are offered for sacrifice, you shall eat therefrom and feed the poor and the needy. This is why we subdued them for you, that you may show your appreciation.
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My brother, your “sympathy” and “compassion” to the creation means absolutely nothing in comparison to the order of Allah SWT! When Allah SWT himself has ordered us to slaughter the animals, we can not use our small little intellect (which is more than evident through your article) to go against the order in name of “compassion.”
Normally they say,
كلمة الحق، اريد به الباطل
(True words, with a sinister/false agenda)
But in your case, we will say,
كلمة الباطل، اريد به الباطل
(Bogus words, with a bogus/false agenda!)
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Why do you still want to be Muslim if you have so many criticisms against the religion and its followers?
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The criticism is not against Islam, it’s against the way Muslims have neglected it’s core principles.
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I’m glad you said this. About Muslims neglecting their core principles. There are various valid points in this article (e.g the disastrous effects of animal agriculture). However, just because you’re not comfortable with eating meat (due to one reason or another), the answer isn’t to stop udhia, but rather to educate in proper farming and slaughtering. If we follow your logic, everything about modern life is contrary to Islam. This includes the device you used to write this article, the manufacturing of which had wasted tons of fresh water and produced toxic and hazardous waste. Even modern farming (livestock and fish farms aside) is detrimental to our ecosystems. So really, the problem isn’t with eating meat. However you’re entitled to your opinions about your choices, but since you’re not a religious scholar, you can educate about veganism without getting into the religious aspect IMHO. All the best!
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Mimi, the point of the article was to highlight the fact eating meat TODAY is ruining the planet and causing more humans to starve.
I have provided all the references in the article. Your response was “but there are other things that are bad”.
In other words, just do nothing because everything else is bad.
Your analogy is flawed and nothing but justification to continue down this path of destruction.
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I didn’t say to do nothing. I said to educate about proper and sustainable ways of farming (whether it includes animals or not). I also said that since you are not a religious scholar I don’t believe you have the right to criticize an Islamic practice. Your issue isn’t with just mistreatment of animals as it was evident when you said “what is benevolent about slaughtering”. That was the practice of the prophet pbuh so if you really had no issues you wouldn’t have mentioned that. Having background in environmental health, I thought I’d mention other things that are going on in this world that are causing disastrous environmental effects. I won’t even go to bigger issues like wars. I’m sorry that you felt that my logic was flawed when I pointed out how your way of thinking could simply be generalized to almost every aspect of our lives nowadays. Mass production of houses, cars and even grains all cause similar environmental problems. So really if my logic was flawed so is yours!
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You are putting forward red herrings that have nothing to do with the article.
Where did I criticise an ‘Islamic practice”? Do you think the images and practices I presented are actually ‘Islamic’? No, they are barbaric and contribute to the cycle of torture and death. Islam does not say to treat animals this way neither does basic decency.
What facts presented in the article do you disagree with and why?
Wars, cars, etc. DO NOT cause “similar” environmental problems whatsoever. It is animal agriculture that is creating the single biggest environmental impact on our planet and for you to state “but there are other things” isn’t addressing the issue at hand. As Muslims, we are contributing to these disasters due to our meat addiction and heedlessness.
I also note you mentioned absolutely nothing about the poor animals who are the victims of the crime going on against them. This just reinforces the point of the article that Muslims by and large have a complete disconnect and lack the basic compassion and mercy we talk so much about.
Thank you.
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Mass production of house and cars may harm the environment but torturing and killing animals is wrong mainly because the eye are living creatures . We know animals cause pollution but the biggest reason that we should stop eating them is because they are living creatures that Allah made . Quran says eat if you must!! The word must is important . We shouldn’t kill if we don’t have to . We have many good around . Allah gave us all a brain with humanely instincts we know deep down inside killing animals is wrong . You think Allah will be mad at us for not killing animals if we decided to stop killing them . They are his creatures he loves them equally
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Right on.
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hatts off to you brother . now this is hight time to stand up against animal sacrifies in the name of islam. it is just a Mal practice . now hight time to scrap all of such misconception and believes . we Muslims always think that Islam is perfect. off course Islam is perfect. but I request all the Muslim brotherhood to just try to peep inside ur heart do u actually knows all the Islamic rules and obligation with thier actual motive and sence and for what circumstances they are asked to do so. once try to read actual reference text our QUR’AN SHREEF istead of other discription. believe me Allah t aalaw send QUR’AN for every individuals not for any perticular imam or any other religious leader.
Believe me brother if thing you may not understand exactly what written .but I would not be happen that u would understand opposite meaning Quran Shareef.
because most of the Muslims around word are Right it’s hard to convince them. but I give my heartly support you. what u take initiative for animals welfare as well as it’s would rectify our misbelives . Allah is most mercyfull to us and for all .
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Thank you Ahmad for your support and compassion.
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Why do you pray 5 times a day? Cuz Allah has ordered you to do so.
Similarly. The sacrifice of an animal is an order. Fulfill it.
Also have you seen your teeths? They alone point out that a human is build to consume meat and vegetable.
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Where did Allah “order” we must sacrifice? The fact there is a huge difference of opinion is testament to the fact it is not orained.
Anatomically, we are fruigiovore and our teeth are built perfectly for it. Our teeth are not like true carnivores like big cats.
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OLÉ from Spain (of course against bullfighting)
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Ole Macarena! Much love to you for your stance against bull fighting. It is an absolutely disgusting “sport” – one I hope the people of Spain eradicate quickly.
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Bro, why did you take the time to write this long tedious article if you are not trying to convince some of us not to sacrifice animals.
if the prophet SAW, did it, i will do it, end of discussion!
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The appropriate question is not what the Prophet (saw) did 1400 years ago. The question is rather: What would he do today? Would he contribute to an ecologically-destructive industry that is destroying the planet and aggravating world hunger and food insecurity, or would he consume and donate the abundance of fresh, fruit, vegetables and legumes we have access to today?
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Islam is meant to be universal. Our prophet’s time and place were most befitting based on the wisdom of Allah for the revelation of the religion that has always been intended to be universal in all times and places. It’s not befitting to say what would the prophet do if he was present today in our times. Rather, the rules of deriving fiqh and Islamic rulings are based upon scholarly efforts based on what Rasoolullah did, and commanded, and recommended, despite his time and place. Rants like these are contrary to faith. Of course Rasoolullah did not know the precise dilemmas and problems of our present, but the lack of faith is in trust in Allah’s revelation. Certainly, Allah knows the past and the future , and this deen is a revelation from Allah, who is Lord of all the Universes, the Most Wise, the Most Knowledgeable, the Most Compassionate, and on and on and on.
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Thank you for your comment, but regrettably Imran, it doesn’t actually address anything and falls right into the category of using religion to justify crimes against the planet.
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Well the Prophet rode a camel and never drove a car, he didn’t watch TV or use the Internet, in fact he never wrote… anything… so how can we say that our Prophet’s time was the most befitting or that Islam is meant to be universal? What’s universal about Islam is the fact that it DOES allow room for interpretation and adapatation unlike many of the centrally-controlled Abrahamic faiths before it. We don’t think twice about modernizing 95% of the things we do that are contrary to what the Prophet did, unless it serves our own purposes it seems.
It’s clear from his teachings that we find in the Sunnah that he himself used his judgement on a scenario-by-scenario basis instead of making one-size-fits-all judgements that were always applicable. We should be doing the same, as the world, society, technology, and humanity itself develop so should our understanding of the faith.
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And you are systematically overstepping the boundary of Islam by insinuating that if the Rosul is around, he’d change some of Allaah’s law? SubhanAllaah. You are busy choosing between Islam and this your god dam veg mentality.
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Back then, there was no electricity or modern medicine. Are you going to abandon those as well?
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They state you should not do anything Muhammad did not but they state it by the internet using mobile or computer, in English, with air contditioning on and vaccinated against anything.
Pharisaism its called
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Are you dumb or what humans don’t starve because of animals because humans don’t eat grass. Even for the sake of this argument we say that we do eat grass, not killing them will increase there numbers, so they will eat more grass.
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The vast, vast majority of the animals forcibly bred for slaughter do not eat grass. They are confined to factory farms and feedlots. They consume more than 80% of the world’s grains and 90% of soya while +21 000 humans die from hunger on a daily basis. The author is not “dumb”. You are misinformed as to the factual reality of animal agriculture.
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Brother humans are not starving because of animals because cows eat grass humans don’t. have some common sense before writing a whole article about this kind of topic.
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Just a thought, we send our Qurbani abroad, poor people rejoice at the fact that they will eat meat after so many months (the last they enjoyed meat was last Eid al adha) I’ll take their Dua any day over this guilt that you’re trying to put on.
So please, that logic doesn’t work here. Even the meat from hajj gets packaged and sent off to the poor.
Yes conditions for Animals need to improve especially for Muslims so they are eating halal and tayyib. That has to and must be a work in progress for everyone.
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Wouldn’t it be better to help these poor countries to grow sustainable food and crops instead of just feeding them for a couple of days where the rest of their lives they are still living in starvation
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Precisely.
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The scholars agreed that sacrificing the animal and giving its meat in charity is better than giving its value in charity, because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to make the sacrifice, and he did not do anything but that which is best and most befitting. This is the opinion of Abu Haneefah, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad.
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Which scholars? What was the circumstance of their ruling? What society were they addressing? Did they face climate change based on animal agriculture practices? If they did, would their rulings be the same? Blanket statements like this don’t help advance the discussion. The prophet (pbuh) did not sacrifice every year, that is a well established fact.
Finally, take your blinkers off. This matter is far more important than scholars, rulings and texts. Look at the state of our world and how animals (the creations of God) are treated. It is unforgivable to try and justify this mass slaughter when all this does is accelerate the problem this world is facing as well as amplify animal suffering.
You are so keen to emulate the “sunnah” of the Prophet by claiming blood is a MUST yet ignore everything else he taught regarding:
-Protecting animals
-Protecting the environment
-Not killing animals in front of others
-Not sacrificing every year
-Fasting two weeks of every month
-Eating very very little meat
-Going on dates and water for months
-Walking daily
-Not polluting the environment
-Not supporting people and industries that abuse and torture animals
Plus many more – yet, all you want to focus on out of the dozens of sunnan during times of our planet being in peril is to kill an animal “because the prophet did it”.
There is no way he would continue this practice in our day and age.
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Cows goats chicken are not fed grass in modern countries they are fed corn and soy , the cows and goats hardly see any grass , they are fed corn and soy which could be given to the poor . Some countries like pakistan and India they are still grass fed but all other countries especially modern where they are factory farmed they are caged and fed corn and soy . Don’t speak if you have no knowledge
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