ANIMAL WELFARE in ISLAM attempts to bring out the kind and compassionate Islamic teachings regarding animal welfare. The Islamic instruction and guidance on animals' needs and man's obligations concerning animals is so comprehensive that Muslims need not go elsewhere for any guidance. Not to be cruel or even to be condescendingly kind to the so-called inferior animals is a negative proposition. Islam wants its adherents to think and act in the positive terms of accepting all species as communities like us in their own right and not to sit in judgement on them according to our human norms and values. The book also examines animal sacrifice as practised by the adherents of major world religions. It raises the issue of the mass production of meat and exhorts the Muslim community, in the West particularly, to tackle the issue of “Halal” meat in an appropriate manner. Al-Hafiz Basheer Ahmad Masri (1914-1992) was born in India and graduated with a B. A. (Hons.) degree in Arabic from the Government College of the University of the Punjab in Lahore. He also attended the Faculty of Arabic at al-Azhar University, Cairo. During the 20 years he spent in East Africa (1941-61), he was Headmaster of the then largest secondary school and also held secretarial and presidential posts on religious, social and educational organisations among the African, Asian and European communities, including organisations involved in animal welfare. In 1961 he settled in England, studied journalism and for six years was the joint editor of the well known Islamic monthly magazine: The Islamic Review. In 1964 he became the first Sunni Muslim to be appointed as the Imam of the Shah Jehan Mosque, Woking, England. He continued his animal welfare interests in England, working closely with the charity Compassion in World Farming (formerly the Athene Trust), which published the first edition of this book as “Animals in Islam” in 1988. THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION aims to achieve excellence in academic research, education, publications, training and building bridges between Muslims and others. Since 1973, the Foundation has developed its national and international standing through the character, variety and scope of its activities. It has, at present, over 300 published titles, and houses one of the largest private Islamic libraries in Western Europe. It publishes three academic journals: The Muslim World Book Review (quarterly), Encounters: Journal of Inter-Cultural Perspectives (biannually) and Review of Islamic Economics (biannually). Its academic wing the Markfield Institute of Higher Education awards MA/MPhil/PhD degrees, Post-Graduate Diploma and Certificate in Islamic Studies in partnership with the Loughborough University, UK.

1. ANIMAL
WELFARE
in ISLAM
Al-Hafiz Basheer Ahmad Masri
THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION

2. EDITOR’S NOTE
Published by
THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION
Markfield Conference Centre, Ratby Lane,
Markfield, Leicestershire, LE67 9SY, UK
Tel: 01530-244944, Fax: 01530-244946
E-mail: i.foundation@islamic-foundation.org.uk
http//www.islamic-foundation.org.uk
Quran House, P.O. Box 30611, Nairobi, Kenya
PMB 3196, Kano, Nigeria
Copmghi € Compassion in World Farming, 2007/1428 AH
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retneval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechani­
cal photocopying recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the
copyright owner.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Al-Masri, Hafiz
Animal Welfare in Islam
1. Animal welfare - Religious aspects - Islam
I. Title n. Islamic Foundation (Great Britain)
297.5'693
ISBN 13: 978-0-86037-595-1
ISBN 13: 978-0-86037-411-4 (hb)
THE FIRST EDITION of this EooE rlPP*“ 'l''OLiglwuc rh
„M. ko»Bh..h«gepo«l»e-'
BasheerMasris doorstep. He began a correspondence with many Muslims -
and others - from all parts ofthe world.
Sincehis death in 1992, requests forhis bookhavecontinued to come in.
Itis in response to those requests, and in the hope that this important work
mayreach an even wideraudience, that this revised edition has been produced.
This scholarly book shows that concern for animals has been an integral
P^tof^amicteachingfromthebeginning. Sometimesthisworld-view, which
seesanimals as social and sentient beings who are capable ofsuffering, has been
ignored in daily living. We hope that this book may re-ignite the flame of
compassion for all beings which runs so strongly through the Holy Qur’an
andA/tadith.
Typeset by: N.A. Qaddoura
Cover design: Nasir Cadir
Printed and Bound in England by
Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham, Wiltshire

3. PUBLISHER’S NOTE
rnSOLRpleasure tobnngoutthis revised editionofal-HafizB.A.al-Masri’s
mn^otkAnimalWelfarein Islam in collaboration with Compassion in
JdZming. The appearance ofthis work, we believe, will help underscore
theconamandcompassion foranimalswhich permeate the Islamic teachings.
Itisa quirk ofirony that Islam, which stands for treating animals well in that
like human beings they too, are the wonderful creatures ofAllah, is maligned
in certain quarters for its alleged anti-animal stance. In Islamic dietary code
meat, no doubt, figures prominendy and Muslims, cutting across their ethnic
orisins,have been eating meat for ages. Yet this should not be misconstrued in
termsoftreating animals callously. Islam exhorts that animals deserve man’s
careand compassion. The Qur’an adduces animals as a sign ofAllah’s wonderful
creative power. Several incidents in the Prophet’s glorious life illustrate his
considerate concern foranimal welfare. Many directives ofhis are on record in
standardAhadithcollections, which urge Muslims to be kind towards animals.
Al-Masnspresentworkaccomplishesaremarkablejob in bringing into sharper
focus theplace animals enjoy in the Islamic scheme ofthings. It documents the
concrete steps the Muslim polity took for thecause ofanimal welfare at a time
hen this concept was little known and hardly appreciated.
let it is time for Muslim society to take stock ofits attirude towards animals
ght of the Islamic code on this issue. There is a pressing need for
of ' J CtterCOn<^t'ons at daughter houses in particular, and for better care
general. In discharging this duty conscientiously Muslims would
pleasure th ^ext and> more importantly, secure Allah s
ghest felicity imaginable for them. It is time also for holding
more signify ion Let us try to find J. confrontation-
- ofpr«="“"«,h;
our practice to the law . win object ttention of
hummclsla‘nicrcack'n^S<’,na^jj10ySnuancesanddimenslonsoJtbe'S
fcMudim heWaspanoflteP“blic’8'“d1' ion
d L.I d Mnsistendy this important
i,Farming who P , |lzeoll, common
Jataativ.project. I do hope our panncrshcp ».likeIp re
Naiem Qaddoura and Anwar Cara of the Islamic Foundation for their
cooperation, as well as Dr. Shuja Shafi ofthe Muslim Council ofBritain for his
invaluable advice. May Allah reward them and enable all of us to engage in
such pursuits which accrue to us His reward and blessings, Amin.
Leicester
Dhu al-Hijjah 1427H
January 2007 CE
Dr. M, ManazirAhsan
Director General
Islamic Foundation
iv

4. TRANSLITERATION table
contents
Arabic Consonants
Initial, unexpressed medial and final:
• ■ □ d d OJ k
w b j dh L t J 1
O t J r Ji z p m
di th j z & n
C j u- s t gh _A h
C h sh f J w
C kh J-3 s q y
Vowels, diphthongs, etc.
Short: — a — i — u
Long: I— a t/T 1
Diphthongs:
j— aw
ds- ay
Preface
Comments and Abbreviations
Saying ofSome Muslim Sages
Chapter One: Islamic Concern for Animals
Preamble
Man’s Dominion OverAnimals
Animals’ Place in Nature
Balance in Nature
Conservation ofSpecies
Faculty ofSpeech
The Utility-Value
The Metaphysics ofthe Animal Mind
Rights in the Resources ofNature
a.
b.
a
d.
e.
f.
The Servitude ofAnimals
The IslamicJuristic Rules
Experiments on Animals
Fac“7-Farming
Beasts°fBurden
xii
1
2
2
4
10
11
12
16
17
18
21
25
26
27
30
33
39
45
46
47

5. cot
105
106
MenalCwdn-
Sta<hrerofFoodAnimals
CaidusKW
RefatnasW”! Notes
48
49
50
52
Qupterfro: Vegetarianism v/s Meatarianism
56
The Cult“s ofSaCr'^nofSacrifice
BiblicalCOn.XrieSthood)
The Rabbtnshtp <
War-Living Grav«
Preamble 55
The Dialectics ofDiet and Health
The Importance ofVitamins
TheAnatomy ofMan
TheEconomics ofFood
Conhidanism ? I
Hinduism,Jainism and Buddhism
Chnstianitv
80
Judaism and Islam
References and Notes
Islam
The Prelude toIslamic Sacrifice
TheIslamicTheologyofSacrifice
Sacrificeas CharityandAlternativeOfferings
Sacrifice by Proxy
The Three Kinds ofSacrifices
Appendix A
References and Notes
109
109
110
111
112
114
116
122
124
126
128
Chapter Three: Animal Sacrifice
Judaism
Preamble
TheAncientOrient
Confucianism
Hinduism
Jainism
Buddhism
TheBiblicalConcept ofGod
ConceptsofGod
Atonement
TheJudaicTheologyofSacrifice
96
96
97
97
98
99
99
99
100
101
103
103
104
Chapter Four: HaliiMeat - the Bone ofContention
Preamble
Lawful and Unlawful Meat
The Qur anic Dietary Ordinances
Food ofthe “People ofThe Book”
The Paradoxical Enigma ofPork
IsJewish Food Haldl>
Blood
TheInvocationofGod’sName (Tasmiyah and Takbir)
TheRelativeSignificanceofBleedingandtheInvocation
ofGod’sName
ReferencesandNotes
Index
131
131
133
134
139
140
143
145
145
153
156
159

6. preface
QUITE A FEWofmyfriends have been surprised to learn that I have chosen
'^limals'asasubjectto write on from the Islamic point ofview. They feel that
!should bemore concerned with other multifarious problems which Muslims
are facing these days and for which they need help and guidance in solving.
The way I look at it, however, is that life on this earth is so inextricably
intertwined as an homogeneous unit that it cannot be disentangled for the
amelioration ofone species at the expense ofanother.
Allhumanproblems-physical, mental orspiritual - are ofour own creation
and our wounds self-inflicted. By no stretch of imagination can we blame
animalsforanyofour troubles and make them suffer for it.
There is no paucity ofMuslim scholars and theologians who are far more
qualified than me to expound theologically all sorts of such problems.
Notwithstanding this, I feel that my practical experience of a lifetime in the
field ofanimal welfare, combined with some theological knowledge, lays a
moral responsibility on me to express my views candidly on the current spate
elties to animals. The learned theologians generally remain blissfully
med on this subject, which is generally beyond the pale oftheir normal
■ , K’ S'm'tarly, the general Muslim public is not fully aware of the
sploitin h PeCUn'ar^’se^ and short-sighted human interests have started
balance ° ^'n^om an<f are playing havoc with the ecological
f,„ b“' ““
environmenra/conservarionisnoroneofthesesubTects.TheIslamicinstructionandguidanceon animalrightsandmansobligation
concerningthemareso comprehensivethat weneed notgo elsewhereforany
guidance. Asbelieversin theconsummateand conclusive revelation ofGod,
weareexpectedtolearnfrom themisconceptions ofthepastand castbehind
ustheparochialapproach to religion. Fourteen centuries is a longenough
periodtograspmentallythefactthatthe way(Din} to spiritualdevelopment
doesnotIreuiritualisticobservanceandthehair-splittingoftheLaw(Shari'ah')
■•'"•a,i, „egiti„p^^J““^™lta8l’'ki"<i“the inferior
'"”'''™»f««p.«eJlspeciesas’0n’"nO “ “ thi"k “ ‘he
our human norms and
.-Islamic traits
Thope and pray that my Muslim brethren will fully appreciate the points
I have touched upon here, after reading this book.
Although the whole ofthe book deals with the central theme ofthe welfare
ofanimals and their relative status vis-ct-vis man, each ofthe chapters has been
treated as a subject on its own. Notwithstanding this, some overlapping could
not be avoided. 1 therefore request that you do not hazard an opinion on any
point before reading the complete book.
A1HafizWeerAhmadMasr.
The mostalarmingand distressing predicament ofthis deplorable state
airs is thatourIslamic countries too have started treading in the footsteps
Wt the name ofcommerce and trade. No doubt we have a lot to leaf

7. COMMENTS AND ABBREVIATIONS
SAWGS OP SOME MUSUM SAGES
i In Islam thedatesare notgiven as A.D., Anno Domini, means “The
ourLord". WepreferA.C. -Anno Christum, Christ1’1 being '
MessengerofGod rather than the Lord. " Pted as
| i S.HtisconsideredmeritoriousandobligatoryforaMuslimtopron
a^erential&fewheneverthe name ofa Messenger ofGod TOn°UnCe
datehas been established as the first year ofrh I I • 622A'CThls
^^^-^<^xHdyProphet
‘ *'"d °fach d“pt“
fcrck,l'"'^'n *l,,n “ *' “« »fter the quoution.
“'ons the numbers ofverses ma" J F°rverse- In s°me English
e'’e«oneortwonumbersabove Yl In rJlatca5e> Please look for
fem theEngJish e°r I" this book verse numbers have
^^itiBaaar.UoXsu.^uhanunad
(tathorisedy8 •° °,d and Ne™ Testa
nam«or^T’not‘Mu^m d “ Iskmprefer tO be
Spelling, ' mmadans ’ nor to be known byanyother
“In the region ofexisting matter, the mineral kingdom comes lowest then
comes the vegetable kingdom, then the animal, and finally the human being.
Byhis bodyhe (man) belongs to the material world but by his soul he appertains
to the spiritual or immaterial. Above him are only the purelyspiritual beings —
theangels-abovewhom onlyis God: THUS THE LOWEST IS COMBINED
BYA CHAIN OF PROGRESS TO THE HIGHEST. But the human soul
perpetuallystrives to cast offthe bonds ofmatter, and, becoming free, it soars
upwards again to God, from whom it emanated. ” (Al-Hazen)1

8. CHAPTER ONE
ISLAMIC CONCERN FOR
Preamble
2
.Hrougbou, .he eB«. 1. «*« v.mu,
dving, harshdeathsintrapsandsnarestoprovide furcoats and ornaments for
thewealthy, andtheyhave been hunted throughout the world for the sheer
sportandmorbidpleasure ofman. However, untilvery recently the acts of
crueltywereonasmallerandindividualscale. What has changed now is the
natureandextentofthe cruelty, which is practised on a much subtler and
widerscale.Themostalarmingaspectofthe current streakofcruelty is that it
isbeingjustifiedin thenameofhuman needs andspurious science. Scientific
andpharmaceuticalexperimentson animals arebeing done to find cures for
diseasesmostofwhichareself-inducedby ourown disorderly' lifesty'le.
Tosatisfyhisever-increasingdemands and fads, man has begun to use his
technologicalmightandscientificprowess to transform increasing numbers of
animalsintofoodproducts. In laboratories, scientistsareproducing newgenetic
variations thatmay be amenable to low cost intensive methods of rearing-
wystock-keepersaremoreconcernedwithfinance than the moralprinciples
alhusbandry, andlookupontheirlivestockas meat and milk machines,
medievalfarmers have started yielding to temptation. The
vo a/| nobility tochaseandkillanimals for fun is still in
justtowhf al,dt^row 'hem back into the water maimed -
'hetroph ■ h ' ^n<^s ^en*zens°fdie forestare fairgamefor
Thereisalarge-scale carnage offur-bearing animals. All
j mncr ofwhich arc
hum^eproducnwhichiiceaisil) ... oniyjus.beginning
aadiuoneairbeiMasoPpayinentgivcindescopeiosate.legislatorsforinorai
considerations: and so millions ofhelpless animals go on suffering torture.
Whyis it that human attitudes towards animals areso tardy in changing! The
organised religiousinstitutions could haveplayed an important role in educating
thegeneralpublicAlmostninetypercentoftheworldspopulation owes allegiance
to one or other ofthe major religions. Each ofthese religions has the benefit of
platfonnswherefrom.tcouldtnfluenceandeducatecaptiveaudt-ences. But, one
TOgtheirrespecuvelatnesfortheLifeHe
Human greed and self-ind I h hsuxfaJnsusall.
«Ploit animals; and the instir S°me excuse> however fli
Geminating the creed of ofreliS‘on offered them th
0vertherest0fG0J. 30 S unconstrained domi ' afexcU$eby
fHpecnve^ crea"°n. It ;s true n,on and domination
taltenserio1 i k'nds°fcruefo ScnptUr«ofall r b §atl°ns
,v avcc'’sedrob'
««. f ' ■" "”ke .a
3

9. I th the human soul. Since animals are
"!ponsibili’ ”f
*Ltwb»«nosou1’ y
Udawnwhenthegreatrel.giousteach.ngs may at last
fctusbop'1^** hiH see the start ofa new era when man accords
toawbearfhun^ long deserved and for so long have
.an.nukthe^^^ '
been denied.
MAN’SDOMINIONOVERANIMALS
Bothscienceand religion assert that man is the apex ofcreation. Science
basesthisdaim on man’sphysiological superiorityover the rest ofthe animated
redd, while religion bases iton man’s psychical excellence and potential. Islam
too. declares man as the best of God’s creation and designates him as His
vicegerent(Khalifah} on earth. So far, it all sounds very flattering, but is this
positionofpre-eminence unconditional? Let us see how the Islamic concept of
vicegerencyis meantto work. A conscientious study ofthis concept involves a
studyofissuessuchas:
Who is this man who has been appointed as God’s representative on earth?
Doesanyone who possesseshuman features qualify for this exalted rank, orare
thereanyqualifyingconditions attached to this office? Ifthere are any qualifying
conditions, what are they?
Islams corroboration ofman’s claim ofsuperiority over the other species is
circumscnbed by mental, moral and physical limitations in the exercise ofthis
power. Man should use animals out ofnecessityandwith compassion, humility
andlovingcare rather than with malevolence, avidityor greed for the satisfaction
t e-comforts, luxurious pleasures and self-indulgence. All the major
neith C compassionate and humane treatment ofanimals. It is
rules and nCCtSWn' ^Ora re''g*on to lay down in its scriptures detailed
own w> to^a3'*0"5 C°VCrm® CVery ^Pcct oflife. Each religion has tried in its
rwponsibili f,r'nc‘P*es an<^ t0 nurture in man a sense of
' custodian ofnature. In our age ofever-increasing human
rhe Quran, while declaring mans vicegere cy,
followingverses,thattheappointmentisnotunconditional:
"He[God]itisWhomadeyouvicegerentson earth;hewhodisavows, the
burdenofdisavowalwillbeonhim...” (Qur’an 35:39)
“Certainly, Wecreatedmaninthebestmake.” (Qufan 95:4)
However,in rheverynextsentencetheQur’an makesitclearwhathappens
tot^osew^0^roconform to theconditions, in thesewords:
Man is the only species which has been endowed with the ability to
differentiate between evil and virtue and to exercise his freedom of choice.
Animalsare capable ofdifferentiating between ‘good and bad’ in the material
sense, but not in the moral and ethical sense. In the following verses, the
Qur’an tells us about those humans who misuse their freedom ofchoice and
transgress - they lose the status ofhuman beings in the spiritual sense and are
reduced to the status ofanimals:
people are even worse than them andfarther astrayfrom the right
course.” (Qur’an5:60)5
No doubtsuchpeoplestillpossesshumanfeatures, as distinctfrom those
ofanimals, but their moral status is degraded even lower than the status of
animals for not makinguse oftheir faculties in the way expected ofhuman
beings.TheQur’an explainsthisfurtherin thesewords:
4

10. ^enwiththeyfoilto comprehend, andeyes wherewith
*... thn u,hfr(With theyfoil to hear. They are like cattle;
^‘T^ntoftvhatis right. Such [humans]arefarastrayfrom
^^.“(Qm an 7:179)
Aain theQur an urges in remonstrance:
'Andbenotlikethosewhosay ‘wehave heard’, while they do not hearken.
Verih, the vilestofallcreatures, in the sight ofAllah, are those deafand
dumboneswhodo not usetheirrationality.” (Qur’an 8:21,22)
The above verses occur in the Qur an in a context not directly related to
animals vis-a-visman. Nevertheless, they do lay down a very relevant principle
that‘it depends on the conduct of man whether he maintains his privileged
position as ahuman being orgets himselfdegenerated to a status lower than that
ofanimals. While elaborating man’s responsibilities as the vicegerent ofGod, the
Quran laysgreat emphasis on the development ofGodly attributes which have
been imbued in man’s incarnation.These attributes are eternal and unchangeable.
Compassion, love, mercy’, justice, charity... are some ofthe Divine attributes
which form the pedestal ofthat masnadon which God has seated man as His
vicegerent to establish His Kingdom on earth, in harmony with His laws of
nature. This Kingdom ofGod is not meant to be only a human domain. God s
stizerainty encompasses all creation, including the Animal Kingdom. How, then,
ntan as His Ministeron earth administer justice and grace over the whole of
Kingdom without nurturing in himselfthe Godly attributes and a tender
a. This is how the Qur an explains this moral philosophy:
So,setyourfaceto the true religion...” (Qur’an 30:30)
The
The an P .tane°USqUest'onar‘ses here as to what is implied by‘true religion-
WCr ‘S 8'VCn ln the lines ofthe same verse that follow:
create»
„urfacetoU,ar^ dthe innate natUr nflifean<^yet’
“D>rec<youl> itutedthe t perwayofW
lie in his physique- As a
nffact physically, man is interio from some speci
tawoftenbeenadvised piece of advice: “Be like a bee
animals. For example, Imam g branch lt sltS upo
anythingiteats is clean, anythingit drops is S'
^The'redttiterion ofman’s superiority lies in his spiritual volition, c^led in
the Qur’an 7o^wa. This spiritual power bestows on a man a greater measure of
balance between the conscious and the unconscious elements o min , t us,
enablinghim to make the best use ofhis freedom ofchoice. He is considered
the best ofGod’s creation only because ofthis distinction. Without the power
ofspiritual volition, this distinction is rendered superficial.
Man’s dominion over animals, in the true Islamic sense, is a patriarchal
authority - an arrangement under which the paterfamilias rules the family
with discipline and paternal love. The Holy Prophet Muhammed'” puts it in
thesewords: All creatures are like a family [ ‘m'/l ofCod d u ?
■a0<tHclovesth™
The Holy ProphetWusedto
G°d, is kind to himself.”6 °CVer ‘S kind t0 "he creatures of
TI"Qu'“P'"i,l’“«’’l0syintlibalor
communaltermsin thesewords:
“Thereis notan animalon earth, nor a two-wingedflying creature, hut
theyarecommunities likeyou...”. (Qur’an6:38')

11. the learned commentators of the Qur an , the wOf(j
^'"‘‘Xedherein rhe sense ofgenera, and animals’ and ‘flying
quadrupeds, mammals,Crustacea, reptiles, worms, insects
no Jllivea life individual and social, like members ofa human
Inotherwrds, theyarecommunities in their own right and not in
X^‘"nanspedW°riBViJUCS'TheS£ d£tailS haVC bCen ment'Oned
^phasae thepointthateven those species which are generally considered as
mssnihantoreven dangerous, deserve to be treated as communities; that
thormtrinsicandnor perceptible values should be recognized, irrespective of
theirusefulnessor apparentharmfulness.
Todefine furtherwhat it means by ‘communities ofanimals’, the Qur’an
explains:
'Allahhascreatedeveryanimalfrom water: ofthem there are some that
creepon theirbellies; some that walk on two legs; andsome that walk on
Jjar...” (Qur’an 24:45)
The firstcategory includes all kinds ofworms, reptiles, centipedes, insects
and all kinds ofcreeping creatures. The second category includes birds and
human beings; and the third category covers most species ofmammals. The
significant point to note is that, physically, man has been put in the same
bracketas JI otherspecies. The following Hadlth leaves no ambiguity in the
sense in which the Qur’an uses the word ‘communities’:
Abu Hurayrah reported the Prophet<s) as telling of an incident that
happened to another prophet in the past. This prophet was stung by
an ant and, in anger, he ordered the whole of the ants’ nest to be
burned. At this God reprimanded this prophet in these words: ‘because
one ant stung you, you have burned a whole community which
glorified Me’.”7
ISUMtCCONCERNFORANIMALS
corning d* rigbr,
wouldapply."Anydamageoradamagingretaliationforadamage isforbidden.
(Ladararawaladirdr).8
Thereareparentsin this world who are cruel to theirchildren and rulers
whoexploittheirsubjects.Similarly, thereare, and willalwaysbe, people who
take theconceptofmansdominion overanimals as a licentious freedom to
breakalltheestablishedmoral rulesdesigned toprotect animal rights. Imam
'Althasthistosayaboutsuch people:
ows^ thesmall "And . ngoneseat tllcand ibebig
tc8* "7e<’fr‘°Se Wh° misuse their
age who are exploiting wastefully the resources of nature and are wreaking
havoc in the animated as well as the inanimatedworld, while defending their
actions with clever and seemingly convincing arguments:
“And ofmankind there is he whose glibness on the mundane life may
dazzle thee, [especially]when he calls on Allah to witness the verity ofhis
itatements'becauie he is veryskilfulin his arguments.But, whenever he
^es topower, he goes about in the land trying to create disorder h
dotroymg tilth andprogeny.And when iti< L
^^^^i^issm. SQi t0 ^ar G°d’> his
““ Fileabode." (Qur’an 2:204-206) reck<""»g- verily, it
lnthecontextofthese verses the
Progeny means
9

12. nwrrRN FORAMMALS
ISLAMIC CONCERN
PLACF ’r. rwponsibiliti« towards animals cannot be studied
^^"'^Zons for man’s ill-treatment ofanimals. At the same
,1t^t'foaiss,ng '™g bf understood in the perspective of the inter­
ne. the PwWfmjnd the festofthe animated world as well as their
i*®*,h"^"n eachother. This relationship is primarily influenced
ofthe status ofanimals wh‘Ch man g‘VeS t0 tHem ‘n theI^Xofvariousspecies. Toestablish inour minds the status ofanimals is as
importanta postulate as is the assessment ofour fellow human beings for
determiningourmutualrelationships.
Weowe a great deal to modern naturalists who have sifted quite a few
■ hasfem fallacies, mythsandsuperstitions about animals. The pioneers in
thisfieldwere mostlythe members ofthe Christian Holy Order in the 17th
centurywhowereenthusiastic and bold enough to re-interpret the Biblical
chronology' ofcreation, in spite of being accused of and censured for
puritanical leanings as naturalists. Notwithstanding the fact that some of
theirobservationsand theories have been found to be fallacious, it has been
mostlydue to theirpioneering work that research in Natural History and
Sciencehas beengiven respectabilityand scholastic interest. As a result, we
now know so much more about the animal world, its behaviour, its
classification andcategorization- most ofall, its correlative status vis-a-vis
the human world. The Naturalists have also helped us a great deal in
understanding better thoseparts ofour scriptures which deal with subjects,
suchas:
alancein Nature, (b) Conservation ofSpecies, (c) Animals’ Faculty' of
P«c . (d) The Utility-value ofAnimals, (e) The Metaphysics ofAnimal
M*M.i-'Ri8h,„*eIte,oureesofNltu,e
dttail Howey" 3n<^ ^ave discussed all the above subjects in great
S°meofthose h any need to studythem seriously
significance I ' n°C 'nterested enough to comprehend their full
fly now, when modern scientific research has started
tobefa|laci,
10
ratingthe Quranicstatements, that Muslim theologians have begun
.ogiveserious thoughtto the currentproblems related to animals.
’**’■ (Qur an 35:28)
" Qw Uy g'<«
emphasis on Nature Study in order to understand life as one homogeneous
organism. The Qur’an is full of verses exhorting man to study nature - the
planetarysystem; the terrestrial elements; the fauna and flora on earth. The real
purportofthis repeated appeal in the Qur’an is to give credence to the existence
ofGodhead as theprimeval originator ofthe universe; but the point that concerns
us here is that the creation ofanimals takes a very prominent place in such
otanonsasHisportents. Here are a fewofthe numerous such verses:
^-Intheheavensandthe earth th
"4^, ^portion."
final,
............
tatversearesignificant.TbeArabicwordUnthadenotes
umanoranimal. Secondly, tbeArabicword
-inallsucbverses.Itmeans ‘inaccordance
II

13. b. Conservation ofSpecies
Thanks to modern scientific research, we have started appreciating the
theecologicalandenvironmental balance ofour planet is ofparamount
P ance for life on earth. This balance rests on very complex and
Il eij'aWS nature' denizens of the forest, if left on their own,
seldom 3Pt t*1emse'ves t0 ^osc laws and learn to abide by them. One
natural hab' onrnentd damage being done by animals living in
who have t?^SUCh “ *" tTOpical f°rests’ k is only che human
yncracy to flout those laws and to upset the balance cd
dto have
behi»a-he”a,r
relig‘ousa . ,tead ofleaVing that, i° r^1S
h‘,n'“n'”" ties,he lsl«®'cc°nC'f’" 0VidentiaHy
eorigi„»fsp«i«“keep
Whereverthe Qur an speaks o ere of
plants, like animals, possess generative organs, i.e. male stamens and female
pistils-comprisingovary, style and stigma. Botanical definitions explain stigma
as that part ofthe style or ovary-surface that receives pollen in impregnation.
Style is defined as the narrowed extension of the ovary which supports the
stigma.
Keeping in mind that the Qur’an was revealed more than fourteen centuries
"U“ “ h" b“n d“" » »■> >«h scientific subjects
° 'owlnS vefses emphasize the salient poin, chat each sr.. . '
-«e.«lhi.l0SKa||,M|)rocra|e.nordP A species has been
-4 » 8. phyi its ass; in th "™Uebeterogeneity
*1«*»b,in6b
r !UK"d“d-8<h: ;
e tact still
“[Even when the world is coming to an end] On Doomsday, if anyone
hasapalm-shoot in hand, he should plant it.”12
,v<w» -
urposeforwhicha thing has been created, the exigetlcies
mththtP’^r rro D|aywithin God’s plan ofcreation.11
arth_W(havespreadoutitsexpanseandcast on itmountains
andcawdltfe ofeverykind to srowon it’justiy
^gbed.’(Qptin ,5:19)
‘Wecreatedman, andpavehim thefaculty ofspeech. The sun and the
moonrotateinorderedorbits, theplantsandthe trees, too, do obeisance.
Thefirmament-Heraisedithigh, andset the balance ofeverything, so
thatyou[mankind]maynotupsetthebalance. Keep up the balance with
equity, andfallnotshortin it. And the earth - He spread it outfor all
livingbeings: with itsfruits, blossom-bearingpalms, chaff-coveredgrain,
andfragrantplants. Which, then, ofthe bounties ofyour Lord willyou
denyT (Quran 55:3-13)

14. r/iarthere-generation ofthoseextinctspeciesWould bcontainingthegerm-cells which were original]v cr ? depetldent
ofthe Quran bring out the signtpj^^byQ°d
thesignificance ofan uninterr ° la*of
P S^ceof
jemainstnie'
on thetissues,
TheWfo"in8''eReS
pahtyin natureand, hence,
specie:
‘GlorybetoHim Whomatedalltheprogenetivepairs ofthat which the
urthgrows;andof.'themselves[human beings], too; andofthat which they
Jonotknow[yet](Qur’an 36:36)
‘AndaUthingWehavecreatedinpairs, thatyou may reflect.” (Qur’an
51:49)
‘[MyLordisHe] Whospreadoutforyou the earth likea carpet; andmade
pathsthereinforyou, andsentdown waterfrom the cloud. Then, thereby,
Wehaveproduceddiversepairs ofplants - each distinctfrom the other. ”
(Qur’an 20:53)
‘AndWecauseflora ofevery kindtogrow as spouses. (Quran 31.1 )
‘Anditis He who spread out the earth... and ofallfruit Heproduced
therein, asspousesoftwoandtwo... . (Qur an 13.3)
‘[Godis]TheOriginatoroftheheavensandtheearth. Hehas created
foryoufromamongyourselves, andmates ofthecattle too, multiplying)
thereby..." (Qur’an 42:11)
“AndHedidcreate inpairs-maleandfemale." (Qur an 53:45)
ThestoryofNoah’sArkiswellknown. The Qur’an tells it in Chap
Verses36-48: When the deluge came and the flooding ofthe whole a
imminent, therewas the danger that some ofthe species ofanimals and
mightbeexterminated. Even atsuch a time, Godshowed His concern
.hd,[wa*-ofN“h“by
W..”(Qur’5nll:40)
All these observations ofthe Qur’an laydown two basic principle^ Firstly,
that the preservation ofspecies is ofparamount importance. Secondly, that
the Divine scheme of regeneration works through the opposite, but
complementary, forces ofnature-not only in animals and plants, but also in
inorganic matter. In the elements ofnature, for example, we find that every
atom possesses a positivelycharged nucleus ofprotons and negatively charged
electrons. Similarly, electricityneeds the positive and the negative currents to
produce energy.
“"■**v"”s ”b‘
* <Q"'M45:3,4) 1”f
14

15. -l,tte.»»"'0f,l",”ne"‘‘°fGod'Thissl’o"'s'l’'in'p°"“«
thatGod^0'0
& f^e^riort0 US beCaUSC haV£ 3 differelU V0Cal aPParatUs’
the feet that theycannot make articulate speech, like we can
> mean
Im Zare‘contemptible dumb animals’. Science has proved now that they
Communicate not only with each other but also with humans - at least
enough to express their social interests and biological needs. Those ofus who
enjoy the privilege ofa loving and caring relationship with our pets will beat
witness to this fact. Modern scientific research by naturalists has discovered
quiteafewinteresting facts in this field. The honey-bee’s buzzing dance is not
justan outburstofmerriment. It is meant to convey to other bees the location
ofthe nectar-with the exact details ofdirection, distance and, perhaps, the
quality and quantity' ofthe find. The insignificant ants’ well-organised and
industrious social life could not be run without intelligent communication
among them. The sonic vibrations made by marine mammals, generally called
whale-songs, are articulate communications. Animals and birds in the wild can
passon different kinds ofinformation to each other by' slight modulation of
voice.Theveryaccentuation in the ‘meow’ can tell the owner ofa cat whether
it is requesting, complaining, or saying ‘thank you’.
There are numerous legends about the Muslim saints and other holy men
ho could talk to animals. However, for lack ofauthentication, they are taken
g nerally as mere fables. There is one statement in the Quran, though, which
timeofKi man ac<lu‘red the lore ofspeech with animals as early as the
tunr ■ l 8 °'omon' Pethaps in those days human civilisation was more in
nature than it is today. The Qur’an verse runs like this:
AndSolomon was David’s heir, andhe said: 'Oyepeople! We have
tau^t^espeechofbirds..:“{^’-iR27:6)
a. ri“
■ l rights by
of anti1131 rl®
benefit motives than try
quotations:
themfirth topastures in the mornings. Andthey carryyour ’)
places whereyou could not otherwise reach save by laborious strain to
yourselves. Verily! YourSustainer is most kind- a Dispenser ofgrace. And
[Hehas createdfiryou]horses, mulesanddonkeysfor ridingas wellasfor
adornment-andHe willyetcreate things ofwhichyou have no knowledge
now." (Qur’an 16:5-8)
forthosewhodrinhit.” (Qur’an 16:66)
The Arabic word firth’means that glandular protoplasm which is filled
withparticles ofsecretions no longer needed by the metabolism, which is
secretedoutbythebody. Ithasbeen establishedby scientists now that milkis
amixtureofthoseparticles andlife-blood.The messages ofsome ofthe above
versesate repeatedbelow for emphasis:
Andsurely there isa lesson foryou in cattle t. • j
16

16. howtheyare created
Whileenumerating the wonders ofGod’s creation, the camel - the sh' f
thedesert-ispointed out conspicuously in these words:
fbeing
*» ofW “J b2" by .hose "ho convenient find ■»
X—
“taX»4eQnrtoed-*» «» M«crearo.es possess a non-
pbpMfcoeofspirimdmiod which, in icsadvanced form. >vecall psyche.
This concept should not be confiised with the concepts of‘re-incarnation or
‘trans-migration’ ofsouls, which doctrines are based on postulations different
from those ofIslam. Although animals’ psychic force is of at lower level than
that ofhuman beings, there is ample evidence in the Qur’an to suggest that
animals’ consciousness ofspirit and mind is of a degree higher than mere
msnnctand intuition. We are told in the Qur’an that animals have a cognisance
^Xft’h““'^P1Zthdr'’b'^“t0Himb’'ldora«na„d
*he,c m"’’’ ” th“ rroP»si>i»n. the following few mu„
e. TheMetaphysics ofthe Animal Mind
Unfortunately modern scientific research has been confined mostly to the
behaviourandphysiologyofanimals. Until recently, in the field ofconsciousness
research, mostscientistsattributedanimal learningpurely to instinct. R
workin thisfieldtends tostate that no creature other than humans
cndowedwithaconsciousmindand, hence, has no faculty for higher cog
Thispresumptionisbasedonthemisconceptionthateven rudimentary sp °
awarenesscan emanateonly from a consciously analytical mindasoppo
the organic life ofa body which can exist and grow without the P
apprehensive senses.
What is overlooked in this hypothesis is the fact that the quan
balanceintheconscious andthe unconscious elements is ofvarying deg
eachspecies. Ourscientific research has notyet been able to define the
demarcation between the conscious, the unconscious and the subco
dements ofmind, nor have we heard the last word on how these el
act hence theconfusion about the psyche ofanimals which rang
treme to the other in the hierarchy ofspecies.
“Seestthou not that it isAllah Whosepraises are celebratedby all beings
in theheavensandon earth, andby the birds with extendedwings?Each
oneknows itsprayer andpsalm, AndAllah is aware ofwhat they do."
(Qur'an 24:41)
countenanceout ofthem. Andon them, as on ships, you
^r/^-'(Quf“23:2I’22)
‘ItisCod^hoprovidedforyou allmanneroflivestock, thatyou mayride
msomeofthemandfromsomeofthemyou mayderiveyourfood. Andthere
ureotherusesinthemforyoutosatisfyyourheart’s desires. Itison
ships, thatyou makeyourjourneys” (Qur’an 40:79, 80)
19

17. ‘Thtsamheavensandtheearthandallthingstherein declareHis /
ThmisnotathingbutcelebratesHisadoration; andyetye mankihd^
understandnothowtheydeclareHisglory...” (Qur'an 17:44) *
shar God actually
■ understood that the inanimate elements ofnature perform the act of
'^in'God without articulate utterances. They do it by submitting
10 the D'vine OrdinanCeS kn°Wn “ the LaWS ofN«ure.
Rowingverse tells us how all the elements ofnature and all the animal
kingdom function in harmony with God s laws; it is only some humans who
infringeand, thus, bringaffliction on themselves. The Qur'an dwells on this
theme repeatedlyto emphasise the point that man should bring himselfinto
harmonywith nature, according to the laws ofGod - as all other creation does:
‘Sintthou notthat untoAllahpayeth adoration all things that are in
theheavensandon earth -thesun, the moon, the stars, the mountains,
thetrees, theanimals, anda large number among mankind? However,
therearemany[humans]who do notanddeserve chastisement... ” (Qur’an
22:18).
The lawsofnature have respect for no one and ‘time and tide wait for no
Even the most unruly and the unsubmissive have to submit to those
^^thertheylikeitornot-astheQur’an tells us:
heav Pr°stratethemselves [in submission] whosoeverare 'n
in tl "Mrt^' ^‘therwillinglyor unwillingly, as do theirshadows
^‘^-deveningsr^^XyA^
man’ssubmiss^ h had°WS *s employed here to emphasise the point that
ground in the mor ’ d like that oftheir shadows, which fall flat on th
31 thcir|ongest. °rnin8S 3nd CVeninSs ~the Gmes ofthe day when shadows are
—
Itisanybody’sguesswhatformGodscommunicationwtthanimaJstakes.
We know only this, that the Qur’an uses the same Arabic word Wahy for God s
revelation to all His Prophets, including the Holy Prophet Muhammad , as it
usesin thecaseofthe bee. Itisobvious that the connotation ofGod’s revelations
to His Messengers would be different from that ofHis revelations to animals.
Thisisaserious theological subjectwhich cannot be dealtwith here. Nevertheless,
it proves the basic fact that animals have a sufficient degree of psychic
” “"de™"d “» Gods usages - a facuJty which is
higher than instinct and intuition. '
- nwss possess con!ciousn““ “d cmh have blood
vJCXX*?" °f,I,C Sp““taB“ddhisrfeC08n'MnCe°f
f' Kjghtsii
MghtsintheResourcesofNature
Onceithasbeenestablishedthateachspeciesofanimals isa community
likethehumancommunity, itstandsto reasonthateachandevery creature on
earthhas,asitsbirth-right, ashareinallthe naturalresources. Inotherwords,
eachanimalisatenant-in-commononthisplanetwithhuman species. Letus
seenowwhysomehumanbeingsdo notactaccordingtothetermsofthisjoint
tenancy.Theinequitableattitudeofsomepeopletowardsanimalsseems tobe
a leg-
Ordefto
20

18. FOR ANIMAL
ISWMIC CONCERN
faof„ bjK—sl” ■l« G°d» “' °"1’’th' bu. tht
Smuinoand die Nourishes ofall,h“H'Ho"e',“'Ih'QuranU
down the condition that human beings, like all other creatures, shall have to
work for their food; and that their share would be proportionate to their
labour. The followingverse serves as the maxim for this principle.
'‘Andthat man shallhave nothing, but what he
53:39)
(Qur’an
In the followingverse this stipulation is repeated in the words: ‘those who
seek’, with the additional proviso that God provides according to the needs of
thepeople:
And [God] bestowed blessings on the earth, and measured therein
^tndueproportion...; in
s"k- (Qur’an 41:10)
writ for their food ab°Ve Verses for human beings t0
te"d to relysolelyon g'h’ k C°nVenierKlT 'gnored by some people. Some
roouthsopen Md wa' ' enef|cence-lying down on their backs with their
WeinventeddubiQ310"8 f°r maniW fr°m heaven Co faJI therein' Others
*ork aspossible Some ' meanS t0 ^et more than their share by as little
preserves - and who °SC W^° Wor^’ muscle in to poach on others
^e’iceles5anim,i , 30 eas‘er PreT f°r exploitation than the poor
T110se *ho expect r° k T' f'§ht f°r their riShts?
bread fail t0 bv God, the Sustainer, without working f°r
°r‘6te’ (Q“da’wa Oa2 tHe reaJ sense ofthe doctrine of pre-destination’.
1,1 ^^icsensei,. literal meaning of pre-destination’-
‘ng the fate ofsome one or some thing i”
othei
fixed limitations, however, conditions coulcI be c g
could be avoided or lessened by human effort and skill.
Unlike some human beings, animals are quite capable ofsatiating thei
hungerand ofprocuringall their necessities oflife, ifman would only let them
do so without interference. The Quran repeatedly hammers home the fact
that food and other resources ofnature are there to be shared equitably with
other creatures. Below are just a few ofthe numerous such verses:
^^man lookathisfoodthowWepourout water in showers, then
tUn eart^ 'nt°furrow-slices and cause cereals to grow therein
^"^^fiddertolive-treesandpalm-trees-and/
fruitsandgrasses...” ? ’an^luxuriantorchards,
, kt us stop at this point ofthen
*'for«idfc,,honih '“°™onandasl<ourselves rheoquotatit

19. Onecouldget the impression from these verses that they refer only to the
livestockinwhosewelfare we have a vested interest. After reading the whole of
the Qur’an in this context, there remains no doubt that the message
comprehendsall animals and not only domestic livestock. The following verses
support this view:
Thmisnomovingcreature on earth, butAllahprovidesfor itssustenance...”
(Qur’an 11:6)
55 ear‘h-He [God] has assigned to all living creatures.” (Qur
Innumerouspassages the Qur’an explains the reason for eveiythi $
^ecosmosas an ordered whole; the dark nights and the bright day’. ,
ejrtftwith itsimmenseexpanse,shootingforth its moisture and its pastu' C
thestablemountains-all this, we are told, has been created for the benef^-
man andanimals. Belowaresome ofsuch verses: C ltof
‘Anddotheynotseethat Wemeander water to a barren landand
forthfromitcrops, whereof, theircattleas wellas theythemselves eatHfr
theytaleno noticeofit? (Qur’an 32:27) ‘
youranimals. (Quran 79:31-33) J - llandfor
as recorded in the Qur’an:
In Swords ofMosesW,
°fHiisen 10^h; He bequeaths it to whosoeverHeptenes
ants-" (Qur’an 7:128).
’ A,
ISlaM1C concern
FORANl*1^
error and perished. Thamud were the
relevant to the subject under discussion. The tribe of 1 ham
descendants ofNoah«. Theyhave also been mentioned in the Ptolemaic recor
ofAlexander’s astronomer ofthe 2nd centuryA.C. The people ofThamud
demanded that the Prophet Salih(s) show them some sign to prove that he was
aprophetofGod. At that time the tribe was experiencing a dearth offood and
waterand was, therefore, neglectingitslivestock. It was revealed to the Prophet
Salih to single outa she-camel as a symbol and ask his people to give her her
/.Mmdfodder. Thepeople ofThamud promised to do rfiar bur
This incident
W 11^26,155; 54-27 3]) Z“ dlfl'rent “ntCMs. (Qur'an
*«*X*0FANattW
*’^S “■'d ,h»" necess,„ L
t',att,’ea"itnals?efeSeeniStot>enotha ^^^an nee^-
“■““■Wd. k'"°'aP*ofp, ^“"Sinthis,, Cl"85«feeach
on-
d'«onsar specific
’^tly
25

20. THE ISLAMICJURISTIC RULES
Mostoftheabove-mentioned issues did not exist about fourteen centuries
ago and, therefore, therewas no occasion to pass any specific laws about them,
ltwasfeltsufficient to lay down general principles as guidelines. In cases like
these, Islamicjurisprudence (/^A) has left it to the Muslim Jurists (fuqaha) to
usetheirjudgement by inference and analogy. The first source ofIslamic lawis
the Quran.The second source is Tradition (Hadith). The third is consensus
(Ijnu).The fourth is inference by analogy (Qiyas), and the fifth is exercise of
judgement(Ijtihad). Since Ijtihadwii be quoted in many cases below, a brief
explanatorynote is called for here.
ith theexpansion oflslam into vast empires there grew the need for law
s .. inference and analogy in cases which were not mentioned
Zriod'Jh" theSUtUt°ry Uw ofthe Qur an and Hadith. During the early
Latinte ■■ eVe‘0Pment’ ^e Muslim jurists were greatly influenced b}
fyty. the 'r COnSU^ °r Pru^ents were named in Arabic ‘fuqahd (plural of
named ah,-^ruc^entIum > meaning ‘answers to legal questions were
from the QUr'- eSense°f kga! opinions’ based on analogical deduction5
accepted as ‘can ’ ^ome such ‘opinions’ by the jurists came to
Roman lawas" plural ofFatwa) - similar to what is known
^moftoi^^"’01 ‘resP°™’0I ‘case law’ in the West. The Roman
ased on equity, in spite ofthe rescript ofHadrian, ha
h«heologi<=J«‘l‘lirementS
the Qur’an and Haditb- jn or achieve something •
Ji** 7 ” ” b„„ m issue ofdebate and discuss,on
and transitory exigencies. Others, however, feel strongly that a total rejection o
yt/Wwould close the doors for Muslims to make the necessary adaptations
according to the changing conditions oflife. This whole disputation could be
resolvedwithout much fuss ifa fundamental principle ofIslamic jurisprudence
were to be understood. It is that: the law by analogy and inference (ijtihdd) is
subordinate to the intrinsic spirit and intention ofthe laws ofthe Qur an and
W^-just as the Hadith is subordinate to the Qur’an. In fact the jurists of
Rules’ (qawi'idfiqhiyyah). “ Case4aw or ‘Juristic
Anyjuristic opinion which rln^

21. _.c.REIN,SIAM
oral or ethical sermons to quell the avidity and greed of
more than religious."° ^willing customers.
some mulo-mill“’ntOrPenKthatarebeing Jone in the name of research
Manyofthe«P^^ of knowiedge cou)d
“‘““"‘"’"'"•"diLts, pictures, photographs, computer simulations,
^"ses ofanimals that have died their natural death. In other
dU*^malsarepoisoned, starved, blinded, subjected to electric shocks or
rfpbled in the alleged interests ofscience. Scientists generally scoffat
Xonistsassticklersforconvention. Arescientists themselves doing any better
bystickingto theirprimordial practices even when there are so many alternatives
available now? It is very sad to see that even in the Islamic countries where
Western curricula have to be followed in science subjects, similar unnecessary'
and inhuman experiments are being performed on animals. Those Muslim
students are perhaps in ignorance of the fact that such experiments are in
violation ofIslamic teachings. Even if they were aware of it, it is doubtful
whether theywould have any sway in the matter.
Some research on animals may yet be justified, given the Traditions of
Islam. Basic and applied research in the biological and social sciences, for
example, will be allowed, if the laboratory animals are not caused pain or
disfigured,and ifhuman beings or other animals would benefit because ofthe
esearch. The most important ofall considerations is to decide whether the
P rimentisreallynecessary and that there is no alternative for it. The basic
P understand about using animals in science is that the same moral,
tohumansdlegalCO<ieSSllOUldaPplyt0 treatment opanimals are aPP11£<i
Preservation Th u3”’ *S Sacrosanct and has a right ofprotection and
point that hedecl d' Muhammad'1' laid so much emphasis on thi
(ife. Allah will be
} asparrowandsparesKshi’
•H<*“kK|,ll’'Ith’eDarofJudgOTen‘'
mo*1”"1”"”” nrofanimalS have been
Xedieal treatment of animals and
aceoding .0 „unethical and illegal aeeofdmg
^-«"*™tomeStl“it.mhelifeofan animal can besaved
w iU be a meritorious act m the
as not to leave a scope for exceptional circumstances, results in suffering
breeds hypocrisy.
According to all religions, all life, including animal life, is a trust from God.
That is why, in the case ofhuman life, suicide is considered to be the ultimate
sin. The animals, however, do not possess the freedom of choice wilfully to
termmate their own life and have to go on living their natural lives. When man
„ „nrao, pain and sufeing and thus cuts short its
lfe-hefigurativelycommits a suicide on behalfof rhnr ' I .
■t—P«..fki!..„stMeswldltheanima] rmalanda
°Ut the use °fanimals in science as well a, l • Wran§les
w»ald become much easier to solve ifo I general treatment
:^^h-.otra..,l;::fca°rth7“uid^»»'^th£reallsm
d*»..0.a„ds, without Prejudia
'°*h '*»«t«7 i",pri”"'<1 ""d com”'5' murdcre's. rapists
its deservin ■ l ^bllsjeven] a sparrow or anything smaller, without
28

22. HUMAN NEEDS AND INTERESTS (AL-MASALIH)
Ithasbeen mentionedearlier that certain kinds ofcruelties which are being
inflicted on animals these days did not exist at the time ofthe Holy Prophet
Muhammad1’1 and, therefore, they were not specifically cited in the law
{Sbari'ah). Commerciallymotivated scientific experiments are one such case.
Wehave to seek guidance on such issues by analogy and inference which is the
third source oflaw, i.e. the Juristic Rules, based on ijtihad. One of the main
excuses for all kinds ofartfid cruelties to animals is selfish interest or human
needs. Let us see how Juristic Rules define‘needs’ and ‘interests’ and judge
these cases according to those definitions. The basic Juristic Rule (qa'idab
fiqhiyyah) that would apply to pecuniary experiments is: “One’s interest or
does not annul others right {al-idtiraru Idyubtil haqq al-ghayr). The
and th ar™ Meds deserve t0 be regarded as realistic
iustifiahl Tk animi'S t0 fulfil such needs should be legitimate and
needs’ttclassifiri^^lleS ife Wel1 defined for such cases-To begin with’
L “Thatwithoutwhich a necessity cannot be filled is itselfa necessity.-
This rule only states an exception, and underlines the importance o
making sure that the experiment is really a necessity (wdjtb). However,
afterleaving the door open for the unavoidable necessary cases, all sorts
of restrictive and prohibitive conditions have been imposed by the
followingjuristic Rules:
it “What allures to the forbidden, is itselfforbidden.”19 This rule implies
'S“n>«eridgan,, including food, obtained by wrongful acGi SKh as
■ hich is for commerCial pUrp0SCS' These and niany
search most of w in our human and so-called humane
othersuch disparities ar mora]
S0Ci'2'’'didXroacbto this problem would be to set forth for ourselves
^'terwnthatanykind ofmedical or scientific research that is unlawful on
humans is unlawfulon animals.
UL Iftw° evils conflict k
,choose the 1^ eviJ
PKV'"'th'^=revil)..„

23. ^WJARE-NISIAM
a» prohibit use ofskins °f
-n,tHoisr”Ph“M“P
animals.’“
The above two rules leave
a^out the current killin CXCUSe ^or Muslims to remain complacent
an<l various other cotnrnod' ' 'm^S ^C*r m*^i°ns their furs, tusks, oils,
I’f'man needsis no |Q The excuse that such things are essential for
thingSinethericmater^7 . M°dern ichnology has produced all these
ccasesatacheaperD ■ , are easily available all over the world, in
““‘ty. Even the ° den daEs> for example, furs and skins were a
card Idowever, this f0”5 an'mals as a source ofwarm clothing-
dan,rnalsvvhicha k- horares,aughtered for food. There are
ebe'"glolled these days commerciallyjust for
approach of Islam to human imperfections and
inadequacies, assaidbefore, some researchon animals and the concomitan
surgicaloperations mayyet be justifiable provided that they are carried out
withoutpainandunder anaesthetics; provided that the subject animal is put
to sleep before it regains consciousness; provided that the animal is not
disfigured;providedthatitisdone honestly and truly for knowledge and not
hrthepromotionofcommercialinterests; provided that the operations are
ZmZnSC,ev°USandqUaV'fledSClentlSlS; andpr°Vlded that there is no
^sc'XaTd miVeV“t0 k"P Undet COn"°lProfes'^ally
'"7'7' experience shows
^"'^’’^'Seirprofe^n,! ,va
“The Holy Prophet’1’ said: ‘Do not ride on saddles made of silk or
leopardskins.”30
It is important to note that the first Hadith covers all wild animals. The
reason why leopard skins have been mentioned specifically could, perhaps, be
that the Holy Prophet’11 might have seen someone using a saddle of leopard
skin. Similarly, the specific mention of floor-coverings and saddles does not
mean that they could be used for other purposes.
“TheHolyProphet11’forbade the skins ofwild animals being used as
floor-coverings.”2’
. “p^entionofdaniagetakespreferenceovertheachievementofinterests
Or fulfilment of needs.”22 This rule lays down the principle that the
advantages and the disadvantages ofan experiment should be weighed
fromall angles.
v “No damage can be put right. "
vi. “No damage can be put right by a similar or a greater damage.”24 When
we damage our health and other interests by our own follies, we have
no rightto make the animals pay for it by inflicting similar or greater
damage on them, such as by doing unnecessary' experiments to find
remediesforourself-induced ailments.
vii. “Resort to alternatives, when the original becomes undesirable.”25 This
rule has a great bearing on the current controversy' about the use of
alternativesforanimals in experiments, such as tissue-culture and other
substitutes. Muslim experimentists should take this Juristic Rule
seriously. It places a great moral responsibility'on them, as well as on
Muslim medicalstudents, to find alternatives.
[heirfursandskins, whiletheircarcassesareleftto rot. Fourteen centuries ago
Islamrealisedtheabsurdityofthiswastefuland cruelpracticeandpassedlaws
tostopitin thefollowingAhddith:
vui. Thatwhichwasmadepermissible for a reason, becomes unpermissible
by theabsenceofthat reason.”26
ix. All falseexcusesleading to damage should be repudiated.

24. ^ICCON^
is carrion a"3'5
According tot .
pain and suffering to
the spirit and the overall teachings ofIslam, causing avoidable
the defenceless and innocent creatures of God is not
justifiableunderanycircumstances. No advantages and no urgency ofhuman
needs would justify the kind ofcalculated violence which is being done these
days against animals, especially through international trade of livestock and
meat. One ofthe sayings ofthe Holy Prophet Muhammad1” tells us: “ifyou
mustkill, kill without torture”.31 While pronouncing this dictum, he did not
nameanyanimalasanexception- not even any noxious or venomous creature,
such as scorpions and snakes. People are allowed to kill them only if they
become a threat to life or limb; and even then without torture.
Luckily, on this theme, there are quite a few ofthe Holy Prophet’s1' sayings.
During the pre-Islamic period, certain pagan superstitions and polytheistic
practices involvingactsoftorture and general cruelties to animals used to be
common in Arabia. All such practiceswere condemned and stopped by Islam.
The followingfew sayings ofthe Holy Prophet111 will serve as an example:
J' , Idthat Gods Messenger1’1 forbade striking the face or branding
reportedh' The same Companion of the Holy Prophet111
facepassed h' Wben ln which had been branded on its
y God curse the one who branded it’.”32
ofitsbody.as^Hjj^ , ^W'tbcaus‘ngPain to the animal on sensitive parts
1^len the Holy pro l e drifigurementofits appearance.
people ‘here uscd t0 " n’igrated t0 Madina from Makka in 622 A.C.,
Prophet1"orderedthisbarb bumps and ttle fat tails sheep’
Pe°ple t0 Perform this 50^^““ t0 be st0PPed- The temptation for the
^"fSandPattytailscould 1° VlV‘Section on ^e animals was that the juicy
' OrCn’OVe'hisavidityilie”te"whileanimal remained alive for future
unlawful(ffardm)toeat.”33
Tomakesurethatnoinjurywasinflicted on an animal while there was even
aflickeroflifeinit,itwasforbidden bytheHolyProphet11’ to molest the carcass
inanyway,forexample:bybreakingitsneck, skinning, orslicingoffanyofits
parts,untilthebodywasdead cold. Oneofhissayings on this theme is:
“Donotdealhastilywith a ‘being’ beforeitis stone dead.
'Umaribnal-Khattab used toinstructrepeatedly:
■&'"”"«^’^tMB,a,it.sdeadrold
”34
”35
Many other Muslim authorities have also given juristic opinions (fatdtvdj
totheeffectthat, afterslaughter, time should be given for the rigor mortis to set
in before cutting up the carcass.36
Another malpractice in Arabia in those days was stopped by the Holy
Prophet1" in these words:
“Donotstore milkinthe dugs fodders) ofammals, andwhoever b y
suchanimals,hastheoption tokeep them or return them.
Storingofmilkinthe dugwasperhaps done to preserve milklonger or to
beguiletheprospectivebuyers.
Not only physical but also emotional care of animals was so much
emphasisedbytheHolyProphet111 thathe once reprimandedhiswife, ‘A’ishah,
treatingacamelabitoffhandedly. 'A’ishahherselfnarrates:
ltbeko^youto treat the animalsgently’
I
35

25. ^lUAlWUAMWiaAM
The HolyProphet1" himselfwas once reprimanded by God for neg|ectin|
his horse, as thefollowing Hadith tells us:
“The Prophet'"wasseen wiping the face ofhis horse with his gown.
When asked why he was doing that, he replied: ‘Last night I had a
reprimand from Allah regarding my horse for having neglected
him.’””
The following Hadith forbids the disfiguration ofthe body ofan animal:
“The Prophet1" said: ‘Do not clip the forelock ofa horse, for a decency
isattached to its forelock; nor its mane, for it protects it; nor its tail, for
it is its flyflap’.”40
Thereare manyAAadirb forbidding blood sports and the use ofanimals as
targets, someofwhich areas follows:
“Ibn 'Umarhappened to pass bya party ofmen who had tied up a
henandwereshootingarrowsatit. When theysawlbn ’Umarcoming,
theyscamperedoff. Ibn ’Umarangrilyremarked: ‘Whohas done this?
Verily!Allah’sMessenger’1’hasinvokeda curse upon one who does this
kindofthing'.”47
IXia*».«»«‘D»"“1“imthepoorbeaSt'
The fact that theseAhadith repeat the same sayings ofthe Holy Prophet'’1
in slightly varying wordings show that he took the matter very seriously and
repeated them again and again on different occasions in the presence ofdifferent
people. Anothersignificant point to note in this respect is that, to stop the use
ofanimals as targets or in blood sports, the Holy Prophet(s) did the same as he
did in the case ofcamel-humps {haram) for consumption, according to the
following
The Prophet1" condemned those people who take up anything alive
as ameresport.”41 r 7 &
“TheProphet1"forbadebloodsports, as practised by the Bedouins.
TheProphet111 said: ‘Do not setup livingcreatures as a target .
TheProphet11condemnedthosewho use alivingcreature as a target.
Prophet forbadean animalbeing made a target.”45
^'Prophet1"wasreported
lifeasatarget’,”46
af*ng- Do not make anything having
“GodsMessenger4^^
setupandshotatasatargetfor shooting. 4
Onemightalsoappealto theIslamiclaw (Shari’ah) to oppose animals in
militaryresearchingeneralandintheso-calledwoundlaboratories inparticular.
Theabove-quotedAbadiff, aswellas theJuristicRules, wouldseem to support
<heviewthatourwarsareourownproblemsandthatwehave no right to make
'heanimalssuffer forthem.
hereisnodoubtthattheIslamicprohibition againstthe cuttingor injuring
** “S"PP°"tKiS‘"K'P"'»onofthe
Xs” '• ,kc ’b0V'“"“Kd
*4XX?theV"S“ -36

26. FOR ANIMA15
ISWMIC CONCERN
ANIMAL mf.WE IN 1SIAM
• | pausespain or*ementis t0 the Islam* precept
anlD’ wercrevealed in condemnation ofthe pagan superstitious CUstOn,
camels, ewes or nanny goats which had brought forth a certain
nmiberofyoungones in acertain ordershould have their ears slit, be let loose
Lddedicatedto idols. Suchcustomswere declared by the Qur’an as devilish
acts,inthesewords:
7twasnotAllah who institutedthepractice ofa slit-ear she-camel,
she-camelletlooseforfreepasture, or a nanny-goat let loose...”
5:103).
ora
■ (Qur’an
theSpaniardsholdfiestas on special occasions to eat the bull killed by
a matador. Thereis no room here to give the gruesome details ofsuch bull­
fights. Sufficeit to saythat the meat ofsuch animals is haram (forbidden) for
theMuslims. Onewondershowand why, in thisdayand age, such cruelties to
animals are being tolerated by the civilised world. Even in England some
revoltinglycruel dog-fightshave been brought to light, some ofwhich have
resultedinprosecutions.
,bem~!l1 tha‘ willcom
t' "
<118,119)
’ most certainly, Ishallbid
“AUamidhim [Satan]forhavingsaid: 'Ishallenticea numberofYour
wants, andleadthem astray, andIshallarouse in them vain desires; and
Ishallinstructthemtoslittheears ofcattle; and, most certainly, 1shallbid
them-sothattheywillcorruptAllah’s creation. Indeed!He who chooses
theDevilratherthanAllahashispatron, ruinshimselfmanifestly.” (Qur’an
4:11R "»)
asa
Animal-fights,suchasbullandcock-fighting, areanother km ae maMes
Theonlydifferenceisthat,inthiscase, man does not do it imse ^osewho
theanimalsteareachotheraparttoprovide amusement for him wartns
seekentenainmentinsuchscenesofviolence andifthe sight of kjnds of
theirownblood, woulddobetterby watching more television. A in
animal-fights are strictly forbidden in Islam. Out of the numerous
miunctions,onewouldsufftcehere:
w >’50
God’sMessenget"'forbadeincitinganimals to fight each other.
„ eat
„“LThe,..^ ofthe Wes. has snr.e affecung .he
characteranddestinyofthe developing countries. Formerly, in those countries,
cruelty to animals used to be inflicted mostly through individual ignorance
andthelackofveterinary'facilities. Nowit is becoming a mammonish creed of
rapaciousgrabbingbyfairmeans orfoul. The agrarian mismanagement, referred
toabove, is particularly ofconcern to the environmentalists because of the
change in ourattitude to naturewhich has characterised the last fortyyears or
XXrr?“m“ d"p" *n ■■ appi,“ “
‘-«*hh1„Xrf ” T1”8’' “ abS°'“K' Th°S' devcloping
,ko»ia ,XE?'T"'m"h°ds °fasricullureand
f’7,he of>heWes.,
n"al Md Mil. Thus i„ . *' benrfl«l
s,mple5,ro'«ion
bf'icall'd """golds „ ™ W<”’ld b' d»wn
Q'■*twth, fi’ ’»dove,* man8els and swedes or
°tati''eCrn„ dsw°uldhPr gasfixture anJ Or
38
39

27. is1amicconcern
FORANIHA1^
Sheen not without cause called the golden hoof, grazed over at least ha(f
. form each year and enriched the soil. Flocks would graze the barley and
I at stubbles as well as the clover leys after the hay crop had been taken,
nZwere also to be seen arable-folded during the winter time on turnips. All
Jcrop and animal by-products such as straw and manure were jealously
conserved and had to be returned to the soil. A tenant-farmer could be
Assessed ifhe burned even asmall amount ofstraw or sold hay offthe farm.
In the rotational mixed farming system, animals were related to the land - and
to thebenefit ofboth. The “rules ofgood husbandry” were written into every
tenancy agreement and no one considered breaking them.
Today this cyclic system has been displaced by' a straight line system on
many farms in the Western so-called developed countries, and the costs are
only now being realised, with a consequent trend to reintroduce many ofthe
old techniques. Let us look at what happened.
Increasingly, the animals were taken off the land and reared intensively,
tighdypacked together in the windowless houses offactory’ farms. They were
not allowedstraw to lie on because this would mean extra labour and would in
any case blockthe pumps that deal with the slurry’ effluent. The fields, devoid
oflivestock, were brought back into large hundred-acre blocks by the removal
dgesand trees and the filling in ofditches. Instead ofa variety’ofcropping,
e profitable crop-barley-was grown continuously’ and each yearan
hadleft ’ ^U^opstraw burned ‘n the field where the combine harvesters
maintained bC S0*'StrUCtUrC Stafte<^t0 deter‘orate> an^ fert>*’ty cou^ only be
the soil, devoid f” ‘nCr<^lnSdoses ofartificial high nitrogen fertilizers until
pests proliferated i l r° ^ecame addicted to chemicals. Plant diseases an
by recourse to th °fanc'ent Egypt and could only be controls
^owereableto ea8UCUltUralchemist’sskill in devising toxic sprays. Wee s
'bat 'he harvester k ^enge to the spray manufacturers. The weeds of 0
^bythrough-cT~P°Ppies’ chadock and thistles - used to be kep'
Weedsan'lanewsr)erttlVatlOn methods- Herbicides quickly eliminated the*
^"^troublesome weeds arose, such as Shepherd
, From the cultivated areas,
nJPW^wii'iiif'di“ppr
Nm-.hostofnww j.^ rfmodern life, particularlycancer,
jmi»linkl«”ten”” f rcej.growth animals. In some parrs of rhe
forced-growth crops and torceagrowm .
“nnnrryrhe nnirer supplyhas been so contaminated with nitrogen run-
from fields that it is considered unsafe for life tn general and for babies tn
particular. Rivers and streams have become septic where no aquatic life can
survive Concern about the deterioration in wildlife, especially insects, is making
itselffeltin thesame wayas the deterioration offrogs in some ofthe develop!ng
countries. Added to all this catalogue ofconcern is the growing pressure on
politiciansand economists from some scientists and the lay public about the
*^»«f«»i™k.E,e„6e,digi„uSmsdmdo„slres01ranst0
*?f»"Sa.K the ””d'P™<Wforhisf„ . Do these
**■ *
>< * “> W Are w
^^es. 8‘Let Us look at § °fe
•“"“O'-
40

28. /.wrFRN FOR ANIMALS
ismmicconcernl
AMMALWELFARE IN ISIAM
. -^ntastoshorten herproductivelife to about three years. Hercalves
^hbringher into milkwith their birth, are taken from her at one or tw0
toold artificiallyfedand then put into the market, probably to be bought
bvveal formers. Such is the stress and trauma ofthe market that many ofthe
calves pickup enteric diseases during this stage and so need medication with
antibiotics on the receiving farm.
Someveal formers rear the calves in communal pens on beds ofstraw, but
there arestill others who put the calves into narrow crates as soon as they are
broughtonto the form. There they stay unable to walk, gambol or even turn
rounduntiltheyare ready forslaughter at about 16 to 20 weeks old. Although
calvesarehighlysocial animals, they cannot touch one another and can scarcely
see eachother in their restrictive crates. They lie on bare wooden slats so that
the dung and urine can be cleared away mechanically' as slurry. Although
ruminant and having a strong urge to chew the cud, they are denied any'sort
of roughage and so pluck the hair from their own shoulders and flanks ro
satisfy their appetites. Any slaughterman will tell you that the stomachs of
these calves contain indigestible hair-balls. Although this cruel method of
rearingcalves for veal has recently been phased out in the European Union, it
is still in widespread use elsewhere. Although the EU ban came into force in
eyear2007AC., veal crates will continue to be used in other countries such
astheU.S.A
ke t h / f°rPr°duction are packed tightly into wire cages and
Purpose ofththeirPr°^UCtlVe'iVeS Crouc^‘n§ on a sloping wire floor. The sole
other inherited “SUPP°Sed “ be t0 lay CggS and they arC T
w‘ng-spanofab aV'°Ur' ^bey cannot stretch their wings out. Indeed t e
six arecrowded i hCn "S Cm or thereabouts, yet five or sometimes eve
square centimetres ffT^' PuroPean Union each hen is given only 55
this. In neithercase h *” many countr'es eac^ hen ^ias even
scratchtheground s e enough space to spread her wings. The hens cann
cannoteven flee frn ^orseec*s or grubs; they cannot dust-bathe,
'’"’’^aggressivecage mate.
fall this is the contempt for life which
'"d""dUalS bU‘
™ <>ur «Dd
pointofview, meat ofsuch animals is unhealthy to eat. Our dieticians do nor
layenough stresson the point, but the history ofnations bears out the fact that
thereisastrongethological link between diet and character formation. Animals
reared under unnatural and inhumane conditions become frustrated, morose
and cantankerous. Such characteristics are passed on to those who eat their
meat, though it may take many generations to show. The biological laws of
nature are the same for the human species as for other animals. Their diet
~en'^g^l-ngconditionsaffectallofthemalike.Likeh
Wet. Even chickei
' *in6S'T'"y u„ M rm S°me Z"rS -
Theeni. hrough the cat n d gr°* one fearL . g-Jhl*hen,
°fanim^ and of7d Cha,JenS« the J' Uil’ n°W
N.,.X*enn.ur X" t«in6s „ 7'“- d,„ncr. W
7ndf''i'eiitf,7C",e’''*»nd;n70ubt’<Nsam
Hvet0 gSdo- eyexPerience3 ^-Theyf , ’
%l . ask ou , an advan , y feel paj
No- CtSs°that 8htls*ttod nytn°reQl,
"’'ide,., '"d pr„,, ”«*'« of r ' b«ic
t|Qn Of f " °duct> p * God tk ■
'X,al°'l'<
,nioraU_ tJlese
/
/
/
z
f
/
J V)
1
X
1
X
V *
42

29. ISLAMIC
con^^an,ma
„.U « Holy M*T’dU 7 ’PI77f *'
Xhodio(i^b.»"S^lfh'^0;'rad’’'lH.sove™1,dmh<
„„„ ,nd *“ 8'“" 6"
condemned (La'ana) those who practise such methods, in the same way as
he condemned similar other cruelties in his day. He would have declared that
there is no grace or blessing (&mzM - neither in the consumption ofsuch
food not in the profits from such trades. These are not just hypothetical
questions. The cruel and inhumane methods of intensive farming are being
practised in most Islamic countries these days, even in countries where
indigence is no excuse.
For some years the developing countries, including the Islamic countries,
havebeen importing high technology farming systems from the West, and the
trend is growing fast. According to figures published in the “World Poultry”
gazettefor October 1984, European firms have developed special projects of
high technology farming units for the Middle East. One oftheir laying houses
in Egypt isproducing25 million eggs per year. According to the same gazette,
similar projects have been installed in Saudi Arabia, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia,
man and other Middle Eastern States. Pakistan, Indonesia and other Islamic
es are followingsuit. Under the intensive farming system, a hen lays on
a® r 300 eS? a year. One can imagine from the above figures how
Dr a ■ °nso^ens are being subjected to the un-Islamic methods offood
“theignoran f |''dandc businesses are flourishing in Islamic countries due
arebeingreared h C°nSUmerPubbc. People do not know how meat chickens
are being fed on die ^en t0 8row excess*ve'y fast and d°"
quickly. Fowls and oth ^ttCn t^lem even ^aster t0 produce more meat, mor
numbers in compute °°^ in'ma^s are no longer creatures ofGod; they a
m‘nutc figuresofprop comPuters can give the breeders up-t0'c^
,s a long way offin J' u '°K “ touch ofa button, while God’s reckoning
Mnshmconsume^opsu > lf°nly the average, simple and God-fear‘"®
°°d-animals knew the gruesome details about t
44
• s theywould become
dswinWro«M“”iC“U“"lrasItha»heMuslta
^XLd is be,„gprodu«d. so
*“**»»f«'”*ehyP“b / wt co do about it. Sonce may
** " „. wide know!* - suitable, both from
10 ,nstH a 7* °f 're'
respectandcompassion for animals. As already mentioned, some of the cruelties
to animalswhich used to be practised during and before the time ofthe Holy
Prophet*0 were stopped by him. However, we come across many cruel practices
these days which, though not mentioned in the Islamic law, are obviously
againstthe veryspirit ofthe teachings ofIslam. It is sad to see that most ofthese
crueltiesaretakingplace in so-called civilised Western countries. However, it is
'"“^ngtosee that the protest ofthe Western animal welfarists against all
7"S«X »LtgLcX7,“wo,ryin8 thins “ tt“t
>*s:*s,"n » pc-X7ountries'have S'amd
firming
" •*>«7, chan good „ an,mal heal*
Wa^ecosm tlC foods or for DrnP an<* export of
P'^he feeli Tt,CSand other such ^^vated exoeri
^and S ^at civilised W Uxuries. Better j rnents to
C’"Ona|.«che
f
45

30. ^MALVtTLFAREINIS1^
themoralappeal of islam
Most of the sermons from our pulpits are admonitions against sin. lf
someonewere inclined to choose a subject pertaining to animal welfare, there
is enough material in every scripture to choose from. For example, here are two
sayingsofthe HolyProphet Muhammad1’1 which could make very appropriate
themes for such sermons. In the following sayings, the Holy Prophet'’1 has
placed the killing ofanimals without a justifiable reason as one of the major
sins:
“Avoid the seven obnoxious things [deadly sins]: polytheism; magic;
the killing ofbreathing beings I51 “ which God has forbidden except
for rightful reason.”
The baneful [sinful] things are: polytheism; disobedience to parents;
the killing ofbreathing beings.”52
The Holy Prophet1’1 has even tried the ‘Punishment and Reward’ approach
in the following
toH If f0^ t0^h*s Companions ofa woman who would be sent
s , or'lav‘ng locked up a cat; not feeding it, nor even releasing it
all th feeditself. 53 (This Hadith has been recorded by almost
e au entic books ofHadlth, as Ref. No. 53 will show.)
The Prophet,s) told k’ r
Allah for savjn U ^OmPani°ns of a serf who was blessed by
benching thirsJ,5'lfe °f a by giving it water to drink and
The Prophet!>> Was .
rewardedbyQ0(j e^ 'facts ofcharity even to the animals were
t0 every beast alive ”,55 ^s, there is a reward for acts ofcharity
live.’”33
„Mishkat^^XZtisasgoodasdomggo^^^
Hereafter.
BEASTSOFBURDEN nrincioles that animals in the service
The following^// laXdownf e P . f he purpose for which
, u M he used only when necessary and tortnep p
shouU nM be ne81““d:
“The Prophet1’1 once saw a man sitting on the back of his camel in a
market place, addressing people. He said to him: do not use the backs
ofyourbeasts as pulpits, for God has made them subject to you so that
they may take you to places you could not otherwise reach without
fatigue ofbody.’”57
«blXTdT1t7 ’lea"Cimel who”bclly had shrunk
■W-nJ,,nd °de ,h' " 'h' °Wn" °f th' «">el, 'in these
'’“-r.ridden, and
meet that they should rest.’”58
taking c ■
’"‘"*""8* “"*dun"S “"'Hing, the Holy p,
^en y0 •
CaMsStaze.'Mneythr0USha verdant I
l’>*~ldn7f"Pb“,hro“e>'»na "d;r 8° S‘0W “1 1« your
7 °fno«urnal
’rophet<s> used to
I
46
47

31. Sayingdailyprayers isone ofthe five most important obli 3f
theMuslimreligion.InthefollowingHadith, one ofhis Companion'll^
that the HolyProphet'” and his fellow travellers used to delay even*
theirprayers until theyhad first given their riding and pack animal fandhadattendedto theirneeds: 0 der
“Whenwestopped at a halt, wedid not say our prayers until we h d
takentheburdensoffourcamels’ backs and attended to their needs ”«
Imam 'All’sgeneral adviceaboutpack-animals is:
Be kind to pack-animals; do not hurt them; and do not load them
' ■" — ’>61
more than their ability to bear.
lent,a o..-
^^...^-^Aposdcof^andheldtus
Ji called .esrwo
youngandtooktheyoungones.The mother-bird was circlingabove
usin theair, beatingits wings in grief, when the Prophet came back
and said: ‘who has hurt the FEELINGS of this bird by taking its
young?Return them toher’.”62
Itisreportedbythe same authoritythat: “a man once robbed some eggs
fromthenestofabird.TheProphet'”hadthemrestoredtothenest.”«
MENTAL CRUELTYIslamsconcern foranimalsgoes beyond the prevention ofphysical cruelty'
to themwhich,logically, is a negative proposition. It enjoins on the human
pecies, as the principal primates of the animated world, to take over the
P Abilityfor all creatures in the spirit ofa positive philosophy oflife and
active protectors. Prevention ofphysical cruelty'is not enough,
knowleZ*1^1S e<1Ual'y ‘mportant' In this age scientific research and
dumbanimal nOt 10 comprehend that these so-
various oth ’ °0’^ave feelings and emotional responses. Dogs,
or‘ginallyuntamT'S ^3Ve ^ecome Part °fhuman society as pets WCK
confidencein m brut‘sh animals. It was only love and care that won thei
bringsback th k ^‘'‘^nlytheir ill treatment and neglect by man th
Thein beaSt‘nthem-
b‘shorse;hiswjfe 'i>-, ^roPbet Muhammad’s'” persoi
Prohibitionofcuttin f S F°U^ idlingofher camel; the HolyPropf>c
and branding On f '°C^’tdle mane or tail; the condemnation °fstr‘^
r ears. - a][ these and many other such Ah“‘
,_called
■ cats and
,nalgr°oin'‘n6.
48
49

32. ^flJARElNlSLW’
ANIMAL
•The Messenger of Allah was heard forbidding to keep waiting a
quadruped Oranyotheranimal for slaughter.’^
“The Prophet'1’ forbade all living creatures to be slaughtered while tied
up and bound.’’1*
“The Holy Prophet’5’ said to a man who was sharpening his knife in
the presence ofthe animal: ‘Do you intend inflicting death on the
animal twice-once by sharpening the knife within its sight, and once
by cutting its throat? 6
Iman ‘Allsays: “Do not slaughter sheep in the presence ofother sheep,
orany animal in the presence ofother animals.”68
‘Umar once sawa man denying a sheep, which was going to slaughter,
a satiatingmeasure ofwater to drink. He gave the man a beating with
his lash and told him: ‘Go, water it properly at the time of its death,
you knave!’”6’
It is reported that ‘Umar once saw a man sharpening his knife to
slaughtera sheep, while he was holding the cast sheep down with his
oot placed on its face. He started lashing the man until he took to his
The sheep, meanwhile, had scampered off.70
CONCLUSION
The
great Mud’ l'° ')etKr w‘nd*ng UP ofthis chapter than by quotinga
general treatme • JS W^at says about the rights of animals and the
nt Might ofthe teachings ofIslam:
“God has honoured
^verything has b T*1 aut^10r*ty over His countless creatures.
een arnessed for him. He has been endowed with
50
,„M^U,,mwdm^thcmS^hisobjcaivCS. This
^eriorpositiongivesman an authorityover them andhe enjoys the
nghtto use them as helikes. But that does not mean that God has
girenhim unbridledliberty. Islam says thatall the creation has certain
rights upon man. They are: he should not waste them on fruitless
ventures norshouldhe unnecessarilyhurt or harm them. When he
usesthemforhisserviceheshouldcause them theleastpossibleharm
Mouldemploythebestand theleastinjurious methods ofusing
them. o
“ThelawofIslam embodies many injunctions about these rights. F°r
instance,weareallowed to slaughter animals for food and have been
forbidden to kill them merely for fun or sport and deprive them of
their liveswithout necessity... Similarly, killing an animal by causing
continuous pain and injury is considered abominable in Islam. Islam
allows the killing ofdangerous and venomous animals and of beasts
ofpreyonly because itvalues man’s life more than theirs. But here too
itJ““’”>U'»U1d,kaii„gby,esorttoprolonge<lplinfulmcthods».
^XXX"dTsusedfo'^“d
..............
res°UK«-living
I
51

33. .^NINWVTELFAREIN'SUKM
ppFNCESand notesREFEWT I Havtham. a ^ous Muslim philosopher and scientist (cir. 11 th cen
n; u.Academv ofScience and Philosophy which was founded by Abu Hudhayfah
®-dl in the early 8th century A.C. as quoted in The Sptrtt ofIslam; Syed Amir A]i;
10l Edition; Chatto & Windus, London; June 1964; p.424.
2 MawlanaJalal d-Din Rumi-one ofthe most eminent orthodox Muslim theologians
and sages (1207-1273 A.C. = 585-651 A.H.). (As quoted in the same Ref. No. 1);
p.425.
3. tf. Tabaris Commentary, 2:65; Mandr, 6:448; for Taghutin the sense ofevil. Also see
Ran.
4. Maxims of'Air, translated by al-Halal from Nahj al-Baldghah (in Arabic); Sh.
Muhammad Ashraf, Lahore, Pakistan; p.436. (Hereafter referred to as Maxims.)
Imam 'All ibn Abi Talib was the son-in-law of the Holy Prophet Muhammad1’1, and
the fourth Caliph (644-656 A.C. - 22-34 A.H.).
5. Narrated by Anas. Mssbkdt al-Masabih, 3:1392; quoted from Bukhari.
6. Wisdom ofProphetMuhammad^; Muhammad Amin; The Lion Press, Lahore, Pakistan;
1945.
7. BukharimdMuslim.
8. Juristic Rules serve as legal maxims in the Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh)-
9. Maxims (see Ref. No.4); pp.2O3, 381.
10. cf. ftaand uZ-Azhun, as quoted in Manar II (in Arabic); p.248.
11. The Message ofthe Quran; Muhammad Asad; Dar al-Andalus, Gibraltar,
footnotes 18,19; p.359.
12. MusnadofAhmad, 5:440 and 3:184. (Hereafter referred to as Musnad).
13. Basie Writings ofHusn-Tzu; Burton Watson; Colombia University Press, New or .
1963; p.106.
14. Arafe-TheIslamicWorldReview;Vol.4, No.49, September 1985; Slough, En?tind'
p.ll.
-««.■ <«D™6 Delhi. 1337. Al»
AU.,,1 UlnS'”'on l“"= Roh,son. in four volumes: Sh. Mu 1
16. Narrated by ^.a^'Stan’ (hereafter referred to as ‘Robson )•
17. In Arabic- a< Transmitted by al-Taharani.
fu al-wdjih Hid bihi,fahuwa urajib”.
52
pickthall;
. * MOT”dul“
I1’lnArablC G^0HS Q-"r'an' Eni95? verse 63, chapt- 5-
,m!dedmGardenoftbeRtghteous-Rtyddal-Sdlthinoflmim Nawawi, translate y
M.Z. Khan; Curzon Press, London, 1975; (hereafter referred to as Riyad); Hadith No.
815, p.160.
29. ibid.
30. Narrated by Mu'awiyah. Abu Dawiid; (see Riyad, Ref. No. 28); Hadith No. 814,
p.160.
31. InArabic: Ldtaqtalubi'l-idha”
Na 21" *
and Unlawfid in Islam r' ?''232’ No‘ 2547-
^'dibah, Cairo; 1977; p 293 Al 9? i ’ Yusu^ ^-Qaradawl; Maktabat
’’■^^oWdqidj i (M N°- P-872. '
(Ref n T,rm,dhi' ^h No 1480 Ch
lp“- M*a*-*4rW
5 7:457.,, So Al-Huhalld 7:457. „ u
“WIW«< A " <“ Arabic). Urn ’, “ ' <bo,h in Arohfo,
^^AhoX’^'^Anrbic).
IS,' p“nPl«i. I,., °2 Is, Pu-■
S by Yah 32)- ’^No-2593 Al -
E”glish); n hya Sa'!d ., Als° ^n, 7.1 c. ,
Cnd” al-Asb^ Al ' ’
"^^321.
bi-irtikab
j
in Arabic),
Was the second
Manzur
i
53

34. |SUWCCON«-—
W)Wl«lf'RE1N1SLW
, k. ■AW.IH t* V°L 3- *"'** N°-1558
“'“•“i «>■ ■*“*■ '*"■<M N"- “,! 8"5’ *""* N" »B42. Narrate . feut [t does not mentlon ‘Bedouins’)
„. *l ’■***No-1957
g72; (Ref- No. 15)-
44 Narrated by 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar. Bukhari and jlfafor. Also 'Robson; p.872. (Rrf
45 Narrated by Anas. Recorded by Riyad. (Ref. No. 28); Hadith No. 1606; p.272.
46. Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas. Sahih Muslim - Kitab al-Sayd Wdl-DhabaW; Chapt.
DCCCXXII, Vol.III; Sh. Muhammad Ashraf, Lahore, Pakistan, 1976; Hadith No.
4813; p-1079; (hereafter referred to as Kitab al-Sayd}.
47. ibid. Narrated by Sa'id ibn Jubayr.
48. Narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn Ja'far. Al-Nasai, 7:238.
49. NarratedbyWaqid al-Laythi. Abri <a/-£LrrduTirmidhi, HadithNo. 1473, Chapt. Al-
At'inuh'. Also ‘Robson (Ref. No. 15); p.874.
50. Narrated by 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas. Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi and Abu Al-Darda;
recorded in Riyad (Ref. No. 28); Hadith No. 1606; p.271. Also ‘Robson (Ref. No.
15); p.876.
51. Narrated by Abu Hurayrah. Sahih Muslim - Kitab al-Imdn (Ref. No. 46);
Chapt.XXXIX, Vol.l; p.52. Bukhari, 4:23. Also 'Awn, (Ref. No. 32); Hadith No.
2857.
52. ibid. Narrated by 'Abdullah Ibn ‘Amr.
aerated by Abdullah ibn ‘Umar. Bukhari, 4:337; recorded in Riyad (Ref. No. 28),
MtbNo. 1605;p.271. Also Muslim, Vol. 4, Hadith No. 2242. English translation
Sh' Muhammad Ashraf, Lahore, Pakistan; 1976; Vol. 4,
■ 5570, p. 1215. (According to the English translation, this Hadith was also
• Mb, MuiUm Vol. 4. No. 2244. AlsoMH*
Aho 'Aim (R A, Urayrah' BMdri’ 3:322- A150 Muslim, Vol. 4; Hadith No. 22
6; Chapt.6 ° 32>’7:2221 ^adith N<>- 2533. Also Mishkat al-Masabih; B°°
^SBO°k6'Ch-7—
Traditionof Horayrah. 'Awn (Ref. No. 32); 7:235; Hadith No. 2550- Also
l966; PP 106. 107 'CdGu'llaume; Khayats Oriental Reprinters, Beirut, Lebano
58 Nur’“<l by 'Ahdullsh •u<^"frefe,rred '° “ , 2532.
n Ja far. 'Awn (Ref. No. 32); 7:221; Hadith No-
KCCVU:«^ VaJ,,h N„. 5234. Also ‘6~to
(Rcf. No. 57): PP106’ ,07-
'Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud. Muslim. Also Awn (Ref.
M2)HMNo. 2658. Also 'Guillaume’ (Ref. No. 57); p.106.
63. ibid.64. Narrated by Shaddad ibn Aws. Muslim; Vol. 2; Chapt. 11; Section on 'Slaying;
10:739, verse 151. Also ‘Robson’ (Ref. No. 15); p.872. Also recorded in Riyad.
(Ref. No. 28); Hadith No. 643; p.131.
65. Bukhari. Also Muslim; Vol. 2; Chapt.11; Section on 'Slaying; 10739- verse 152Ako ’Robson’ (Ref No. 15); p.872. verse 1)2.
W (Ref- No- 46); Hadith No. 4817; p 1079
a‘-KifiL,'l-Ku^i On Arabic); 6:230
M (for'Allsee Ref No. 4)
» W by Ibn Sir,n about
Mil. Md rec°rded in Badai'al c -r,’1^.6:2881. '^ana‘ ^'nAraM;
............
3ESh^™^t.u*;rC"'h'Cat‘onsLtd-» 13-EShah Al;
54

35. CHAPTER TWO
VEGETARIANISM V/S MEATARIANISM
Preamble
WEHAVEDISCUSSED in the previous chapter the Islamic exhortationsfor
kindnesstoalllivingcreatures. As a matter offact, Islam is so concerned about
compassion foranimalsthatonewonderswhy it has allowed us to kill themfor
foodandwhy itdidnotenjoin on us to become vegetarians. To find an answer
tothisquestion, one has to understandand appreciate the overall approachto
theIslamiclawsregulatinghuman behaviour in relation to other animals andthe
environment.Theselawsdo not lay down categorical imperatives irrespective of
man’sbiologicalnecessitiesoflife, foodbeing the most important ofthem.
Unfortunately the limited scope ofthis book does not permit a detailed
discussion of the respective points of view of both vegetarians and no
vegetarians. Fromthehumanitarian pointofview, it would be an idealsitua
ifalltheworldwere tobecome vegetarian and all the animals were allow
livetheirnaturallives. Perhapsa time may come, sooner or later, when thisw
happen. Meanwhilethepoor animals shall go on having their throats slit.
Beforediscussingthesubjectfrom the Islamic angle, it will help to me
} otherpointsofview, including those offered by other religi°ns
urrentscientific viewthat meat is not as essential and as healthy
“ PCOP1' genera"y ““ider it to be. At the same time, the writers mot
responsi ditydemands that the reader should know at the very outset w
P feelingsareandwhatto expect from this chapter.
days th Cr lnt° a meat'eating family some 74 years ago- n ,
dwasweanedfrom milkto a meat diet rig
as the
56
the properaw of viramins' ProKinS'
™ eK' ““arai'aWe
“ f balance in diet was not fully understood. It was natural,
writers metabolism got so used to meat that a complete
XL’ermavegetarian diet hasnow become very difficult. Otherwise, at
tart, hehas become a vegetarian by conviction.
Thosewho are traditionallyhabituated to and indoctrinated into believing
froman early age that meat is more nutritious than vegetable food find it
more difficult mentally than physically to give it up. In some cases this
mdoctrination even takes on cultural overtones, as ifmeat-eating had some
realise that mans natural food i UP’
„&MhisHiSnotequipped with J;"' °d " fables, fruit and nuts.
rWth^^eendeduPa^
earn,VOf«Md a sadist-killin fer^ious and devastatin f
gnOt°nlyforfood bur f r g °f
MHut^otbeem. UnnatUraJdiet ofmeat affe a P CaSUre a"d
""^^oughther^^^ofthe pla his
.i 0 ^at ofrr, d^ert>ivOr
Htear °Us
eattnl;. hosewho
57

36. ANIMAL WELFARE IN ISLAM
THE dialectics of dietand health
We are fortunate in our age that scientific research in dietetics has enabled
us to eat a much more balanced diet than our ancestors did. We are mu'h
better informed about the properties of foodstuffs, such as proteins, vitamins
carbohydrates and other nutrients, which we can measure now in terms of
calories. We know now the difference between saturated (animal) and
unsaturated (vegetable) fats and their comparative cholesterol levels.
Both vegetarians and meatarians (meat-eaters) have no bone to pick with
each other on the fundamental point that diet should be such as to supply
adequate nutrition to the body to keep it functioning healthily. The controversy
starts between them only when it comes to the choice ofsources from which
man can derive the nutrients. The old school of dieticians still believes that
these sources of nutrition are not distributed equally in the various foods
available and, therefore, a mixed diet ofvegetable and meat is more likely to
provide a balanced amount ofall bodily needs. However, apart from moral and
ethical considerations of cruelty to animals which the current meat-eating
habits entail, scientific opinion is shifting more and more, for physiological
reasons, towards a purely herbivorous diet. It is being claimed now by reliable
uthorities that man can lead a healthier life purely on a plant-based diet,
Wishing this claim by scientific evidence and statistical data - provided the
_ We^ balanced mixture ofvegetables, fruit, nuts, cereals and lentils, etc.
butt Vegetar*ans add dairy products to the above list, including milk
who b ' 6 indsomet*meseggs. They are called‘lacto-ovo-vegetarians.Tho,
For m ^°m C'a'^°r otEer an‘mal products are called vegan
word ‘m S> th6 W*ter has taken the liberty ofpoetic licence by coining
been taken °f any Other sinSle word in English' 11 haS
word ‘carnivoreT11'^ man ‘S *" any CaSe 3 meat’eater and’ therefore’'
It is an eer Li- , ^ecome s°lely associated with animal meat-eaters.
is not an ideal dy meat’ with a11 its ingrained ^^Lced
rnuchmorebvo ■ ^e<^’ca‘ ev‘dence shows that cholesterol is Pr
ma' fats than by polyunsaturated vegetable oils- Let
KX4V/SMEATARIANISM
vegetarianism v/s
i, as only meat was
ten essential
.Biple-dS»i>y»ni”al f7oOTgX'°f blood
the smaiier veT,s
oX keep the noreofbioodnorntal
^^.Lkearthastoworksontuchharderaugoes
onkcorai.g weaker. All the diseases associated with the circular,on oft
bloodandthecoronaryarteries are generally called ‘rich man’s diseases because
rich people eat more fatty and richer food. Diseases such as the following are
more common in wealthy countries than in the poor: high blood pressure,
angina or thromboids in the coronary vessels of the heart, circulatory
disturbances in the legs, diabetes, gout and cerebral haemorrhage in the
brain.
*'»«*. Is Hu ro”CU!°”k,C'<'f''’<:°nM'n'"8 3,1 t,,e
'ha7c°^ni"6*e var.°uS
’'.wt^^^^«^kWsofweHabI's’
^-pt,of ""r1|,'M"S'"“' am'no-acids
"°Wb“n found to
""“•f®'«ialln,. ""p,",cdto|Xw p dKS ’"dwgetables
»‘«W!d?“'"','>fP|a»t.f0 of“"'no-acids-tc . U'tl>atnoone
i ‘ <*»« ba|ance<,f mak' UP for
59

37. /sMEAtakian'sM
vegetarian’^
ANIMAL welfare in ISLAM
theimportanceofvitamins
Inorderto appreciate fully the importance ofvitamins, especially ofVitanun
B, one has to study their function in the body. It will not be easy for a layman
to understand the medical terms in which it is generally explained by scientists.
Still it is hoped that he would be able to get a general idea from the following
explanation:
Enzymes are organic substances in a body, formed by living cells. They are
capable ofeffecting a chemical change (by catalytic action) in other bodies
without undergoing any change in themselves. The Vitamin B coenzymes
function in the enzyme systems which transfer certain groups between
molecules. The very life ofthe molecules depends on the Vitamin B enzymes.
In terms oftheir functions, vitamins are distinct from carbohydrates and
proteins. Owing to the insufficiency ofdata available so far, medical opinion is
not unanimous on various dietetic matters. It is, however, agreed that an
adequate supply of any one vitamin may lead to a condition known as
hypovitaminosis which affects the physiological functions ofthe body and
pets its growth. A deficiency of vitamins due to diet is called ‘Primary
ency and it is a known fact that some ofthe harmful effects ofthis type
ofdeficiency cannot be put right.
til a few years ago, it was generally believed that the only dependable
th ttamin B was animal flesh. However, it has now been discovered
different kinds of Vitamin B, as well as protein, minerals,
foods F and ^tS 'V'1*cb the human body' needs, are also found in plan
and puls mp'e’ yeast, bran (separated husks ofgrain) and germs of cereal
only I- i ta'n d*em in the form ofthiamine, riboflavin, niacin, etc.
although . ltam‘n B f°r which the major source is meat is Bl2. Howete
only source A Pr°^UCtS are tBe major source ofit, it is not exclusively
wheatgerm e aPPreC'able amount ofB12 is contained in yeast, soya
can bou T 'n Sea'ke*P and spirulina (types ofalgae or seawee
8 ' *" P°wdered form. It is significant to know that t
endeddaIiydoseofit<A-so^mal,-only3 C° 5
deficiencies ofWramin
! c“ C.f««"d™"i"striave8an5whodon°teat“y ,
n,eWd»«ofp—san^ia is no more prevalent
SX show that
meatarianssuffermore from Vitamin B12 deficiency than vegetarians and
vegans. Itisnotonly the lack ofvitamins that causes such illnesses - there are
othernutritional deficiencies too which could cause them and prevent the
bodyfrom utilising the vitamins, especially Bl2, such as the failure of the
lowerpartofthe intestinal tract (ileum) to absorb it. Normally, vegans and
35'laPPens in other cases ofdeffif^ C 3Ugmenred by other
Masyeastextracts) aresupp|eme J -l *Clencies-^any vegan foods
'“Paradoxical that man the remedy.
^■Hielif n Vieunins from > • nger tban most ani " ePbants
^Mth/L^^ofeleph " °fgrass which • S deriv’ng
Poorest ofJ
’-«>edtha,^P“Hishedin«M
I

38. SM
ANIMAL WELFARE IN ISLAM
« ... a vegetarian diet can prevent 90 per cent ofour thrombo-emb0|ic
disease and 97 Per cent our coronary occlusions.
The current hedonistic philosophy in the rich West and America is guided
by the doctrine that pleasure is the chiefgood, as William Gilmore puts it;
“Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”
The cho.ce offood is no longer dictated by the chemistry ofour bodies
but by the taste ofour tongues - which more often than not is perverted Thk
trend offaddishness for unnatural food is costing man, espec.allyin the opulent
West, much more than is printed on the menus ofcandle-lit restaurants-the
real price he pays is in the currency ofhis health.
Too many deaths in these countries are premature and are caused mosdy
y unnatural and bizarre carnivorousness. The ‘hidden persuaders’ engaged
y the multi-million pound international meat business have succeeded in
anging man into an omnivore. The chemico-hormones on which animals
d birds are fed in some modern intensive factory farms carry variouskindsof
poisons. Even fish in rivers and lakes are no longer safe. Statistics showthatin
United Kingdom, for example, about 80 per cent offood-poisoning cases
used by meat. Both physical and nervous diseases, such as coronary
bosis, blood-pressure, diabetes, cancer and various other ailments, areon
crease. Excessive consumption ofred meat and some types ofchar-griU
mCat “been delated with some particular cancers. According to the medi
science dealing with children’s health (paediatrics), our modern unnatural
8reater adverse effect on the younger generations.
would be wrong to generalise the effect ofdiet alone on health an
individ'V llfC fr°m individual cases. One does occasionally come at
and uni f8leniCpnnciPles ofhealth all their lives and still manage m
’ f'a,ou>|ives. On the other hand, there are somela«H>«>-’tS'^
62
fh=fa«'1«[f00diSthe
*inb"“!T'h'Xis»fto=Afna anong whom rhe writer has
““P is blood, milk and mean Or rhe Eskimos who
«■ ■«*fct iha'both th“c
people are now suffering from an increase in various degenerative diseases. As
opposedto that, there arevegetarian races who live much longer and healthier
lives.The Hunzakuts ofKashmir are known to be one ofthe healthiest people
onearthwith a naturallylong span oflife. Their diet is mainly vegetarian. The
writerhaspersonally met some Hunzakuts and was greatly impressed by the
sunpheityoftheir taste and lifestyle. It is not that the climate ofKashmir is the
"•^.ThedimareofrheAndes in South America is no better than the
^■Mndworld. It was disco,' d ” ““P”' c°nIa« with our
k >»d wild fmi,.t ol these people consists
^*"0MVofman
h“«'«»t ' »»daws to havc "« been d
Ww’Phones
k

39. zv/sMEATARIANISM
VEGETARIANISMV/SM
ANIMAL WELFARE IN ISLAM
or to flay a carcass. The munching movement of his jaws is lifc
herbivorous animals. Unarmed, he cannot fight tooth and nail 6
The fact that he cannot perform such functions without the aid
confirms the point that God did not design his body to kill for food t0°ls
He would have equipped it with tools as He did the other beasts of
his internal organs and whole digestive system is not designed for a fleshy df"
His stomach does not secrete enough hydrochloric acid to liquate bonesand
other indigestibles, as the stomachs of all carnivorous animals do Since the
excreta of carnivores is much fouler and noxious, nature has provided them
with much shorter alimentary canals for rapid emptying of the bowels after
they have eaten flesh, so that it does not remain in the body longer than
necessary; the canals of herbivores are longer. Man’s digestive system in this
section also follows more closely to the pattern ofherbivores. Uric acid in the
body has a poisonous effect and causes various kinds of diseases. Human
kidneys cannot convert the uric acid into gloxyl urea, as do the kidneys ofall
carnivores.
Whatever way you look at it, it becomes obvious that man belongs to th
herbivorous order ofspecies. The nearest animals to man, biologically a
genera ofanthropoid apes. Everything anatomical between them an
almost the same, except that they are arboreal (living in trees)
terrestrial (living on the ground). The differences of intellectua
capacities do not warrant a discussion, as we are dealing het essen(jally
food and not with mental or spiritual pabulum, lhebloodof P ^jiashas
identical to that of man. The menstrual cycle in chimpanz concept’
the same phases as in human females. The gestation period ( j^d t°
and birth) of nine months is the same. The organ whic jsa]ilce. Ir15^
foetus by the umbilical cord and falls out after birth (P^Xave rem^
ofall these anatomical and biological similarities, almost all p ofyitai”1^
basically vegetarian, without suffering from deficiencies o
including B12, while man has become a meatarian. No j,ecause
what stage of evolution this change occurred in
64
d life on Earth as a herbivore. It
I Kical evidence shows that man smr anOther phase in
anthtfP0l0g‘ nticed that we in our time . he Ras started
^l^Man.schangmgfastintoanomniv >•
X^andevetYthingthamsonoffen
I.»P«"S » ° .
eehighlyspedslised people in this field who are much better qualified than
thewriter to advise on this subject. However the writer looks at this problem
morefrom moral and ethical points ofview than the mundane pros and cons
ofthemodern agricultural scenario. But, to give the devil his due, the subject
has to be discussed from the earthly point ofview in the light of the current
unfortunate trend in the developing countries to follow the Western plough
iX*'Tf,hey“ headinS by depleting their
’^^•p^Z^X7^onomic -wdl »
“'h'("ld“npingtheir meagre fare „ b P"’S’re too busy
^'“'•iHmalteth “T'8"’”” bv for« Peth Sooner or later the
"■'''-.ST *ink W-e J. rh’PS th' fo|lo»ing 6cb anJ
n*’fi“Jl','S,0Ck’O'130%ot,"°f'hc"'°rlds “tai land
feed Ion PeoPle. Tp ^fertile |_
PCOpl'i«J”""00 ' 'and'o
” tof«d 24o resc°uld
°P'“Ple;o,
65