The following groups and materials are a rich source of information on Islam and vegetarianism:
Islam and Animals
Are you eating “halal” meat? Did you know that your lamb probably came from sheep who had chicken in their feed? Or that your milk came from cows who probably had pork bones in their feed? A new article shows that this problem extends beyond meat in America—even animals in the Islamic world are fed this way.
The Status of Halal Meat in America
- Click here for alternatives to meat.
- Professor Richard Foltz asks, “Is Vegetarianism UnIslamic?” in the latest issue of Studies in Contemporary Islam.
- Excerpt from The Sufi Cookbook on Sufism and vegetarianism.
Veganism
- www.vegsource.com Very user-friendly site, constantly updated with news, essays, and scientific information related to vegetarianism. Extensive recipes and health sections, as well as active discussion boards.
- www.vegan.com A site specifically geared toward veganism (no meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products). You can also get a free download of the seminal book Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating.
- www.veganoutreach.com This site has several good sections on reasons for veganism, including detailed information on health and a vegan diet. You can also order a free vegan starter kit.
- www.serv-online.org The Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians is an interfaith effort to create a more humane, just, peaceful, and environmentally sustainable world.
Animal Rights
- animal-interfaith-alliance.com An animal rights Web site working to create a united voice for animals from all of the world’s faiths and spiritual beliefs.
- www.PETAAsia.com The best Web site for information on all aspects of animal rights. A fun, informative site that is constantly updated with breaking news and information.
- www.idausa.org A very active animal rights Web site. Has a large variety of information, news, and essays.
Environment
- www.ifees.org Information on the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Science.
- www.earthisland.org A comprehensive, cutting-edge Web site on all aspects of environmental protection.
Vivisection
- www.pcrm.org The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages ethical, effective alternatives in medical research.
- www.aavs.org The American Anti-Vivisection Society (AA-VS) opposes animal experimentation on both scientific and ethical grounds. Look here for the facts on vivisection and to learn about the efforts of the AA-VS to promote alternatives to both animals in medical research and dissection in schools.
Books
Click here for children’s books.
- Animal Welfare in Islam by Al-Hafiz B.A. Masri. This wonderful, insightful book by the late Imam Al-Hafiz Badheer Ahmad Masri has been re-issued in collaboration with the Pakistan Medical Association, the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society, and Engineers and Scientists for Animal Rights. Also available to digitally borrow as an e-book from thousands of local libraries.
- Animal Sacrifices: Religious Perspectives on the Use of Animals in Science by Tom Regan (ed.)—Essays on religion and vivisection. Good article from the Islamic point of view.
- Animals in Islam by Al-Hafiz B.A. Masri (This book is currently out of print, but excerpts can be read online at www.themodernreligion.com).
- Food for the Gods: Vegetarianism and the World’s Religions by Rynn Berry
- Religious Vegetarianism: From Hesiod to the Dalai Lama by Kerry Walters and Lisa Portmess (eds.)—A collection of religious essays and stories on vegetarianism, including several from the Islamic tradition.
- Organ Transplantation, Euthanasia, Cloning, and Animal Experimentation: An Islamic View by Abul Fadl Mohsin Ebrahim (The Islamic Foundation)—
The sections on animal experimentation, while failing to endorse an animal rights view, make a clear case for an animal welfare stance within Islam. As the vast majority of animal experimentation conducted today deviates from these guidelines, this book can readily be used to make an Islamic case against vivisection.
Silk Road Cooking: A Vegetarian Journey by Najmieh Batmanglij
This book provides a wide variety of recipes from an even wider swath of land. Tracing the foods and the culture of food from Italy to China along the famous Silk Road, Najmieh Batmanglij provides vegetarians and food lovers with a tasty collection of recipes, pictures, history, and literature from the many peoples of those lands.
There are about 150 recipes here, most of which are quite healthful. Each recipe lists the preparation and cooking times, and most are very quick and easy to make. Not all recipes are vegan, but most can be made so with very simple substitutions, many of which are already listed in the recipes.
In addition to the luscious recipes, the book is loaded with gorgeous pictures of the foods, peoples, and places along the legendary Silk Road. In addition, Batmanglij has filled the book with engaging essays, anecdotes, and poems from the Silk Road. One will find many charming and fascinating tidbits in these supplementary readings.
"There is not an animal that lives on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but they form communities like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, and they all shall be gathered to their Lord in the end" - Al-Qur'an, 6:38
"Whoever is kind to the creatures of God, is kind to himself." - The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), narrated by Abdallah bin Amru in Bukhari and Muslim collections