1-ok, tell me a bit about yourself, who you are what do you stand up for, what makes you smile in life, hopes, fears, etc...
As salaam alaykum wa rahmatulahi wa barakatuh,
My name is Mike, some people call me Talib. I am 29 years old. When I was around 14 years old, I started to think more critically. I started to question everything and became more aware of what happened and is happening around me. I changed my consciousness and became more active within different types of movements such as the anarchist or human / animal / earth liberation movements. Later came across the Hardline ideology, which made a lot of sense to me and lived by those principles over the years. Things have changed in my life since then though. Don't get me wrong. I still follow most of these ideas but I see them now more from a spiritual point of view. All Life and its creations are coming from the same source. If you try to submit to the Most High then I believe that standing up for the oppressed is also a part of worshipping Allah / Jah / God.
In this case nothing has really changed for me. I still try to live a compassionate life and to be responsible for my actions. I'm still raising my voice for the voiceless and the unheard. There are many things which make me smile. I have to admit that
I smile especially when people succeed in fighting against tyranny and become independent and start governing their own lives.
One of my biggest hopes is that one day, all people regardless of faith can peacefully coexist and that our planet will be saved and that justice will rule the world again.
I fear that time is running out though. Everyday people are being murdered, everyday the planet is being more and more depleted and sucked dry, everyday animals are being tortured and killed for human lust and greed. I fear that one day we all have to pay the price for this. I fear that we will all become more and more enslaved, controlled, manipulated and that there is no chance for us to resist this from happening. Spiritually, I fear that I cannot please the most highly spirit with my actions. Those are my biggest fears but my hopes defiantly overwhelm them.
2-tell me a bit about messiah communications
I think it was in the year 1999 when I started to make a political magazine in German. The name was "Rise from the Ashes" and contained articles about John Africa’s MOVE, Hardline, Veganism, Nike and other sweatshops companies, etc. It also included interviews with political bands such as Birthright, Slavearc and Ultimatum.
Anyway, my idea was to spread my views not just with a magazine only, I wanted to do a Label and a Mail-order through which people could obtain political literature, which would inspire them, so I created Messiah Communications for promoting earth, human and animal liberation issues. I released the "Rise from the Ashes" magazine under this label and I included some advertising about Messiah Communications inside the magazine. Later on, me and a friend created a website under the same name Messiah Communications. We sold books, magazines, clothing and music records through there. We made interviews with different kinds of people and I wrote some articles for the website. Messiah Communication also printed books like “A Declaration of War" and a German translation of the "Unabomber Manifesto “under its name. We ran the labels for several years. Recently I decided to pass the label/mailorder over to a friend from Austria because I wanted to focus more on other things. I still believe in the things that Messiah Communication stands for; therefore I gave it to someone who I could trust and who shares the same views as me. Personally, I want to concentrate more on other issues now and one of those things is to reach people who are not already politically minded.
3-if you could reverse one important happening in the history of the world and change its result what would that event be and why?
This is a difficult question. Of course everybody would immediately say that they would kill people like Adolf Hitler, Christopher Columbus, Josef Stalin, etc
when they were young and not in power yet. Many people are discussing ideas like killing a tyrant before he/she can accomplish crimes on humanity or changing other important issues in the past for a better present and future. I was often thinking about such issues in the past. But what we have to realise though, is that the past cannot be changed anymore. We are living in the present now and we should learn from the past that we can work for a better tomorrow. Maybe some people might disagree with me but from a rational point of view I wouldn't change anything in the past. I’m living in the present now and if I had the opportunity to use a "time machine" to change historical events in the past then I wouldn’t do it. I believe in what the meteorologist Edward N. Lorenz called a "Butterfly effect". The Question in his case was "Does the Flap of a Butterfly's Wings in Brazil Set off a Tornado in Texas?" In physics we have the principles of "action and reaction" and chain reactions, additionally there is a law of "cause and effect". I am the opinion that it is impossible for a single human being like me to change anything without creating greater disasters. There are chain reactions that man cannot control because some things are done by freewill and freewill shouldn’t be controlled. I would never want to live a life knowing that bad things which are happening right now are caused by my interventions since I can influence past and present. This would make me feel guilty because I would know both sides of the coin. The actions we are committing now are different since the future is unknown to us so we must try to start changes nowadays.
4-Why did you decide to convert to islam? what does it have that appealed to you?
I 'reverted' to Islam 5 or 6 years ago. (I say "reverted" since muslims believe that every human was born muslim.) Before I became Muslim I researched many different "religions" and spiritual ideologies from Taoism to Hinduism. I always had the feeling that there is a higher power than myself and knew that human arrogance brought about by our science and philosophy, etc. is not all there is. I believed that we are a part of the whole; part of and made by "THE existence." In other words, we are the created and merely "exist." This always became apparent to me when I observed the awesome beauty of nature and how everything interacts and is dependent on each other. To me, this proved the existence of God. The Holy Quran says it beautifully:
Sura 2:164:
"Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day, and the ships that run in the sea with that which profits men, and the water that Allah sends down from the cloud, then gives life with it to the earth after its death and spreads in it all (kinds of) animals, and the changing of the winds and the clouds made subservient between the heaven and the earth, there are signs for a people who understand."
Sura 3:190:
"Most surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men who understand."
The greatest Islamic sage, Imam Ali (as), the first Imam of the Shiites and the fourth Caliph of the Sunnis said in Nahj ul Balagha:
"How surprising it is for the one who has doubt in believing God, while he is seeing the creatures of God!"
There are many verses and narrations that speak of God being evident by that which he creates. Nevertheless, during that time I was not a Muslim so I kept on searching for answers and a "home" for my spiritual feelings. In fact, at that time Islam didn't really appeal to me at all. I saw it as oppressive towards femails and "infidels." Overall, I was never completly satisfied with all the "religions" and paths that I studied.
During my political activities, I came across Malcolm X. I read his autobiograhy and speeches, and through him began to renew my focus on Islam. I bought a copy of the Holy Quraan and took a deeper look into Islamic sources.
I was, and continue to be fascinated about God's omnipotence, the concept of God and His oneness. I have to mention that when I say God, I don't mean a creature somewhere in heaven with a human shape. When I say Allah or God I refer to something which no human mind can ever describe or understand. Allah is far away from image, matter or place. All those attributes are a part of His creation and cannot be described as a part of Him, the Creator. The Creator is absolutely independent from us and other creation while we are totally dependent on Him. And even though he is far away, he is at the same time closer to us then we are closer to ourselves. As Quran says:
Sura 6:103:
"Vision comprehends Him not, and He comprehends (all) vision; and He is the Knower of subtleties, the Aware."
Sura 50:16
"We verily created man and We know what his soul whispereth to him, and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein."
Islam isn't a "religion" that came into existence around 1400 years ago. Rather, it is the original way of life, moulded in the first creation of humanity, Adam. If you were to use the word religion, Islam is the first one. It is a consciousness of the unity of all beings and means to submit to the only reality there is: Allah.
I was also fascinated about the stories of the Prophets and their rebellions against oppressive rulers. In the example of Prophet Moses (as) and his rebellion against the tyrant Pharaoh, the Holy Quraan says:
Sura 2:49-50:
"And remember, We delivered you from the people of Pharaoh: They set you hard tasks and punishments, slaughtered your sons and let your women-folk live; therein was a tremendous trial from your Lord."
"And remember We divided the sea for you and saved you and drowned Pharaoh's people within your very sight."
Islam gives people the divine right to defend themselves and says that God is on the side of the oppressed. It's unlike other religions that say you must obey tyrant rulers.
We find this written in the Holy Quraan and also in the oral traditions (Ahadith) of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and the Imams (as).
For example, in the Holy Quraan says:
Sura 2:190:
"And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits."
Sura 4:75:
"And why should ye not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)?- Men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from thee one who will protect; and raise for us from thee one who will help!"
Sura 22:39:
"To those against whom war is made, permission is given (to fight), because they are wronged;- and verily, Allah is most powerful for their aid;"
Some examples of ahadith:
Imam Amir ul Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "... Nothing is more inducive of the reversal of Allah's bounty or for hastening of His retribution than continuance in oppression, because Allah hears the prayer of the oppressed and is on the look-out for the oppressors."
Nahjul-Balagha, Letter 53
Imam Sadiq, the 6th Imam (a.s) said: "Four groups of people will receive divine attention on the Resurrection Day: 1- Those who help the oppressed, 2- Those who free a slave, 3- Those who marry off an unmarried man, 4- Those whose holy pilgrimage is accepted."
Miskhat ul Anwar, Hadith 777.
After all my years of research, I found out that all my original ideas and views had a name, Islam. I took my Shahada, the Islamic confession, in London and have never regretted it. To explain all my opinions and feelings towards Islam, would definately fill a book. I just mention a few aspects, but there is much more for me to discover. I've only scratched the surface; Islam is that deep. It is really hard to describe what Islam means to me. It's harder than trying to describe the taste of chocolate to someone who has never tasted it :-)
5. Why did you decide to choose the Shia path instead of the sunni or the sufi path within islam? Tell us a bit about your ideology. What does a shia stand for, what makes it different from a sunni and how do you see sunnism in the world?
When I first began my Islamic studies, I was not aware that there is a difference in Islamic jurispudence (fiqh) and theology (kalam), as well as a different view of politics. I just wanted to submit myself to the most High. But soon there were questions I wanted answered, be they spiritual, political, historical or having to do with Islamic law. In that case, the Islam taught by Muhammad (saw) and the Imams (as) of the Prophet's family (Ahl ul Bait) was the most convincing to me. The term "Shia" means "party" or "partison of," in this case, 'shia' means to be a partisan of the Ahl ul Bait (as).
After the death of the Prophet (saw), there was a split within the Ummah (Muslim community). Some believed that Abu Bakr should be caliph and others believed it should be Ali (as), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (saw). Those who accepted Abu Bakr were later called the Sunnis while those on the side of Ali (as) were called Shias because they were partisans of Ali (as). It would fill reams of books to explain why I'm on the side of Ali (as), but I will try to give a little insight about my views.
There is enough proof in the Quraan and in the traditions (sunnah) of the Prophet (saw) why Ali should be caliph and why we should follow Prophet's family (Ahl ul Bait) for guidance. History has proved the facts by what happened after the demise of the Prophet (saw). The Sunnis mainly supported those Caliphes who betrayed, attacked and killed members of the Ahl ul bait (as) and also the loyal companions of the Prophet Muhammad (saw). And, while most caliphs from the clans of Umayyah and the Abbassids lived a corrupt life and changed the message of Islam for worldy pleasure, the Shias never accepted that. They gathered round the spiritual leaders, the Imams (as) who were descended from the Prophet Muhammad (saw), in order to receive the pure and original Islamic teachings from them. They rejected the caliphs and kings who prolonged corrupt dynastic rule. Therefore, the main reason why I follow Shia Islam is that it is less corrupted from the original
teachings of Islam. By contrast, there are many fabricated traditions from those corrupted rulers which the sunni believe to be authentic. In one of the most important traditionals books of the Sunni you find a such a Hadith:
"It his been narrated through a different chain of transmitters, on the authority of Hudhaifa b. al-Yaman who said: Messenger of Allah, no doubt, we had an evil time (i. e. the days of Jahiliyya or ignorance) and God brought us a good time (i. e. Islamic period) through which we are now living. Will there be a bad time after this good time? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes. I said: Will there be a good time after this bad time? He said: Yes. I said: Will there be a bad time after good time? He said: Yes. I said: How? Whereupon he said: There will be leaders who will not be led by my guidance and who will not adopt my ways. There will be among them men who will have the hearts of devils in the bodies of human beings. I said: What should I do. Messenger of Allah, if I (happen) to live in that time? He replied: You will listen to the Amir and carry out his orders; even if your back is flogged and your wealth is snatched, you should listen and obey."
-Sahih Muslim Book 020, Number 4554
I can never accept that. The corrupt Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is still using such tradition to justify their rulings. For me, this is plain stupid and runs against the real message of Islam.
In Shia Books of Traditions via Muhammad (saw) and his rightous successors, the Imams (as) we find:
The Holy Prophet [s] said: "On the Day of the Resurrection a caller will announce: "Where are the oppressors and their assistants and those who prepared an inkwell for them or fastened a bag for them or supplied the ink of a pen (for them)? Then, gather these (people) with them!'"
-Thawabab-ul-'A'mal, p. 309
Imam Amir ul Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "By Allah, even if I am given all the domains of the seven countries with all that exists under the skies in order that I may disobey Allah to the extent of snatching one grain of barley from an ant, I would not do it."
-Nahjul-Balagha, p. 347
Having said this, I cannot generalize all Sunni. There were sunni scholars in the past who were critical of the status quo. And even nowadays you find sunni scholars who are beginning to question historical events and long held assumptions.
Sufism is something I really respect. Most Sufi tariqah (way, path or method) are traced back to the Imams of the Shia, mostly to Imam Ali (as). In some cases, you find simularities between Shias and Sufis. Anyway, most Sufis are Sunnis. There is truth in all of these paths and I try to find and pick up the truth where ever I find it.
In the end, I should mention that it is very sad that there is a split between "sunni" and "shia" Islam. Normally, I don't have a problem with shias or sunnis or sufis, but because of these labels there has been much bloodshed in Islamic history. You can see it today in the sectarian violence in Iraq, Afganistan and Pakistan. There have also historically been collaborations between the sects, and relative peace by Muslims of all groups concentrating on what they agree on (which is more than what they don't agree on). Unfortunately, Muslims in many places today are caught up in and being manipulated by their differences
6. In Shiism the leaders seem to be descending from a specific blood lineage that starts with Prophet Muhammad (saw) and continues through his descendents, similar to a monarchy. Does that mean you support monarchies as a perfect form of government? Can you elucidate us on that topic?
You have to understand that ALL muslims believe that Muhammad (saw) is the seal of the Prophets. There will be no Prophet after him. Therefore, the key question is: Is there guidance for the Islamic community after the death of the Prophet? Did Prophet tell us who they should be? The sunnis followed a monarchistic caliphate which consisted of many unjust and greedy rulers. On the other hand, the shias believe in the twelve divinely appointed Imams as a means of teaching the pure form of Islam unchanged from that of Prophet Muhammad (saw).
There are many verses in the holy Quran as well as sayings in the traditions (ahadith) of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) which prove the spiritual authority of the Imams of the Ahl ul Bait (as) (Ahlul Bait = people of the house of Prophet Muhammad).
Here a view examples of verses from the holy Quran which are related to the Imams (as) :
Quran 4:59:
"O you believe, obey Allah and obey His Messenger and those amongst you who are given supreme authority (by Allah)."
Quran 13:7:
"(O Prophet) Lo! thou art a warner and for every community there is a guide."
Quran 5:55:
"Verily your master is only Allah, and His messenger and those among the believers who establish worship and pay the poor due while they are bowing down in prayer."
Quran 56:79:
"None touches (the depth of meaning of Quran) save the purified ones."
Hadith:
'A'isha reported that Allah's Apostle (pbuh) went out one morning wearing a striped cloak of the black camel's hair. Then came Hasan b. 'Ali and Allah's apostle wrapped him under it. Then came Husain and he wrapped him under it along with the other one (Hasan). Then came Fatima and he took her under it, then came 'Ali and he also took him under it and then said: "Allah only desires to take away any uncleanliness from you, O people of the household, and purify you (thorough purifying)."
-Sahih Muslim Book 031, Number 5955:
Quran 33:33:
"Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying."
Quran 3:7:
"No one knows its interpretation except Allah and those who are firmly ground in knowledge."
Quran 21:7, 16:43:
"Ask the people of Reminder if you do not know."
The twelve Imams are seen as rulers appointed by God, not for the sake of worldly ambitions and fulfilling material needs, but rather as continuing and demonstrating how to live Islam through spiritual guidance, as was done by Prophet Muhammad (saw).
They can not be described as a monarchy because the Imams (as) were oppressed and killed by the monarch-like caliphs from the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties which ruled most of the Islamic world in their time. Two examples of the treachery of the caliphs against the holy Imams (as) are: 1. the rebellion of Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, the first Ummayad caliph, against Imam Ali (as) and, 2. the murder of Imam Hussain (as) in Karbala by the second Umayyad caliph, Yazid ibn Muawiyah. There are many more historical events that demonstrate this point. The majority of the shias believe that all the Imams (as) were killed, directly or indirectly, by the caliphate leaders because of their (the Imams') opposition to these rulers.
It is true that the holy Imams must be from the bloodline of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), through the offspring of Ali (as) (his first cousin and 'spiritual brother') and Fatima (as) (his daughter). There are many traditions which prove this. Even sunni traditions, like in Sunan Abu Dawood, has a chapter called Kitab Al-Mahdi which speaks about twelve Muslim leaders (caliphs) coming from the tribe of the Quraish. He says the last Imam, the one who will bring justice to all people, will be Imam Mahdi (as) who is awaited by both shias and sunnis alike. The difference is that the majority of sunnis believe the Mahdi (as) has yet to be born while the shias believe he was born already, but lives hidden until it is time for him to reappear. Overall, the concept of spiritual, God given leadership being passed down through one bloodline is nothing new. It is exactly what occurred with all Prophets. They were related to each other and whose lineage could be
traced back to Prophet Ibrahim (as) via his two sons, Ishaq (Isaac) and Ismail. It follows, therefore, that the last Prophet of the world, whose message is to be preserved in its pure form for all mankind and until the end of the world, should be continued through the lineage of that Prophet, which is also the continuation of the original line of spiritual leaders beginning with Prophet Ibrahim (as).
Narrated Jabir ibn Samurah:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: The religion will continue to be established till there are twelve caliphs over you, and the whole community will agree on each of them. I then heard from the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) some remarks which I could not understand. I asked my father: What is he saying: He said: all of them will belong to Quraysh.
Sunan Abu-Dawud Book 36, Number 4266
Narrated Jabir ibn Samurah:
I heard the Apostle of Allah (saw) say: This religion will continue to be strong till the time of twelve caliphs. The people then uttered: Allah is the most great, and uproared. He then silently spoke a word which I could not understand. So I said to my father: What did he say, father ? He said: All of them will belong to the Quraish.
Sunan Abu-Dawud Book 36, Number 4267
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Jabir ibn Samurah through a different chain of narrators. This version adds: When he came came back to his home, the Quraish came to him and said: Then what will be happen? He said: Then turmoil will prevail.
Sunan Abu-Dawud Book 36, Number 4268
I previously mentioned the hadith from Sunan Abu Dawood. Combined with those ahadith in the chapter Kitab Al-Mahdi, they bring the twelve rulers and Imam Mahdi (as) together to one common leadership point.
You will find simular ahadith about the twelve rulers and caliphs in the two main Sunni books, Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, as well.
Some sunni ahadith are more specific. For example: Al-Juwayni also narrates that the Messenger of Allah (s) informed: "I and Ali and Hasan and Husayn and nine of the descendants of Husayn are the purified ones and the inerrant."
Al-Juwayni, Fara'id al-Simtayn, Mu'assassat al-Mahmudi li-Taba'ah, Beirut 1978, p. 160.
In Shia Books you find many more ahadith which say there will be twelve Imams (as) from the family of the Prophet. Nevertheless, I quoted mostly Sunni ahadith since there are many critics of Shia Islam and our beliefs.
Here's an even more pointed 'Sunni' ahadith that proves the Shia assertion of divine leadership continuing through Prophet's direct descendents:
Narrated Umm Salamah, Ummul Mu'minin: The Prophet pbuh said: The Mahdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatimah.
Sunan Abu-Dawud Book 36, Number 4271
Narrated Umm Salamah : I heard the Prophet pbuh said: The Mahdi is of the descendants of Fatimah
Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition 4086
Narrated Ali ibn Abu Talib: The Prophet pbuh said: If only one day of this time (world) remained, Allah would raise up a man from my family who would fill this earth with justice as it has been filled with oppression.
Sunan Abu-Dawud Book 36, Number 4270
There are many Shias who say that only divine leaders like the holy Imams (as) have the right to rule the Islamic community. Therefore, they deny monarchy-like rulers and do not accept governments who are not ruled in an Islamic and just way. Consequently, many scholars stayed away from govermental authority because they believed that only Imam Mahdi (as) has the right to be the final authority. The Islamic revolution in Iran, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, overthrew the monarchy of the Shah Reza Palavi and was an example of Shias rising up to rid themselves of a blatantly unjust ruler. In fact, this is what all Muslims are supposed to do.
Again, Shias believe that the Imams are appointed by Allah and according to the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, they must be just. If an "imam" is unjust, by definition, they can't be Imams (as).
7. You seem to support the hizzbullah can you tell us a bit more about it and the reason you stand by their side?
Imam Ali said, "Allah has created us free and not to be a slave to anyone.“
-Ain Al-Hayat p.31
I support every movement or organization that fights for self-determination and sovereignty for a group of oppressed or aggressed people. It doesn't matter if they're Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Atheist etc.
The Lebanese people had the right to resist after the zionist invasion and occupation of Lebanon in 1982. In the south of Lebanon the Shias organized an Islamic resistance movement which was later known as Hizbullah, which means "the party of God." In the beginning, it was a coalition of various Shia organizations.
Two decades later Hezbullah has become a political party and a militia. I don't agree with everything that Hezbullah does or has done in the past, but as a resistance movement against zionist expansion, they have my full support. I also support their activities for the liberation of Palestine
You seem to integrate very well islam with veganism, is there any Quranic or hadith sources that support this islamic perspective of life? can you tell us a bit about it?
Im living nearly half of my life as a vegan. Before I became muslim I was already vegan. In the beginning I thought it will be hard to be vegan and muslim at the same time. Even some cultural muslims
gave pressure on me to stop my vegan diet. Anyway it is absolutly no problem to be a vegan muslim. There are even fatwas (islamic verdics) from islamic scholars of both sects shia and sunni who support a vegan/vegetarian diet.
We have to understand that in the time where the Quraan was send down the most arab tribes where in a state of ignorance. In Islam we call this era the age of Jahiliyyah. The society was very decadent and close to its downfall. Slavery, drug-consumption, greed, racism, tribalism, animal abusing and sexism. The decadence reached a point where the people even buried their femaile babies alive because of shame(Quraan 16:58-59).
In that time the Holy Quraan and the Sunna of the Prophet (saw) had to order the adverse conditions. The Quraan and the Sunna were not just here to order the society within rather to order also the relazionship between the creation in general. The relationship between humans and animals as well the relationship to mother nature. Especially the relationship between humans and animals where fatal. The animals were tortured for pleasure. It was also a common practice to cut out peaces of flesh from living animals for consumption or to cut the vains from living animals to drink their blood when they travelled through the desert. It was also a common practice to use living animals as targets for shooting.
Before Islam came to those tribes animals were handled more as objects instead of living and feeling creatures. The Quraan helped the people to create a new consciousness towards animals.
There are many suras in the Holy Quraan who speak that animals are living creatures who submit to the will of Allah as well like humans do.
Sura 16:49
"And whatever creature that is in the heavens and that is in the earth makes obeisance to Allah (only), and the angels (too) and they do not show pride."
Sura 13:15
"Whatever beings there are in the heavens and the earth do prostrate themselves to Allah...."
Sura 22:18
"Do you not see that Allah is He, Whom obeys whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth, and the sun and the moon and the stars, and the mountains and the trees, and the animals and many of the people......."
Those three verses explain that every living creature submits to Allah. No matter if there are human or animal either beings submit to the most High by freewill or indirectly by laws of physics and chemisty.
The Holy Quraan even explains us that animals life in communities like humans do.
Sura 6:38
"And there is no animal that walks upon the earth nor a bird that flies with its two wings but (they are) genera like yourselves; We have not neglected anything in the Book, then to their Lord shall they be gathered."
Animals are also our brothers and sisters in Islam. This can be even proven by the traditions of Muhammad (saw) and the Imams of his Ahl ul Bait (as).
Imam Ali (as) said in the book Tuhaf Al-Uqoul Page121 that animals praise their Lord. Also there are traditions where animals even pray for us humans.
Imam Ali (as) said: "You should also know that all those who are in the heavens and the earth, including the birds in the sky and whales in the oceans, are seeking Allah's forgiveness to the seekers of knowledge."
-Al-Mawaaizh
Imam Baqir (a.s) said: "The birds in the sky, and all the fish and other sea creatures will ask for God's forgiveness for students until the Resurrection Day."
-Mishkat ul-Anwar Nr. 712
There are even verses of the Holy Quraan were Prophet Sulaiman (as) communicated with animals like in Sura 27:16 and 27:17 of the Holy Quraan.
"And Solomon was David's heir. And he said: O mankind! Lo! we have been taught the language of birds, and have been given (abundance) of all things. This surely is evident favour."
"And there were gathered together unto Solomon his armies of the jinn and humankind, and of the birds, and they were set in battle order;"
"Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah has divided mercy into one hundred parts; and He retained with Him ninety-nine parts, and sent down to earth one part. Through this one part creatures deal with one another with compassion, so much so that an animal lifts its hoof over its young lest it should hurt it".
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Another narration is: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah has one hundred mercies, out of which He has sent down only one for jinn, mankind, animals and insects, through which they love one another and have compassion for one another; and through it, wild animals care for their young. Allah has retained ninety-nine mercies to deal kindly with His slaves on the Day of Resurrection.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Another narration is: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah created one hundred units of mercy on the Day He created the heavens and the earth. Each one of them can contain all that is between the heaven and the earth. Of them, he put one on earth, through which a mother has compassion for her children and animals and birds have compassion for one another. On the Day of Resurrection, He will perfect and complete His Mercy". (That is He will use all the hundred units of mercy for his slaves on that Day)."
-Riyad us Saliheen Hadith 420
In general we can say that all those verses and tradition have shown the islamic society that animals are not just objects. They are feeling creatures who obey Allah and which have intelligence and compassion.
We learn from those Ahadith that kind and compassionate treatment is liked by Allah and is in fact His Blessing and Benevolence. This is the reason He has given a part of it to His creatures, and a person who is so hard-hearted, that he is not even aware of it has a defect which is extremely displeasing to Allah. Moreover, it is a sign that such a person is deprived of Divine blessing and mercy.
All that was a great revolution in the minds of those who where born in the age of ignorance. People started to treat animals different and with more compassion.
Also there are lots of traditions which gave animals respect.
I will just give a few examples:
Al-Nofli narrated that the Prophet of God (saw) saw a group of people who were stoning a chicken. He said:"Who are these people. May God damn them."
-Mishkat ul-Anwar Nr. 823
Imam Ali (as) said: "Fear Allah in the matter of His creatures and His cities because you will be questioned even about lands and beasts. Obey Allah and do not disobey Him. When you see virtue adopt it, and when you see vice avoid it."
-Nahjul Balagha Sermon 166
According to Imam As-Sadiq, Allah said: "..never tyrannizes My creatures,.."
-Tuhaf Al-Uqoul page 365
"Ibn ..Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "A woman was punished in Hell because of a cat which she had confined until it died. She did not give it to eat or to drink when it was confined, nor did she free it so that it might eat the vermin of the earth.''
-Riyad us Saliheen Hadith 1600
We found also a simular hadith in a shiite book:
"A woman was doomed to Hell, for she had kept a cat in bonds without food to die from hunger."
- Nahj Al-Fasahah Hadith 146
"Ibn ..Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: I happened to pass by some lads of the Quraish who had tied a bird at which they have been shooting arrows. Every arrow that they missed came into the possession of the owner of the bird. No sooner had they seen Ibn ..Umar, they dispersed. Thereupon, Ibn ..Umar said: "Who has done this? May Allah curse him who has done so. Verily, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has cursed anyone who makes a live thing the target (of one's marksmanship).''
-Riyad us Saliheen Hadith 1601
"Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) forbade animals being tied (as targets)."
-Riyad us Saliheen Hadith 1602
"The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) prohibited to provoke the beasts for fighting."
-Sunan Abu Dawood 2556
"We were with the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) during a journey. He went to ease himself. We saw a bird with her two young ones and we captured her young ones. The bird came and began to spread its wings. The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) came and said: Who grieved this for its young ones? Return its young ones to it."
-Sunan Abu Dawood 2669
"He turned his attention to him and said: Apostle of Allah, when I saw you, I turned towards you. I saw a group of trees and heard the sound of fledglings. I took them and put them in my garment. Their mother then came and began to hover round my head. I showed them to her, and she fell on them. I wrapped them with my garment. They are now with me.
He said: Put them away from you. So I put them away, but their mother stayed with them.
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said to his companions: Are you surprised at the affection of the mother for her young?
They said: Yes, Apostle of Allah. He said: I swear by Him Who has sent me with the Truth, Allah is more affectionate to His servants than a mother to her young ones. Take them back put them and where you took them from when their mother should have been with them. So he took them back."
- Sunan Abu Dawood 3083
In the case of abstaining meat and / or animal products I have to mention that I cannot make things Haraam ( forbitten) which Allah and the Prophet (saw) made Halaal (allowed) in the Holy Quraan and in the Sunna. It is not obligatory in Islam to eat meat. In fact there were compainions of the Prophet (saw) who abstained from eating meat. One of them was the companion Abi al-Lahm.
There were also Prophets who abstained from eating meat. For example some islamic and non-islamic sources speak for the opinion that Prophet Isa (Jesus) was a vegetarian.
"Masih said, "Flesh eating flesh? How offensive an act!"
- Al-Raghib al-Isfahani (early fifth/early eleventh century), Mahadarat al-Udaba', 1:610.
"..Isa was a constant traveler in the land, never abiding in a house or a village. His clothing consisted of a cloak made of coarse hair or camel stub and two hairless shirts... In his hand he carried a club. Whenever night fell, his lamp was the moonlight, his shade the blackness of night, his bed the earth, his pillow a stone, his food the plants of the fields. At times, he spent whole days and nights without food. In times of distress he was happy, and in times of ease he was sad.
- Abu Rifa'a al-Fasawi (d. 289/902), Kitab Bad' al-Khalq, p. 333. Cf. Ibn ..Asakir, Sirat, p. 133, no. 120.
"If you wish, you may repeat what the Possessor of the Word and the Ruh, ..Isa Ibn Maryam, used to say: 'Hunger is my seasoning, fear [of Allah] is my garment, wool is my clothing, the light of the dawn is my heat in winter, the moon is my lantern, my legs are my beast of burden, and the produce of the earth is my food and fruit. I retire for the night with nothing to my name and awake in the morning with nothing to my name. And there is no one on earth richer than me."
- Abu Nu..aym al-Isbahani (d. 430/1038), Hilyat al-Awliya', 6:314 (Asin, pp. 374-375, no. 44; Mansur, no. 80; Robson, pp. 67-68.
"Ali ibn Hadid narrated that Jesus, the son of Mary (a.s) delivered a sermon to the Israelites and said: “My life among you is such that I am always hungry, and eat the grass that grows for wild animals. Moonlight is my lamp at night, and the earth is my bed and the rocks are my pillows. I have no house that might get ruined, and have no savings that might get lost, and have no child who might die, and have no spouse who might get sad. I have nothing, yet I am the most needless man.”
- Mishkat ul-Anwar Hadith 643
"Ali ibn Abi Talib (s) said that God’s Prophet (s) told him, “I advise you to eat lentils since they are blessed and holy. They will dilute the blood in the heart and increase the amount of tears. Seventy Prophets (s) ending with Jesus (s) - the son of (the Blessed Lady) Mary (s) - have prayed for their (lentils) being blessed.”
- Uyun Akhbar Al-Reza 31:136
In Islam we have the principle of enjoining the right (amr bil ma-ruf) and forbidding the wrong (nahya anil munkar) so we should nowadays question if the consumption of animal products is a diet for a muslim who strifes for rightiousness ?
The facts make clear that the meat, egg and diary industry destory and pollute more the enviorment than any other industry. While in "Jihad al asqhar", the Jihad for self defence, it is not even allowed to harm trees, animals and bystanders how can we than justify that our diet has become even worse ?
We have to be careful with our natural sources.
8. You seem to integrate very well islam with veganism, is there any Quranic or hadith sources that support this islamic perspective of life? can you tell us a bit about it?
I have lived nearly half of my life as a vegan. I was vegan before I became Muslim. In the beginning I thought it would be hard to be vegan and Muslim at the same time. Some Muslims put pressure on me to stop my vegan diet. Anyway, from my research, it is absolutely no problem to be a vegan and Muslim. There are even fatwas (Islamic verdicts) from Islamic scholars, both Shia and Sunni, who support a vegan/vegetarian diet.
We have to understand that during the time Quraan was sent down most Arab tribes were in a state of ignorance. In Islam we call this era, the age of Jahiliyyah. The society was very decadent and close to its downfall. Slavery, drug-consumption, greed, racism, tribalism, animal abuse and sexism were rampant. The decadence reached a point where fathers even buried their female babies alive because of the shame of having a girl (Quraan 16:58-59).
During that time, the Holy Quraan and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) had to change those adverse conditions. Islam was not sent to simply give order to human society, but to also give order to the relationship between the creation (animals, plants, nature, etc.) and humans. Prior to this animals were tortured for pleasure. It was a common practice to cut out pieces of flesh from live animals for consumption or to cut out the veins from live animals in order to drink their blood while traveling in the desert. It was also a common practice to use live animals as targets for shooting. Animals were treated as objects instead of the living and feeling creatures of Allah they are. Islam through Quraan and the example of Prophet Muhammad helped people create a new consciousness toward animals. There are many surahs in the Holy Quraan that speak of animals being living creatures who submit to the will of Allah as humans do.
Surah 16:49:
"And whatever creature that is in the heavens and that is in the earth makes obeisance to Allah (only), and the angels (too), and they do not show pride."
Sura 13:15:
"Whatever beings there are in the heavens and the earth do prostrate themselves to Allah...."
Sura 22:18:
"Do you not see that Allah is He, Whom obeys whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth, and the sun and the moon and the stars, and the mountains and the trees, and the animals and many of the people..."
These verses explain that every living creature submits to Allah. Humans and animals are beings that submit to the most High by free will or indirectly by laws of physics and chemistry. The Holy Quraan even explains that animals live in communities like humans do.
Sura 6:38:
"And there is no animal that walks upon the earth nor a bird that flies with its two wings but (they are) generally like yourselves; we have not neglected anything in the Book, then to their Lord shall they be gathered."
Animals are our brothers and sisters in Islam. This can be proven by the traditions of Muhammad (saw) and the Imams of his Ahl ul Bait (as).
Imam Ali (as) said in the book Tuhaf Al-Uqoul on Page 121, that animals praise their Lord. There are also traditions where animals pray for us humans.
Imam Ali (as) said: "You should also know that all those who are in the heavens and the earth, including the birds in the sky and whales in the oceans, are seeking Allah's forgiveness to the seekers of knowledge."
-Al-Mawaaizh
Imam Baqir (a.s) said: "The birds in the sky, and all the fish and other sea creatures will ask for God's forgiveness for students until the Resurrection Day."
-Mishkat ul-Anwar Nr. 712
There are even verses of the Holy Quraan were Prophet Sulaiman (as) communicated with animals--- Sura 27:16 and 27:17 of the Holy Quraan.
"And Solomon was David's heir. And he said: O mankind! Lo! We have been taught the language of birds, and have been given (abundance) of all things. This surely is evident favor."
"And there were gathered together unto Solomon his armies of the jinn and humankind, and of the birds, and they were set in battle order;"
"Abu Hurairah reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah has divided mercy into one hundred parts; and He retained with Him ninety-nine parts, and sent down to earth one part. Through this one part creatures deal with one another with compassion, so much so that an animal lifts its hoof over its young lest it should hurt it".
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Another narration is: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah has one hundred mercies, out of which He has sent down only one for jinn, mankind, animals and insects, through which they love one another and have compassion for one another; and through it, wild animals care for their young. Allah has retained ninety-nine mercies to deal kindly with His slaves on the Day of Resurrection.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Another narration is: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah created one hundred units of mercy on the Day He created the heavens and the earth. Each one of them can contain all that is between the heaven and the earth. Of them, he put one on earth, through which a mother has compassion for her children and animals and birds have compassion for one another. On the Day of Resurrection, He will perfect and complete His Mercy". (That is He will use all the hundred units of mercy for his slaves on that Day)."
-Riyad us Saliheen Hadith 420
In general, we can say that all those verses and traditions have shown the Islamic society that animals are not mere objects. They are feeling, intelligent, compassionate creatures who obey their Creator. We learn from those Ahadith that kind and compassionate treatment is liked by Allah and is in fact His Blessing and Benevolence. This is the reason He has given a part of it to His creatures. A person who is so hard-hearted that he is not aware of this fact has a defect, which is extremely displeasing to Allah. Moreover, it is a sign that such a person is deprived of Divine blessing and mercy.
This new attitude toward all creation was a great revolution in the minds of those who where born in the age of ignorance. People started to treat animals with more compassion.
A few of the many traditions that giving animals respect include:
Al-Nofli narrated that the Prophet of God (saw) saw a group of people who were stoning a chicken. He said: "Who are these people? May God damn them."
-Mishkat ul-Anwar Nr. 823
Imam Ali (as) said: "Fear Allah in the matter of His creatures and His cities because you will be questioned even about lands and beasts. Obey Allah and do not disobey Him. When you see virtue adopt it, and when you see vice avoid it."
-Nahjul Balagha Sermon 166
According to Imam As-Sadiq, Allah said: ". never tyrannizes my creatures."
-Tuhaf Al-Uqoul page 365
"Ibn ..Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "A woman was punished in Hell because of a cat which she had confined until it died. She did not give it to eat or to drink when it was confined, nor did she free it so that it might eat the vermin of the earth.''
-Riyad us Saliheen Hadith 1600
In a Shia book we find similar sentiments:
"A woman was doomed to Hell, for she had kept a cat in bonds without food to die from hunger."
- Nahj Al-Fasahah Hadith 146
"Ibn ..Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: I happened to pass by some lads of the Quraish who had tied a bird at which they have been shooting arrows. Every arrow that they missed came into the possession of the owner of the bird. No sooner had they seen Ibn ..Umar, they dispersed. Thereupon, Ibn ..Umar said: "Who has done this? May Allah curse him who has done so. Verily, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has cursed anyone who makes a live thing the target (of one's marksmanship).''
-Riyad us Saliheen Hadith 1601
"Whoever unjustly kills an animal, a bird and so on, will be called to account by God in the Day of Judgment."
- Nahj Al-Fasahah Hadith 3125
"Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) forbade animals being tied (as targets)."
-Riyad us Saliheen Hadith 1602
"The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) prohibited provoking beasts for fighting."
-Sunan Abu Dawood 2556
"We were with the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) during a journey. He went to ease himself. We saw a bird with her two young ones and we captured her young ones. The bird came and began to spread its wings. The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) came and said: Who grieved this for its young ones? Return its young ones to it."
-Sunan Abu Dawood 2669
"He turned his attention to him and said: Apostle of Allah, when I saw you, I turned towards you. I saw a group of trees and heard the sound of fledglings. I took them and put them in my garment. Their mother then came and began to hover round my head. I showed them to her, and she fell on them. I wrapped them with my garment. They are now with me.
He said: “Put them away from you. So I put them away, but their mother stayed with them.”
The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said to his companions: “Are you surprised at the affection of the mother for her young?”
They said: “Yes, Apostle of Allah.” He said: “I swear by Him who has sent me with the Truth, Allah is more affectionate to His servants than a mother to her young ones. Take them back put them and where you took them from when their mother should have been with them. So he took them back."
- Sunan Abu Dawood 3083
Al-Barqani added: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) entered an orchard belonging to an Ansari and saw a camel. When it saw him, it began to groan and its eyes shed tears. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) approached it and patted it on the hump and the base of its head until it quieted down. Then he (PBUH) asked, "Who is the owner of this camel? To whom does it belong?'' An Ansari youth stepped forward and said: "It is mine O Messenger of Allah!'' He said, "Do you not fear Allah in respect of this beast which Allah has placed in your possession? This camel is complaining to me that you starve it and put it to toil.''
-Riyad us Saliheen Hadith 967
In the case of abstaining from meat and/or animal products, I have to mention that I cannot make things haraam (forbidden) which Allah and the Prophet (saw) made halaal (allowed) in the Holy Quraan and in the Sunnah. Therefore, I cannot say that a Muslim cannot eat meat. By the same token, it is not obligatory in Islam to eat meat. In fact, there were companions of the Prophet (saw) who abstained from eating meat. One of them was the companion Abi al-Lahm.
There were also other Prophets who abstained from eating meat. Islamic and non-Islamic sources are of the opinion that Prophet Isa (Jesus) was a vegetarian.
"Masih said, "Flesh eating flesh? How offensive an act!"
- Al-Raghib al-Isfahani (early fifth/early eleventh century), Mahadarat al-Udaba', 1:610.
"..Isa was a constant traveler in the land, never abiding in a house or a village. His clothing consisted of a cloak made of coarse hair or camel stub and two hairless shirts... In his hand he carried a club. Whenever night fell, his lamp was the moonlight, his shade the blackness of night, his bed the earth, his pillow a stone, his food the plants of the fields. At times, he spent whole days and nights without food. In times of distress he was happy, and in times of ease he was sad.
- Abu Rifa'a al-Fasawi (d. 289/902), Kitab Bad' al-Khalq, p. 333. Cf. Ibn ..Asakir, Sirat, p. 133, no. 120.
"If you wish, you may repeat what the Possessor of the Word and the Ruh, ..Isa Ibn Maryam, used to say: 'Hunger is my seasoning, fear [of Allah] is my garment, wool is my clothing, the light of the dawn is my heat in winter, the moon is my lantern, my legs are my beast of burden, and the produce of the earth is my food and fruit. I retire for the night with nothing to my name and awake in the morning with nothing to my name. And there is no one on earth richer than me."
- Abu Nu..aym al-Isbahani (d. 430/1038), Hilyat al-Awliya', 6:314 (Asin, pp. 374-375, no. 44; Mansur, no. 80; Robson, pp. 67-68.
"Ali ibn Hadid narrated that Jesus, the son of Mary (a.s) delivered a sermon to the Israelites and said: “My life among you is such that I am always hungry, and eat the grass that grows for wild animals. Moonlight is my lamp at night, and the earth is my bed and the rocks are my pillows. I have no house that might get ruined, and have no savings that might get lost, and have no child who might die, and have no spouse who might get sad. I have nothing, yet I am the most needless man.”
- Mishkat ul-Anwar Hadith 643
"Ali ibn Abi Talib (s) said that God’s Prophet (s) told him, “I advise you to eat lentils since they are blessed and holy. They will dilute the blood in the heart and increase the amount of tears. Seventy Prophets (s) ending with Jesus (s) - the son of (the Blessed Lady) Mary (s) - have prayed for their (lentils) being blessed.”
- Uyun Akhbar Al-Reza 31:136
In Islam, we have the principle of enjoining the right (amr bil ma-ruf) and forbidding the wrong (nahi anil munkar), so in the current time, we should question if the consumption of animal products is a diet for a Muslim who strives for righteousness?
The facts make clear that the meat, egg and dairy industry destroy and pollute the environment more than any other industry. During "Jihad al asqhar,” or the Jihad for self defense, it is not allowed to harm trees, animals and bystanders. How then can we justify the fact that our diet is implicated in the mass inhumane slaughter of millions of animals, and making by-products that are ruining our world?
We have to be careful with our natural resources. We have to keep our planet in balance as Allah created it. This is our responsibility as vice guards. The Holy Quraan says:
Sura 2:30:
"Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not."
In Sura 25:63 is written: "And the servants of (Allah) Most Gracious, are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, "Peace!" Can’t humility be interpreted as to how we treat nature and other creatures? We have to be careful in our actions so that we don’t destroy the planet we are physically and spiritually dependent on it. Not only is it sinful and demonstrates to Allah that we have no respect or reverence for the environment that was created perfectly to support us, it is downright stupid.
Sura 40:57:
"Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater (matter) than the creation of men: Yet most men understand not."
We must understand that we are dependent on each other and all that is around us. We are a part of the creation, which is dependent on Allah. When we understand that all is dependent on Allah and that we are a part of the whole, then we will spiritually understand that we do not have the right to destroy the environment around us.
The traditions of Muhammad (saw) speak about a special reward for those who keep nature in balance.
"Safeguard the earth, for it is your mother who will report (to God) the good or evil any one does on it."
- Nahj Al-Fasahah Hadith 1692
Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet said, "If any Muslim plants any plant and a human being or an animal eats of it, he will be rewarded as if he had given that much in charity."
-Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 41
Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "When a Muslim plants a tree, whatever is eaten from it is charity from him and whatever is stolen is charity and whatever is subtracted from it is charity.”
[Muslim].
Another narration says: "If a Muslim plants a tree, or sows a field and men and beasts and birds eat from it, all of it is charity from him.”
-Riyad us Saliheen Hadith 135
A Muslim should ask him or herself if a diet responsible for most of the world’s CO2 emission, water pollution, land degradation, etc. can be justified as an Islamic way of eating.
There is reward for compassion toward animals. There are traditions that give sinners forgiveness for showing compassion and kindness to animals…
Abu Hurairah reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "While a man was walking on his way, he became extremely thirsty. He found a well; he went down into it to drink water. Upon leaving it, he saw a dog panting out of thirst. His tongue was lolling out and he was eating moist earth from extreme thirst. The man thought to himself: ..This dog is as extremely thirsty as I was.' So he descended into the well, filled up his leather sock with water, and holding it in his teeth, climbed up and quenched the thirst of the dog. Allah appreciated his action and forgave his sins.” The companions asked: "Shall we be rewarded for showing kindness to the animals also?'' He (PBUH) said, "A reward is given in connection with every living creature.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In the narration of Al-Bukhari, the Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have said: "Allah forgave him in appreciation of this act and admitted him to Jannah.”
Another narration says: "Once a dog was going round the well and was about to die out of thirst. A prostitute of Banu Israel happened to see it. So she took off her leather sock and lowered it into the well. She drew out some water and gave the dog to drink. She was forgiven on account of her action".
-Riyad us Saliheen Hadith 126
"A prostitute was passing by a well where she saw a dog at the point of death from thirst. She tied her skirt to her shoe, fetched water from the well and quenched the dog’s thirst, and was thus forgiven (by God)."
- Nahj Al-Fasahah Hadith 121
"Even if you have mercy for a lamb God will be merciful to you."
- Nahj Al-Fasahah Hadith 121
"Verily, God is not merciful to anybody but the merciful."
- Nahj Al-Fasahah Hadith 2477
Given that there are traditions that sinners will be forgiven for demonstrating compassion towards animals, then it seems logical to me that there will also be reward for not eating meat for the same compassionate intent.
The principle of avoiding “israf” or wastefulness, dissipation, etc. is another reason not to eat meat or animal products. In order to produce 1 Kilogram of animal protein, 16 Kilograms of vegetable protein and lots of water must be used. How can we justify this in a time of world hunger?
To conclude, these are just a few of the reasons and beliefs I have regarding my vegan dietary restrictions, and how I find veganism complements (and is a part of) my Islamic faith. There is no better halaal diet than the vegan diet.
9. Iran is a Shia country with a Shia government. What do you think of Iran? Is this a model of government that you would like to see applied worldwide?
I wouldn't say that Iran itself is a model for me, but don't get me wrong, I 'like' Iran. In other words, the Shia is not Iran, but Iran is Shia. Although I support Iran, I don't agree with all of their domestic and foreign policies. Iran is far from being a perfect state, but I dont believe in such a thing as a "perfect state."
The revolution in Iran was necessary, but I am critical of some things being done in Iran. These problems are bound to appear when the state's power becomes too centralized. Nevertheless, Iran is under pressure from the worldwide superpowers to submit to their imperialist rule. For their right to NOT be dominated, they have my full support.
As long as Imam Mahdi (as) has not appeared, I believe humans must find alternatives in an effort to form a good social environment. To be realistic, the Islamic government cannot be applied worldwide as long as the people don't want it, and I'm against forcing people to follow rules they don't want. A righteous striving Muslim in a non-Islamic environment should serve the oppressed and help them build a just social foundation. These are major Islamic principles that can be achieved, Insha'Allah (God willing) without an 'Islamic revolution.' Islamic rules are here to serve all people, but if the people don't want them we Muslims must help the non-muslims in other ways inside the construct of non-Islamic governments.
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