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Is It Haram to Be Vegan?

15-09-1998

Question 2521

I'm vegan, I mean I do not eat any meat product or dairy from milk, eggs, cheese, or honey, any thing that have to do with animal I just I don't eat it, and the thing is that I like the religion ofnIslam and I would like to be a part of it. So my question is: can I be a Muslim and still don't eat meat and animal products? Thank you so much.

Summary of answer:

It is not haram to be vegan by not eating animal products as long as you do not think that these things are haram or that it is better to abstain from these foods.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Yes, you can be a Muslim without eating these animal products, but you need to be aware of the following:

“O you who believe! Make not unlawful the tayyibat (all that is good as regards foods, things, deeds, beliefs, persons, etc.) which Allah has made lawful to you, and transgress not. Verily, Allah does not like the transgressors.” [Al-Maidah 5:87]

“Say: who has forbidden the adornment with clothes given by Allah, which He has produced for His slaves, and al-tayyibat [all kinds of lawful things] of food? Say: they are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, (and) exclusively for them (believers) on the Day of Resurrection (the disbelievers will not share them). Thus We explain the ayat (Islamic laws) in detail for people who have knowledge.” [Al-A’araf 7:32]

“Say: Tell me, what provision has Allah sent down to you! And you have made of it lawful and unlawful. Say: Has Allah permitted you (to do so), or do you invent a lie against Allah?” [Yunus 10:59]

There is a great difference between not eating a certain kind of food because one does not like it, or it does not agree with one, or one has been put off for example by seeing an animal slaughtered when one was a child, which may leave one with a distaste for meat and other similar reasons, and thinking that meat is haram and that abstaining from it is an act of worship, as is done by Brahmins, monks and others who are misguided.

Once this matter is clear in your mind, there is nothing wrong with not eating foods that you do not like. We will be happy to welcome you soon as our sister in Islam. We ask Allah to give you the strength to do good and to protect you from every evil. Allah is the One Who guides to the Straight Path.

For more, please see these answers: 334608 , 231261 , 1938 , 1814 , 12670 , 11941

And Allah knows best.

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