Why Did God Allow Killing Animals?
Animals: Tradition - Philosophy - Religion

FROM Sammer, The Vegan Muslim Initiative
February 2020

Given the fact the Prophet Muhammad forbade cutting down trees even during war, I sincerely believe if he were alive today and saw what was happening to these animals and our world, he would be distraught on so many levels. He ate for survival. Now our survival depends on what we don’t eat.

A question that often comes up from both Muslim, non-Muslim and even ex-Muslim vegans is “why did God allow humans to kill animals?

“Why would God create something that has the ability to feel pain and suffer then allow you to harm it?! Any ideology that allows killing can’t be from God!”

Many struggle with this; questioning why The Most Merciful would permit us to do something that to our perceptions, isn’t merciful.

These are very valid and interesting questions I’ve reflected over for some time and it’s difficult to give a black and white answer without first examining the concept of life and death from a historical and evolutionary perspective.

What appears to be happening among many well intentioned folks is they look at this issue through the lens of their limited human faculties; essentially reducing God to the confines of human thought. However it’s not unreasonable to ask when something is troubling you:

And when Abraham said, “My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead.” [Allah] said, “Do you not believe (that I can)?” He said, “Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be reassured.” 2:260
If it was good enough for Prophet Abraham to question and want answers from God himself, then it’s sure good enough for us to ask around when we’re unsure.

So why would God allow the killing of animals?

Some Muslims have attempted to answer this by arguing it’s because God can do whatever He likes; that He is All Knowing, All Seeing and All Hearing. Therefore, we humans can’t possibly be more merciful than God.

That’s all good and well but it doesn’t really answer the question of “why”....

 

Please read the ENTIRE ATRICLE HERE (PDF)

---

Return to Animals: Tradition - Philosophy - Religion
Read more at Animal Rights/Vegan Activist Strategies