Muslims are required to be Halal, which refers to following a set of rules as established by the Quran and the Sharia Law. This includes what Muslims can consume and are prohibited from consuming, which forms their diet. Unlike vegetarianism in other religions, being Halal is very strictly enforced in Islam. It is the words of Allah that made up the laws, which means that breaking these laws would be sinful.

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The Quran reads “He has only prohibited for you carrion, blood, the flesh of swine and that upon which a name of someone other than ‘Allah’ has been invoked” (Quran 2:173). This means that Muslims are not allowed to eat meat from animals not killed by man, blood, pork, and animals that were killed without the mentioning of Allah’s name. As to why pork is prohibited, another verse in the Quran explains that “the flesh of swine, for indeed, it is impure” (Quran 6:145). Therefore, Muslims interpret the text as Allah safeguarding their health, as pigs are considered unclean and may spread diseases. This law may develop in the followers of the religion generalized negative feelings towards pigs.

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Another notable point, although not related to diet, would be the law in Islam that disallows the keeping of dogs as pets in their homes. The Hadith reads “When the dog licks the utensil, wash it seven times, and rub it with earth the eighth time”, which indicates that dog’s saliva is seen as unclean – even more unclean than the dirt on earth. Similar to the case of the pigs, negative sentiments could be perpetuated with regards to dogs.

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However, there is also a claim that the Halal way of killing animals for food may be less painful for the animal as it dies. The animal is usually killed by using a sharp blade to cut the jugular vein and let it completely bleed out. While this claim is highly debated, if true, it could be seen as a point that Islam is trying to advocate, which is to exhibit care and concern for the lives of other beings – by ensuring a less painful death for the animal.

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Hence, while Islam does prohibit the consumption of certain animals, the reasons behind the prohibition may not be in the interest of the well-being of the animal. Instead, it is seen as a way of Allah ensuring the health and wellness of mankind. Nonetheless, ensuring the animal dies in the least painful way is definitely one of the ways Islam advocates care for animals, as the feelings of the animals are taken into consideration. Therefore, the Halal diet in Islam also presents both sides of the message with regards to developing care for the lives of animals, and hence the promotion of pro-environmental behaviour.

Next, I explore how the dietary restrictions in Hinduism may affect the way people think of the lives of animals and nature. Click here to continue to the page.