Celebration of Eid ul Adha for a vegan muslim

Question

As you already know during the day of Eid ul Adha, muslims sacrifice an animal (sheep,cow ...) as Ibrahim (pbuh) did in name of God. I'm muslim so I absolutely respect my religion but I'm also vegan for health and ethical reasons (I redirect you to this link if you are interested on "Veganism": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6U00LMmC4). I'm not able to kill an innocent being and I can't afford the idea of buying an animal knowing that it is going to be slaughtered. I prefer peaceful relationship with animal and nature. So am I disobeying to Allah (swt) by refusing to sacrifice an animal and refusing to celebrate Eid ul Adha in that manner? If yes please give me solid arguments in your answer, if no please suggest me any other way of celebration that does not include animal slaughtering (if it is possible). Please answer if you have an extended knowledge on the topic and answer with an open mind . Thanks you in advance!!

*I do not think that eating meat is haram I just abstain from it . It is a choice!

Answer 1

As far as my research goes, I've found that the sacrificing animal(s) on Eid (whether you're a pilgrim at Hajj or a Muslim elsewhere in the world) is not compulsory with Imam Abu Hanifa stating that it is compulsory to those that can afford to do it whilst narrations from ahadeeth such as Muslim state that it is a choice as to whether a Muslim should sacrifice a cow or other animal, so there is differing opinions on that subject matter. That being said, it is highly advised that you follow the Prophet's (saw) example and you gain a lot of reward for doing so.

Answer 2

TL;DR answer: As, the question is bit unclear. Which part impossible/hard for you? Is it buying the to-be-slaughtered animal, or slaughter the animal yourself?

For the first case, "yes, you are obliged if you can afford it. Still, you can maintain your "vegan" preference by not eating the meat.", and for the second one, "No, you don't have to do it(slaughter it) by yourself. someone else can do it on your behalf".

Long answer:

For every financially able Muslim man/woman, it is a obligation to sacrifice a right animal in the name of ALLAH.

update: I'd like to elaborate on this.

It is the way guided by Allah(jallashanuhu):

Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice(وَانْحَرْ) (to Him only)

al-Qur'an 108:2

It is the way of Muhammad (ﷺ), as he said:

Whoever offers a sacrifice after the prayer has completed his rituals (of Eid) and has followed the way of the Muslims.

sahih al-Bukhaari, 5545

So, the ruling is like this :

Hence the Muslims are unanimously agreed that it is prescribed in Islam, as was narrated by more than one of the scholars.

But they differed as to whether it is Sunnah mu’akkadah (a confirmed Sunnah) or it is obligatory and it is not permissible to omit it.

The majority of scholars are of the view that it is Sunnah mu’akkadah. This is the view of al-Shaafa’i, Maalik and Ahmad according to his most well-known view.

Others were of the view that it is obligatory. This is the view of Abu Haneefah and one of the views narrated from Ahmad. This was also the view favoured by Ibn Taymiyah who said: “This is one of the views narrated in the madhhab of Maalik, or it appears to be the view of Maalik.”

more elaboration with sources on: https://islamqa.info/en/36432

You can have your own liking, as a Muslim, as long it is within the halal.

But, avoiding meat, in whole, will not be the best. There's a reason the almighty Creator made human foods so versatile. And, guess who's the role model who has been sent to guide the humanity. He enjoyed meat his entire life.

Answer 3

Well, I think Muhammad ahsan is a bit exagerating. There is also this hadeeth saying if you eat meat for 40 days continously, you will fall out of Islam and therefore not a muslim anymore. What I think is that we should adhere to the main principles of the sunna ALWAYS. But we can make choices regarding the details in which Allah has made halal. For example you can't say we all HAVE TO ride camels and horses every where for transportation because the prophet (pbuh) did this in his time. Time changes. So do the requirements of differing ages. To me, veganism is helping the planet over the increasing amount of greenhouse gasses (in this case, methane gas) and over the growing climate change. Though since Allah is the creator of animals and he himself allows the issue, of course with the regulations Islam has set for animal slaughtering, which might be the most ethical in its kind (for example it is more Islamic to not slaughter an animal in front of its own kind, which I think this alone can tell us animals have feelings), I think you cannot call this complete animal cruelty for the usual animals people eat. (it might hurt to see your kind killed in front of your eyes but I don't think for example chickens would notice which of those grown chickens were once their chicks, let alone noticing their absence)

Answer 4

Muslims is who accepts Allah's orders and will and accept it with his heart.

There was no human more kind than Prophet Muhammad PBUH ever born on this planet earth. So if Prophet PBUH did it then you should too.

Prophet Muhammad PBUH was the ultimate doctor, ultimate guide for ways of life and ways of livings so we should follow everything he did in his life.

Eid-ul-Azha actually means that sacrificing healthy and best animal for Allah

Allah says further: (It is not their meat nor their blood, that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you, that ye may glorify Allah for His guidance to you: And proclaim the Good News to all who do right.) (Al-Hajj 22: 37)

If you think that Prophet never insisted to eat meat because there were no campanion of Prophet PBUH who did not follow Prophet's PBUH footsteps in every way of their life

The Prophet said “the master of all foods is the meat”

"Say to them: If you love God, follow (and love and honor) me, and God will love you" (3:31).

The Prophet said: "Anyone who dislikes my sunna is not of me."

(Bukhari and Muslim)