Not eating meat

3-5-2005 | IslamWeb

Question:

I am Muslim but not eating meat. Is it sin for me?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

 

There is no harm not to eat meat because you do not like it or for a medical reason. However, if you are not eating meat as a means to get near to Allaah then you are sinful because in such a case it is an innovation in religion. The Prophet said: "Whoever introduces into this faith of ours that which is not a part of it, it will be rejected." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] Imaam Muslim reported that a group of companions asked the wives of the Prophet about what he was doing in his private life. When they heard the answer [that the Prophet's actions/dealings were ordinary, they argued that it is because he is forgiven by Allaah, and thought that they were in need to perform more righteous actions than him, so] some of them said: "I will not marry", some others said: "I will not eat meat.", while some others said: ''I will not sleep on my bed." When the Prophet heard this, he said: "What is the matter with some people, who said that they will do such and such, but I am an ordinary man, I pray and I sleep, and …, so whoever shuns my Sunnah is not from me."

Therefore, not eating meat as an act of worship [believing that this is a religious requirement] is contradictory to the Sunnah of the Prophet and it is an innovation in religion. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa: 88860.

Allaah knows best.