"then everything that was mentioned about the way of living according to what it is written, in prophet Muhammad's Peace time, should also be considered an acceptable norm."
Indeed. Islam is a constant. What is forbidden is forbidden and what is permissible is permissible; it doesn't change with time.
As for your queries- these are some of the most commonly asked about questions in Islam. Check out the following threads inshaAllah:
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A Muslim can absolutely be Vegan, and, at least in the west, many are. Certainly throughout history, there have been Muslim saints that were vegetarian etc (like Rabia). And even this century, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, one of the most renowned Sufi saints in the world, and considered by many to be the renewer of the Islamic Faith, and spiritual pole of the age, was
vegetarian.
Meat eating and sacrifice are not pillars of Islam. Nor are they obligatory. Again, if one looks at it contextually, it is easily determinable that it is not inherently part of the faith itself.
Every Surah of the Qur'an came to Muhammad (sal) in response to certain events that were taking place of a period of many years. In the case of halal dietary laws, before their implement, many people were slaughtering countless animals, in very inhumane ways - wasting much of the food, and treating animals abhorrently. Living in a desert environment, vegetarianism wasn't a possibility and thus not a practical answer to this situation and problem. So what Muhammad (sal) said, and what the Qur'an say's, is that one must treat animals fairly, and if one must kill to survive, they must do it in the most humane manner possible (and also, since only Allah can create life, the animals life must be taken in the name of Allah, as only Allah has the right to end such a life). Never is indiscriminant murder encouraged or even condoned. Far from that, what was encouraged was that less killing be done - and that when it must be (for survival) that one must share the meat with the poorer members of society, and to be less gluttonous in one's eating habits, so that less life must be taken.
Now, in regards to the issue of animal "sacrifice", again, one has to understand it in the context that the role animals played in Arabian society at that place and time (as well as other societies with similar climates and culture), in that Man is commanded to give thanks to Allah and praise Allah for the sustenance he has given them and that they should sacrifice something of value to them to demonstrate their appreciation for what they have been given (which in their case were the very animals from which their survival was based).
The rites of sacrifice are specific to that which Allah has given to Man for his sustenance (and by this, I do not mean "given" in the sense that it was "meant" for us to eat, but rather, in terms that a non-Muslim may understand, is "given" forth by the earth, and the natural world, as one of the many things in existence, and therefore a possible source of our sustenance)
. However, the assumption that such sustenance is always meant to be of the four legged variety is incorrect. Much evidence suggests that early man was primarily vegetarian (as Genesis states "I have given you every herb bearing seed for food", and in fact, according to the Bible, it was only after The Flood that mankind was permitted to eat flesh - presumably for survival reasons, as their normal food would have been scarce). And from time and place and from culture to culture, what is present for survival varies. Native American people's in Alaska and Northern Canada had just fish, seals and whales etc. Certain Island people's only had fish.
Other tribal people's remained vegetarian, eating primarily fruit and nuts.
So the sacrifice we make, is never intended to be a specific item (be it an animal or something else). Rather, it is intended to be one of the heart. For those who eat meat (as did the Arabs of Muhammad's (sal) time) they must give their thanks to Allah for the Life they are taking in order to survive. For the vegetarian, it can be giving thanks for the food they are eating. For everything comes from Allah. Furthermore, whether meat or vegetables, the main lesson and further act of sacrifice, is the sacrifice of a possession - sharing that which we have with our poorer brothers and sisters in the community.
In the end, Islam just takes the middle ground. It is the primordial faith and spirituality of mankind, so it's regulations are loose enough that people of every climate, no matter what they must eat to survive, can do so in a way that is harmonious with their environment, and conscientious of the Life around them.
So one can be vegetarian. Or if need be, they can eat meat, as certainly, that is the reality of life on earth. However, in the modernized world, with all the possibilities to be vegetarian, I find it increasingly hard for people to argue their "right" to eat meat when it is no longer a "need". Those who utilize religion as a justification for material cravings, and the inevitable cruelty and loss of life that ensues, are only lying to themselves and damaging their souls in the process. Certainly Allah is most forgiving, and compassionate, and in this, will accept the offerings of any person who is sincere in their faith, and strives to be as just and equitable as possible in the situation which they exist (taking into account their surroundings, and struggle for survival etc), but that is far from a reason or an excuse for one to take an innocent life without the pressing need for survival.
As to whether or not the Muslim world will ever accept this understanding, let alone veganism? As is the case already, certainly groups within this spiritual tradition will continue to practice vegetarianism (as groups in the historically Christian west do the same). However, humanity as a whole, regardless of their outward religion, still has a long way to go before accepting even the equality of humans (even when their religion tells them humanity is one), so I'm sure it will take some time before animals are treated in a fair and humane manner across the earth (realizing the unity of all existence). That said however, we cannot let that deter us from our spiritual quest, nor make us reject Truth where we find it so clearly present. If we are looking at the pure faith of Islam, the question is not what the majority will do. For the majority does not shape what is at the heart of the Faith. Islam is the primordial spirituality of mankind. It includes and appreciation for and a continuation of, every spiritual tradition that passed before (including currents of thought that support vegetarianism). Therefore, we have to see it in that light, stand firm on the side of Truth, and practice our faith in context with our current setting and an understanding that we must go within the outward form (that is influenced by the socio-political, cultural and historical setting in which it arose) in order to find the inward truth and esoteric reality of any religion.[/quote]
