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خدایا ما را از منتظران حقیقی اش قرار ده"An Examination of Vegetarianism from the Perspectives of Science, Reason, and Shariah..."
Examining Vegetarianism from Scientific, Rational, and Religious Perspectives
Any book advocating vegetarianism is based on certain analytical frameworks and assumptions:
Opposition to All Forms of Animal Killing and Exploitation:
It considers any killing of animals or human interference in their natural habitat (e.g., breeding bees to improve agricultural production) as violence against what they term "sentient beings" (i.e., animals) and categorizes such acts as morally wrong. Proponents argue that even if we acknowledge the exploitation of animals (like bees) in crop production, causing partial harm to animals is still preferable to outright killing them. They add that once this awareness is achieved, we can strive to reduce harm further by innovating less exploitative methods.Absolute Rejection of Violence in All Life Aspects:
Vegetarian philosophy elevates the principle of non-violence to a universal ethical standard. It asserts that a vegan lifestyle embodies compassion and a commitment to avoiding violence in all human interactions with the world—not just toward animals. The core tenet is: "Unconditional avoidance of violence in all dealings with the world."Claim of Complete Health Through Plant-Based Diets and Supplements:
Vegetarians claim that meticulously planned plant-based diets, supplemented with nutrients, can fully sustain human health. They argue that vegetarianism and optimal health are entirely compatible.
Critical Analysis of the Three Foundational Claims of Vegetarianism
1. Scientific Evaluation of the Claim That Vegetarianism with Supplements Ensures Complete Health
Scientifically, no form of vegetarianism—even with the most precise supplementation—can guarantee absolute nutritional sufficiency. This is due to the irreplaceable role of nutrients found exclusively in animal products, which activate biological processes that cannot be fully replicated by plant-based sources or supplements. Key scientific arguments include:
A. Essential Nutrients Primarily Found in Animal Sources
Vitamin B12:
Exclusively found in animal products (meat, dairy, eggs). Critical for nervous system function, DNA synthesis, and red blood cell formation.
Supplements may partially meet needs, but absorption is inferior to natural B12. Cyanocobalamin (common in supplements) requires liver conversion, which is inefficient in some individuals.
Chronic deficiency causes megaloblastic anemia, neuropathy, fatigue, and cognitive decline.
Heme Iron:
Found in meat; far more bioavailable than non-heme iron (plant sources). Vital for red blood cell production.
Plant-based iron supplements cause gastrointestinal issues and are poorly absorbed. Deficiency leads to anemia, immune dysfunction, and cognitive impairment.
Taurine:
A semi-essential amino acid in meat, fish, and dairy. Critical for brain, heart, and muscle health.
Humans produce limited taurine; direct intake from animal sources optimizes brain and immune function.
L-Carnitine:
Found in red meat, fish, and dairy. Essential for fat metabolism and energy production.
Deficiency (common in vegetarians) causes muscle weakness, fatigue, and metabolic issues.
Creatine:
Nearly exclusive to meat. Crucial for energy production in muscles and brain cells.
Vegetarians exhibit lower creatine levels, impairing physical and cognitive performance.
B. Limitations in Converting/Absorbing Plant-Based Nutrients
Omega-3 (DHA/EPA):
Vital for brain, heart, and eye health. Only found in animal sources (fish, eggs).
Plants provide ALA, which converts inefficiently (5-10%) to DHA/EPA. Deficiency causes cognitive decline, inflammation, and cardiovascular risks.
Vitamin A (Retinol):
Active retinol (animal sources) vs. beta-carotene (plants). Conversion of beta-carotene to retinol is inefficient or absent in some individuals. Deficiency leads to vision loss, immune dysfunction, and skin issues.
Zinc:
Plant-based zinc is poorly absorbed due to phytates. Deficiency causes immune weakness, hair loss, and slow wound healing.
C. Role of Animal-Derived Nutrients in Digestion and Metabolism
Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) require animal fats for optimal absorption.
Animal products contain co-factors (e.g., peptides, enzymes) that enhance nutrient utilization, absent in plant-based supplements.
Conclusion:
No strict vegetarian diet—even with supplementation—can avoid deficiencies. Key reasons include:
Nutrients exclusive to animal sources (B12, heme iron, taurine, creatine, DHA, retinol).
Inefficient conversion of plant-based precursors (e.g., ALA to DHA, beta-carotene to retinol).
Absence of animal-derived co-factors critical for nutrient absorption and metabolism.
Thus, scientifically, animal products play an irreplaceable role in human health. Eliminating them inevitably leads to deficiencies and health risks.
Inevitable Health Consequences of Strict Vegetarianism (Even with Supplements)
Megaloblastic Anemia
✅ Certain! Meat elimination causes B12 deficiency. Supplements poorly replicate natural B12 absorption. Symptoms: chronic fatigue, dizziness, muscle weakness, hypoxia.Neurological Damage & Cognitive Decline
✅ Certain! B12 and DHA deficiencies impair memory, increase dementia risk, and cause neuropathy (e.g., numbness, poor coordination).Immune Weakness & Increased Infections
✅ Certain! Deficiency in heme iron, zinc, and complete proteins (animal sources) weakens immunity, slows wound healing, and increases infection susceptibility.Reduced Fertility & Hormonal Imbalances
✅ Certain! Lack of cholesterol and amino acids from meat disrupts sex hormone production, causing low testosterone, menstrual irregularities, and infertility.Muscle Wasting & Physical Weakness
✅ Certain! Plant proteins lack essential amino acids for muscle maintenance, leading to atrophy, fatigue, and slow recovery.Osteoporosis & Fractures
✅ Certain! Deficiencies in vitamin D, calcium, and collagen proteins (animal sources) reduce bone density and increase fracture risk.Digestive Issues & Nutrient Malabsorption
✅ Certain! High plant fiber disrupts gut flora and inhibits absorption of iron, zinc, and other nutrients. Animal proteins are easier to digest and gut-friendly.
Final Conclusion:
Strict vegetarianism cannot ensure complete health, even with supplements.
Animal products are scientifically indispensable for sustaining physical, cognitive, reproductive, and immune health.
Permanent, absolute vegetarianism is scientifically indefensible and poses significant health risks.
Examining Logical and Philosophical Contradictions in the Foundations of Vegetarianism
As previously discussed, vegetarianism is framed as ethical and desirable because it claims to prevent the killing of animals and interference in their natural existence. However, proponents simultaneously argue that health can be safeguarded through supplements.
Putting aside the fact that we have already disproven this claim (as no supplementation can fully compensate for the deficiencies of a meat-free diet, and long-term health risks are inevitable), there is a glaring contradiction: the production of these very supplements—essential for vegetarian diets—requires the killing of animals! From the perspective of logic and reason, this undermines the core premise of vegetarianism. The ideology faces an irreconcilable dilemma:
Either accept the loss of one’s health by avoiding supplements derived from animals,
Or use those supplements, which perpetuates the very animal slaughter that vegetarianism claims to eliminate. In reality, vegetarianism fails to meaningfully reduce—let alone abolish—the killing of animals.
Critique of the Vegan Principle of Absolute Non-Violence
The vegan doctrine asserts:
“A
vegan is one whose daily life reflects a commitment to compassion and
the rejection of violence, prioritizing non-harm in all interactions
with the world.”
This implies an absolute moral rejection of all forms of violence, not merely specific types. However, such an absolutist stance leads to irrational and dangerous outcomes:
Submission to Oppression: If violence is unconditionally condemned, resisting an oppressor who relies solely on force (a common scenario) becomes morally prohibited. Yet, reason dictates that self-defense or countering tyranny with proportional force is not only rational but necessary.
Logical Contradictions: The vegan rejection of violence mirrors certain Buddhist teachings but ignores critical nuances. For instance, refusing to act against a violent aggressor enables further harm, which is itself a form of indirect violence.
Thus, the foundational premise of vegetarianism—its definition and moral evaluation of violence—is inherently irrational. It generates flawed logical corollaries, such as passive complicity in injustice and an inability to address real-world ethical dilemmas.
The Inescapable Contradiction
The contradiction within vegetarianism can only be resolved if vegans:
Avoid all supplements whose production involves animal-derived ingredients (which are often sourced from slaughtered animals).
Accept the inevitable health consequences of such avoidance.
This paradox reveals the ideological incoherence of vegetarianism. Its ethical claims collapse under logical scrutiny, as adherence to its principles either perpetuates animal exploitation or sacrifices human well-being.
Conclusion:
The philosophical
foundations of vegetarianism are riddled with logical inconsistencies
and irrational premises. Its absolutist rejection of violence is
untenable in practice, and its reliance on animal-based supplements
exposes a fundamental hypocrisy. To uphold coherence, vegetarianism must
either abandon its ethical pretenses or concede its
impracticality—neither of which aligns with its professed ideals.
Examining the Conflict Between Vegetarianism and Islam As previously discussed, vegetarianism categorizes all killing of animals as inherently unjust, a violation of animal rights, and an act of violence. However, the Quran explicitly permits this act. By vegetarianism’s logic, this divine permission would imply—God forbid—that Allah has endorsed an unjust, unethical, and wrongful practice! Moreover, in Islamic jurisprudence, abandoning a permissible (halal) act ordained by Allah without valid religious or rational justification constitutes tahrim al-halal (forbidding what is lawful), which is explicitly condemned in the Quran. Allah states in Surah Al-Ma’idah (5:87): یَا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا لَا تُحَرِّمُوا طَیِّبَاتِ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَکُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا یُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِینَ “O you who believe! Do not forbid the good things Allah has made lawful to you, and do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not love transgressors.” Just as abandoning marriage without valid reason is criticized in the teachings of the Infallibles (ع), so too is the absolute rejection of meat consumption. The Prophet Muhammad (ص) emphasized: «النِّکَاحُ سُنَّتِی فَمَنْ رَغِبَ عَنْ سُنَّتِی فَلَیْسَ مِنِّی» “Marriage is my tradition. Whoever turns away from my tradition is not of me.” (Jami‘ al-Akhbar, p. 101) Similarly, meat consumption is part of the Prophetic tradition (Sunnah), and its absolute abandonment is strongly condemned by the Infallibles (ع). Prohibition of Prolonged Meat Abstention Authentic narrations in authoritative sources strictly forbid abstaining from meat for over 40 days. For instance, Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (ع) quotes the Prophet (ص): مَنْ أَتَى عَلَیْهِ أَرْبَعُونَ یَوْماً وَ لَمْ یَأْکُلِ اَللَّحْمَ فَلْیَسْتَقْرِضْ عَلَى اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ لْیَأْکُلْهُ. “Whoever goes forty days without eating meat should borrow in Allah’s name and eat it.” (Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 309) This hadith unequivocally demonstrates that prolonged meat avoidance (beyond 40 days) is not only discouraged in Islam but actively opposed. The Subtler Wisdom Behind Meat Consumption A profound question arises: Why does Islamic law instruct reciting the adhan and iqamah in a newborn’s ears? According to authentic narrations, this protects the child from harm by jinn. The Prophet (ص) said: فَلْیُؤْذَنْ فِی اُذُنِهِ الْیُمْنٰی بِاَذٰانِ الصَّلاٰةِ وَلْیُقِمْ فِی الْیُسْریٰ فَاِنَّهٰا عِصْمَةٌ مِنَ الشَّیطٰانِ الرَّجِیمِ. “Let the adhan of prayer be recited in the newborn’s right ear and the iqamah in the left ear, for this is a protection from the accursed Satan.” (Al-Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 24) Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (ع) further states: مَنْ لَمْ یَأْکُلِ اَللَّحْمَ أَرْبَعِینَ یَوْماً سَاءَ خُلُقُهُ وَ مَنْ سَاءَ خُلُقُهُ فَأَذِّنُوا فِی أُذُنِهِ. “Whoever avoids meat for forty days will develop a bad temperament. If one becomes ill-tempered, recite the adhan in their ear.” (Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Vol. 1, p. 299) What connects a newborn and a meat-abstainer? The answer lies in the delicate state of the soul caused by avoiding meat. Abstaining from meat weakens the soul’s resilience, making one vulnerable to jinn—a hidden danger of vegetarianism. The renowned mystic scholar Ayatollah Sayyed Hossein Ya’qubi Qa’ini (mentor of Ayatollah Mohyi al-Din Haeri Shirazi) explains in Safinat al-Sadiqin: “While abstaining from animal products may increase one’s inclination toward worship, it is discouraged (makruh) in Islamic law. The reason for this dislike is that prolonged avoidance of animal foods refines the soul excessively, making one susceptible to jinn, who may manifest themselves and lead to dangers such as madness or spiritual deviation. Hence, the divine law instructs: ‘Recite the adhan in the ear of one who avoids meat for forty days’—just as it is prescribed for newborns, who are more vulnerable to jinn. These rulings are rooted in profound wisdom beyond our current scope.” (Safinat al-Sadiqin, p. 592) Vegetarianism and the Occult Sciences In occult texts like Shams al-Ma‘arif and Al-Tuhfa—renowned works on magic and esoteric sciences—it is stated: لِلتَّوَاصُلِ مَعَ الْجِنِّ یَجِبُ تَنْقِیَةُ الْجَسَدِ مِنْ بَعْضِ الْأَطْعِمَةِ کَاللَّحْمِ. “To communicate with jinn, one must purify the body by abstaining from certain foods, such as meat, for a specified period.” Thus, beyond the neurological and health risks of vegetarianism (discussed earlier), abstaining from meat spiritually exposes one to jinn, exacerbating risks of depression, madness, and possession. Conclusion Islam explicitly permits meat consumption as a divinely sanctioned practice. Vegetarianism’s absolutist rejection of meat not only contradicts Quranic injunctions and Prophetic traditions but also disregards profound spiritual and physiological wisdom. By abandoning meat, one risks both physical health and spiritual vulnerability—a position irreconcilable with Islamic teachings.