IS BEEF-EATING ‘HARAAM’ IN ISLAM ???

IS BEEF-EATING ‘HARAAM’ IN ISLAM ???
Ramakant Tiwari
based on Pioneer article
http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/oped/eating-beef-not-an-islamic-ritual.html
Yes. It appears so.

Controversy over beef-eating has been a very old issue and it has witnessed too much attrition, friction, crime and brouhaha during past several centuries. Hereinasunder, we shall examine a bouquet of affirmations emanating from Islamic quarters prohibiting beef consumption by Muslims.

Beef eating is not at all an Islamic life-style. Nor is it ordained in so-called Sharia. Hence ban on cow slaughter can never be prejudicial to Islamic religious freedom and the right to the choice of food of Muslims.

As a matter of fact, Islam does not prohibit vegetarianism at all and there are scores of devout Muslims who are confirmed vegetarians.

Hazrat Ali Ibn Ali Talib, cousin and son-in-law of Mohammed, IV Khalifa as per Sunni faith, has been quoted in Sharh Nahjul Balagha, “Do not convert your stomach into graveyard of animals.”

So-called renowned Islamic scholar Hamza Yusuf is more direct and devastating in his declaration, “Meat is not necessary in Sharia and in old days most Muslims used to eat meat if they were wealthy like middle class, once a week on Fridays. If they were poor, on the festive occasion of Eids.”

So-called Shia scholar Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah responded online in 2001, “Vegetarianism is Halal. Meat is not compulsory. Any food is permissible provided it is not harmful. Muslims are free to eat whatever they want provided it is Halal.”

Another so-called Islamic scholar Mohammed Al Shirazi says, “Being vegetarian is OK and Halal and in fact we have Hadith in Islam that encourages us to eat less meat.”

Ayatullah Sayyid Khamanei Fatwa-ed digitally, “According to Islamic law (Sharia), there is no objection to it. However eating meat is permissible in Islamic law although eating too much is reprehensible (Makruh).”

Meat is not a staple diet in abundantly agriculture based economy of India while in West Asia, they had no such option available to them, so resorted to flesh-eating.

In his entire lifetime, so-called Prophet Mohammed himself is not known to have ever tasted cow-meat. No Hadith is available to confirm his cow-flesh eating. On the contrary, several statements issued by him are available to the effect that that cow’s meat causes severe illness while cow’s milk / ghee have medicinal properties.

Imam Suyati quotes Mohammed in his al-Jami as-Saghir, “Milk of the bovine (cow) contains healing, its fat is a medicine and its meat a cause for sickness.”
Another Hadith scholar Abu al-Qasim Sulaiman ibn Ahmed ibn Al-Tabarani affirmed it authentic. So did Bayhaqi in his Sunam and Hakim in his work, Mustadrak.

Maulana Alvi Gurgani, one of the four Shia Muftis authorised to issue Fatwa-s, ruled that cow-slaughter must be avoided as cow is adored by Hindus.

Fatwa-e-Humayuni, Darul Mukhtiar, Maulana Hassan Nizami and Hakim Ajmal Khan have affirmed and re-affirmed that cow slaughter is NOT mandatory in Islam, sacrifice of sheep / goat is superior to cow sacrifice, poor Muslims are under no obligation to offer sacrifice of animals, Koran and Arab traditions do not support cow sacrifice.

During life and times of KhwajaMoinuddin Chisti of Ajmer, there have been several instances of cow protection.

Hajrat Hamiduddin Nagori of Rajasthan was a vegetarian all his life and entry to Dargah after meat consumption is prohibited even today.

Last Mughal King BS Zafar had issued a decree declaring cow-killers as his enemy and slaughter of cow / bull / calf punishable by death sentence.

Similar Firman was issued by his ancestor Akbar too, as elaborately mentioned by Abul Fazal in Ain-i-Akbari. French traveller Francois Bernier too, mentioned the same in his memoirs.

Sufi Bangalori Mastan of Maheshwar in MP was not only a vegetarian but also had a cow-shelter.

So well known Sayyed Ibrahim Khan or Ras Khan, a devout Muslim and follower of Vasudeva Shri Krishna, regarded Gokul as the best place for animals to live as it is sanctified by cows.

Dr. Rashid Ali Khan of Saharanpur was brutally killed by meat-mafia as he opposed cow slaughter assertively. So was S. Ahmed who fought cow-smugglers in 1979.
Muslim Rashtriya Manch demanded all India ban on cow-slaughter in their Raipur Conference 2014 through a Central law.
So it appears, cow-meat eating is ‘Haraam’ in Islam for all practical purposes though they may not have declared that through Fatwa.

Entire controversy with respect to an all India ban on cow-slaughter through an act of Parliament is political raised by anti-Hindu / anti-India forces funded from overseas.
Central Government must act firmly and decisively to proclaim cow-slaughter a cognisable offence punishable with capital punishment / life imprisonment immediately.