Halal The Dilemma
"Dengan menyebut nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Penyayang"
We always hear about
Halal, especially about halal food? Do we know deeply halal products covering and it effects to our life? So in
this article, I will enlighten you about halal definition, it standardisation
and it effects to our live.
As to maintain or upgrade
our iman or faith daily, we have to make sure everything we do is in line the
teaching of Islam. Halal just no covers about food only but it is also related
to the money we get. This is because to get food we need money. To get money we
need job and how we deal with our job shows the source of everything is halal
or not.
In a bigger point of view,
The halal industry is estimated to be worth US$500 million, with the number of
producers, halal ports and certification bodies growing at an impressive rate
every year. The demand for halal products has become a global phenomenal, not
only among the muslims, but among the non muslims alike. The unique features of
halal which emphasises not only on certain rules of shariah, but also on
various prudential and best practices such as cleanliness and hygiene have
symbolised the universal value of halal products; hence the demand created for
such products has become a global phenomenal, especially in countries where muslim
are the majority. It should be noted that though these prudential and best
practices in halal production and management are very important, the understanding
of principles in dealing with halal matters is of paramount important.
The concept of halal
derives its meaning from basic Arabic word of halal which means lawful and the
opposite of halal is haram which is an Arabic term which means unlawful or
forbidden. Briefly explained, halal is an act, object or conduct over which the
individual has the freedom of choice and its exercise does not carry either a
reward or punishment. While haram means all that which Allah has prohibited in
definitive terms, and its perpetrator is liable to a punishment is this world
or the hereafter.
It is always assumed that
every time people talk about halal, they mean only foods and drinks that they
consume and clothes that they wear. In actual fact, the realm of the halal
extends beyond the obvious references to food and clothes, to cover all matters
that relate to human life. Its includes foods, all goods and services,
entertainments, finance and commerce, tourism, lifestyle and all aspects of
human life that come under the judgement of halal and haram. Hence, its should
be noted taht halal issues do not only concern about food, beverages, clothes
and family matters. In fact, the word halal connotes the whole life of a
muslim, whereby the concept of halal permeated to every aspect of his life.
From the example given it shows that halal covers
360 degree of our life. Food as example, nowadays, many food processing
industries depended on various emulsifiers, stabilizers and preservatives some
of them derived from haram sources, others harmful and everything that is
harmful to human beings are haram.
Besides food, the usage of
halal toiletries and cosmetic products should not be ignored. Are we certain
that the soap and toothpaste that we use everyday are halal? So, halal is just not food but
also living. It is a concept that encompasses daily living, including speech,
behaviours and conduct and dietary laws.
The term is used to describe anything permissible under Islamic laws, in
contast to harm that is forbidden including dress and manner.
Taking into account the
increase of halal product market, the Malaysian Government intends in Making
Malaysia a regional halal hab. Since 2003 JAKIM, The Department of Islamic
Development Malaysia is the lead agency in the conferment of the halal
certificates and labels at both federal and state level. JAKIM is responsible
for issuing the certificates for halal products for export and import, while
the state government issue halal certificates for local consumption.
By having this halal
certification, it provides a lot of benefits such as consumer
confidence where it allows the consumers to make an informed choice of their
purchase. As
for manufacturer, it also creates competitive
advantages whereby manufacturers can use it as a marketing tool to secure
bigger market share as halal food
is suitable for both Muslims and non-Muslims. At international level, it can
enhance the marketability of the products especially in Muslim countries. In terms of quality aspect, it indicates that the food not only fulfills
halal requirements,
but also strict hygiene practices. Lastly as for
the authority, it provides a mechanism to audit and monitor halal products and services.
As for conclusion, understanding the principles on halal is very
crucial to serve as general guidelines in determining the lawfulness or
otherwise of a particular products or instruments. In actual fact, the shariah
principles on halal products are so varied and in certain circumstances,
certain principles are more pertinent in certain areas of practice only.
Nevertheless, there are principles which are commonly applicable to all areas
of halal, like the rule on permissibility and etc. It is ones responsibility to
ensure that halal need to be view in a holistic point of view. And adding to
that, dealing with principles of halal is not an easy task. This is due to the
fact that halal industry falls within the areas of non-worshiping acts, where
human understanding and considerations of time, place and people are very
crucial determining the ‘halalness’ or otherwise a particular product as it gives a big impact to our personal life. Again, it
is just not about food only, but our daily routine. It touches our behavior and
conduct and dietary laws.
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