HALAL AND HARAM IN FOOD

HALAL AND HARAM IN FOOD

Let us improve our piety (taqwa) and good deeds by obeying Allah’s entire commands and omitting all the forbidden.

Halal is one of the important principles in Islam in choosing food. It concludes two things:

First: How the food is acquired (source). Is it from legitimate (halal) sources or illegitimate (haram) source such as sources from steeling, gambling, bribing, fraud and so on.

Second: Is it the foods itself are legitimate or not for us to consume. Islam had stated for that only halal foods can be consumed by muslims. Allah s.w.t says:

“O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and wholesome in the earth, and follow not the footsteps of the devil. Lo! he is an open enemy for you. “ (Al-Baqarah verse 168)

Therefore, choosing Halal and healthy food is important for every muslim. It is to ensure that food that we eat will be harmless to us.

Clean and healthy food will build a healthy life. In finding a clean and healthy food, it is important for us to ensure that the food that we eat is clean and healthy according to Islamic law.

Blessed muslims, Muslims nowadays is too exposed to various types of foods and drinks in market mostly those imported product that produce in non muslims countries.

It will increase lots of suspicion about the source because it is hard to find out the legitimate of the sources, Rasulullah s.a.w says:

“Left out what ever give your doubt-ness and go for things that doubtless to you.”(At-Tarmizi)

Blessed muslims, Allah s.w.t. command us to only consume halal and healthy foods and those command gives us lots of benefits. Food is the most important factors in building a healthy body for human.

Those who are concern and only choose halal, clean and healthy food will bring piety-ness that will drove his soul to worships and be Taqwa to Allah s.w.t..

Illegitimate (Haram) food is mixed with excrement or comes from illegitimate sources will give three consequences to us:

First: The food will influences his soul and he will prefer doing bad things, immorality, vice and hate for good thing.

Second: His pray (Du’a) will not be accepted (Maqbul) by Allah. Third: He will be punished by Allah s.w.t on Judgment days.

Rasulullah s.a.w says: “0 people, Allah is Good and He therefore, accepts only that which is good. And Allah commanded the believers as He commanded the Messengers by saying:" O Messengers, eat of the good things, and do good deeds; verily I am aware of what you do."

And He said: ' 0 those who believe, eat of the good things that We gave you" He then made a mention of a person who travels widely, his hair disheveled and covered with dust. He lifts his hand towards the sky (and thus makes the supplication):

" O Lord, 0 Lord," whereas his diet is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, and his clothes are unlawful and his nourishment is unlawful. How can then his supplication be accepted?

Allah s.w.t says in Al-Qur’an: “O ye who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you, and render thanks to Allah if it is (indeed) He Whom ye worship.” (Al-Baqarah verse 172)

Blessed muslims, The secret of Allah’s prohibition in Al-Qur’an for us to consume Haram food were also revealed by science research. For example, Allah s.w.t prohibited the muslims from eating pork and science research revealed that there worm and Japanese Enceplytis (JE) virus in pork.

Both worm and J.E virus were hard to be abolished. Apart from worms and virus, the behavior of the pork that only eat and getting full of its stomach is very bad because if human follows its behavior,

they will lost peaceful, comfort and calm-ness in life. They also will be living in freedom, without any manner, no relationship and not according to the law of Allah s.w.t:

“He has forbidden you only the Maitah (dead animals), and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah..” (Al-Baqarah verse 173)

It is clear that Allah command us to only eat Halal and good food is our own good and not to give any harm –ness to us. Besides that, Halal food will bring peaceful to our life in this world and the day here after.

Blessed muslims, Alhamdulillah, the Selangor state government through the Islamic Religious Department of Selangor (JAIS) and other authorities always inspecting the products, daily goods and food premises in market to ensure that the food marketed and sold is Halal.

Despite of that, support from societies is needed in helping the government by giving information about product that is doubtful of its resources in the market and wrongly used the Halal logo.

Hence, if there is any fraud and using the Halal logo without any permissions, it can be traced and faster action can be taken and also avoid deception to the users and muslims.

Blessed muslims, Statistic of application for Halal certification in Selangor shows that most of application and holder of Halal certification are non muslim in food industry. As explained, it is sad to know that volume of muslims entrepreneurs who applying for Halal certification is too low compared to non muslims entrepreneurs.

The non muslims entrepreneurs seems to be very committed to get this certificate compared to muslims entrepreneurs who feels that the Halal certification will not be a medium for them to sold out their product because they feels that the users had convinced in using their product.

Therefore, muslims were encouraged to get the Halal certificate for their product to increase their market shares and become more competitive with other non muslims company which are not fully understand the concept of Halal dan Haram in Islam.

Blessed muslims, The principle in giving out the Halal certificate by JAIS or JAKIM is very clear. The food must be Halal and good (Halalan Toyyiba), it will not affect the consumers.

Every aspect that concludes healthiness, cleanliness, and safety will be the priority in approving the certificate. It also include the source or ingredient that been used to make the food.

Hence, what is our role as a society who concern about Halal food? We can use our power as a user, to buy product that only have the Halal certificate.

Users were advised to be aware of buying food in premises by asking for clarification, is the food Halal or does the kitchen and preparation place is cleaned and well maintain by muslims worker?

Therefore as muslims, we must always be cautious and careful in choosing our food so that what we are consumed is truly Halal. So that we will be avoided from Allah’s punishment and will not be among those who disobeyed Allah’s law.

“For those who respond to their Lord are (all) good things. But those who respond not to Him― even if they had all that is in the heavens and on earth, and as much more,

(in vain) would they offer it for ransom. For them will the reckoning be terrible: their abode will be Hell― what a bed of misery!” (Al-Rad verse 18)

بَارَكَ اللهُ لِيْ وَلَكُمْ فِى الْقُرْآنِ الْعَظِيْمِ وَنَفَعَنِي وَإِيَّاكُمْ بِمَا فِيْهِ مِنَ الأيَاتِ وَالذِّكْرِ الْحَكِيْمِ وَتَقَبَّلَ مِنِّي وَمِنْكُمْ تِلاوَتَهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيْمُ. أَقُوْلُ قَوْلِيْ هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُوا اللهَ الْعَظِيْمَ لِيْ وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ الأَحْيَاءِ مِنْهُمْ وَالأَمْوَات فَاسْتَغْفِرُوْهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْمُ.

O Allah, The most merciful god, we thank you for all the mercy and pleasure that you gave so that we can enhance and strengthen our Islamic country especially Selangor as a developed and peaceful country.

O Allah, We beg you to increase our practice, brace up our unity, give us prosperous life, make us rich with good knowledge, flourish our soul with noble character, bring back our youngsters to the right path, save us from your biggest test such

as huge flood, drought, epidemic, disputing between ourselves, poorness and anything else so that this country will be more prosperous and blessed.

DI SEDIAKAN OLEH : BAHAGIAN KHUTBAH, JABATAN AGAMA ISLAM SELANGOR

HALAL AND HARAM IN FOOD