Ahmad Farouk Musa || 19 September 2024

I read the piece by a retired judge, the learned Justice Datuk Hamid Sultan Abu Backer with much interest. However, he erred in his insistence that while the concept of haram is very clear, the rhetoric of what is halal isn’t so. This is in contradiction to the authentic hadith by Prophet Muhammad regarding this matter. Indeed, the territory of halal and haram is clearly delineated; what is not is the grey area in between, which is known as the syubuhāt (doubtedness). Muslims who hold fast to their religion should refrain from crossing over into this area of syubuhāt.

An authentic hadith (saying of the Prophet) sets the record straight on this matter:

On the authority of Abu ‘Abdullah al-Nu’man bin Bashir who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah says:

“The halal is clear and the haram is clear, and between them are matters unclear (syubuhāt) that are unknown to most people. Whoever is wary of these unclear matters has absolved his religion and honour. And whoever indulges in them has indulged in the haram. It is like a shepherd who herds his sheep too close to preserved sanctuary, and they will eventually graze in it. Every king has a sanctuary, and the sanctuary of Allah is what He has made haram. There lies within the body a piece of flesh. If it is sound, the whole body is sound; and if it is corrupted, the whole body is corrupted. Verily this piece is the heart.”

This hadith was narrated by Bukhari and Muslim, two of the most reliable scholars of hadith, indisputable except among the Qur’anists who reject the authority of sources outside the Qur’an.

The issue at hand concerns restaurants and outlets using these syubuhāt terms such as NO Pork and NO Lard. To the uninitiated and unwary Muslims, these restaurants seem halal when in fact they are not. The issue is not to simply impose that such restaurants get halal certified, but also to educate Muslims such that they are more aware of the concept of Halal, especially in a Muslim-majority country such as Malaysia. While we do not impose our laws on non-Muslims, we have every right to safeguard the wellbeing of Muslims patronising such restaurants.

For restaurant owners who think it is government overreach to insist they acquire Halal certification to sell food to a Muslim clientele, I would suggest that they display a prominent NON-HALAL sign (instead of NO-Pork and NO-Lard sign). That would be less confusing and more honest. If it is true that Muslims in this country are more than capable of regulating what they eat and drink without government intervention, then the least that a responsible Muslim-led government can do is to decree a law that any signs be changed to NON-Halal instead. No more fuzzy signs displaying NO-Pork and NO-Lard. This would steer unwary Muslims away from the grey zone, the area of syubuhāt, as advised clearly by the Prophet himself.

This, I believe, is what a responsible Muslim-led government in a Muslim-majority country should do. To protect the interest and wellbeing of the Muslim population while not imposing their lifestyle on the non-Muslims. Dietary consumption is of paramount importance to Muslims; it shouldn’t be taken lightly. An authentic hadith of the Prophet emphatically declares:

“That flesh will not enter Paradise which has grown from harām, and all that flesh which has grown from harām, the fire (of hell) is more worthy of it.”

Admittedly, most non-Muslims are unable to fathom why the issue of halal food is so important to Muslims. They should understand that Muslims are very concerned not only of this earthly life, but also of life in the hereafter.

Abu Huraira, a companion of the Prophet, reported that the Prophet said:

“A time will come upon the people wherein a man will not bother with what he consumes; whether from Halal source or Harām.”

This hadith was narrated by Bukhari, and it foretells what we are probably witnessing these days.

Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa holds a PhD in Surgery from Monash University Australia. He is a Doctoral Candidate in Islamic Studies at Universiti Muhammadiyah Malaysia.