Legal Maxims and Standards of Lawful (Halāl) and Unlawful (Harām) Food

An Analytical Review in the Perspective of Halāl Certification

Abstract

     Indeed! Islam introduces clear injunctions about the concept of lawful and unlawful for human life, which applies to all human needs and food products. Food industry has discovered new food products with great interest to introduce delicious recipes and food tastes. Therefore, many aspects of human health and ethics are being neglected for getting a high number of customers in the food industry. Despite all these non-professional acts, there is a great concern of Muslims to analyze the Islamic concept of lawful and unlawful in global context. The issues relating to lawful and unlawful are considered sensitive and critical within the Islamic philosophy, which necessitates careful observance of Islamic guidelines while processing Halāl certification. The present paper discusses standards and legal maxims of Islamic Sharia relating to lawful and unlawful food and their examples for social welfare of humanity. In addition, an overview of the initial steps taken in Pakistan for Halāl certification and some applicable recommendations are elaborated.