Examining Islam In Malaysia Religion Essay

Malaysia is modern Muslim country where more than half of its 26 million people have embrace Islam as their religion. Halal is an Islamic religious guide to how Muslims should live their lives from the way their food is prepared to how their personal and social relationships are conducted. In Malaysia Halal is a concept accepted by all, by both Muslims and non- Muslims. The majority of businesses in Malaysia sells products or offer services that are Halal endorsed. The Malaysia Halal Certification is globally respected.
In our ever progressive world, it has become increasingly challenging for Muslims to determine whether the food or drinks they consume are religiously acceptable or Halal. This Halal and non-Halal problem is not only limited to food and beverage but also to other products and services.
For Muslims living in a totally Islamic country like Saudi Arabia, the Halal question is not an issue at all. For those living in a multiracial Muslim country like Malaysia, although Halal food or services are readily available and easy to obtain, there is a need for the authority to monitor and enforce standards to ensure Halalness particularly when the products or services are made, sold, prepared or provided by non-Muslims. However, the real challenge is for Muslims living in a country whose population is predominantly non-Muslims. Extra diligence is needed for these Muslims to enjoy everything Halal.

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Most striking is that there are approximately 1.9 billion Muslims in the world who are consumers of Halal foods. As such the Halal food market is the largest food market in the world. Among the Halal importing countries are those which have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, have the fastest growing middle classes in the world, import a significant proportion of their food needs and have the highest rates of population growth in the world.
Malaysia will be developed International Halal Food Hub for monitoring and standardization the Halal food product. The Halal certification will be gives if the food ingredients are Halal. This certification of Malaysia Halal standard are also will be strengthened and aggressively promoted internationally.
HALAL BEEF PRODUCT
Halal products are fast gaining worldwide recognition as a new benchmark for safety and quality assurance. Products that are produced with Halal certification are readily acceptable by Muslim consumers as well as consumers from other religions. This acceptance is due to the wholesomeness concept of Halal, which covers not only the Shariah requirement, but also the hygiene, sanitation and safety aspects.
Halal certification is a powerful marketing tool for both the Muslim and non-Muslim producers, as there are an increasing awareness on the part of Muslim consumers all over the world on their obligation to consume Halal food.
The Arabic word(Halal) means lawful or permitted. In the Holy Qu’ran, Allah commands Muslims and all of mankind to eat of the Halal things. Basically, Allah Al Mighty knows what is best for us to eat. And normally all the Halal food are very clean and safe from any disease. But for non-Halal food, you always can find some interesting facts relating to sickness.
This following products are definitely Halal such as milk (from cows, sheep, camels, and goats), honey, fish, plants which are not intoxicant, fresh or dried fruits, legumes & nuts like peanut, cashew nuts, hazel nuts, walnut, grain such as wheat, rice, rye, barley, and oat. Basically, all food is Halal except meat from swine such as pork, ham, pork-based products and by-products such as sausages and gelatin. Animals improperly slaughtered or already dead before slaughtering is due to take place. Animals killed in the name of anyone other than Allah (for example, by anyone other than a Jew, Christian or Muslim, or as part of a pagan sacrifice), intoxicants, blood and blood by-products, foods contaminated with any of the above products. Most of the desserts use non-Halal Gelatin that comes from pigs.
Focus about the beef, they are only Halal if they are slaughtered according to Islamic Law. The procedures that we must do at the beef are the animal must be slaughtered by a Muslim. The animal also should be put down on the ground or held it if it is small. The throat of the animal must be sliced with a very sharp knife to make sure that the 3 main blood vessels are cut. While cutting the throat of the animal (without severing it), the person must pronounce the name of Allah or recite a blessing which contains the name of Allah, such as “Bismillahirahmannirrahim, Allah-u-Akbar”. Islam prohibits the meat of animals that are slaughtered without reciting the name of Allah and those that are slaughtered whilst pronouncing a name other than Allah. Mentioning the name of Allah during slaughter is actually a way of seeking permission from God for taking the life of the animal for the sole purpose of sustenance. The prohibition to recite a name other than Allah during slaughter acts as a safeguard to a Muslim’s faith. Islam is a religion which promotes monotheism and rejects any form of polytheism. Mentioning a name other than Allah is regarded as a polytheistic act, thus such act is not permissible during slaughter.
For more information, they lead the cow into an area, line its head up with where the piston comes out, and BAM! The cow is unconscious, hung by its ankles, and sent to where the slaughter takes place. Regarding poultry, a common practice is to render them unconscious by electrocuting them before slaughter.
Slaughtering is to be done from the front of the neck, between the throat and the head of the breast bone (Libba). The throat/oesophagus (Mirree), windpipe/trachea (Halkoom) and the two jugular veins (Wadijan) are cut in the neck without severing the spinal cord. This cut severed the arteries to the brain of the animal, thus depriving the brain of blood supply. As a result, the brain loses consciousness due to insufficient oxygen. This renders the animal unconscious, causing the animal the least amount of pain. 
By contrast, the Islamic method of slaughtering does not allow for animals to be killed in front of other animals. It requires an extremely sharp blade and the swift incision of the major veins in the neck to facilitate in a painless, quick blood loss and death. Before the slaughter takes place, the animal is examined for overall health. If the animal is deemed unhealthy, it cannot be slaughtered for food. The animal is slaughtered in such a way that most of the blood exits the body. The goal is to slaughter the animal, limiting the amount of pain the animal will endure.
DEPARTMENT OF ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT MALAYSIA (JAKIM)
HISTORY
In 1968, the Conference of Rulers Pakistan has decided that the need for a body to mobilize efforts for development and advancement of the Muslims in Malaysia, in line with Malaysia’s status as an Islamic country that has strong international and world attention.
Recognizing this, a secretariat to the National Council of Religious Affairs was established, to maintain the purity of faith and the teachings of Islam. Secretariat was subsequently developed as the Religious Department of the Prime Minister who was later promoted again to the Islamic Affairs Department (BAHEIS).
On January 1, 1997, in line with the development and progress of Islam in the country has stabilized, the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) is established by the Malaysian government took power and the role (BAHEIS).
FUNCTION OF JAKIM
Formulation and standardization of Islamic law
Formulate, review and amend laws for the standardization of Islamic states.
Streamline and standardize the Islamic law throughout Pakistan.
Act enacts Islamic law and the federal territories.
Enforcement of Islamic law states
Coordinating the implementation and compliance ruling.
Coordination in the administration of Islam
Streamline the administration of Islamic affairs and the states.
Build a strong Islamic thought among Muslims based on the holding of the Sunnah Wal Jamaah.
Produce cadres Islamic preachers and scholars through training in training institutions of Islam.
Establishing benchmarks and practices of Islam through the formulation of service standards Hadhari
Referral centers and advisory services relating to Islam government and private agencies.
Increasing collaboration with the missionary network non-governmental bodies at national and international
Strengthening survival of Muslims in Sabah and Sarawak in educational, missionary and social-economic
Strengthening unity among Muslims to the Ummah.
To empower the non-Muslim, indigenous peoples and minority groups.
Expand the program and plans Islamic through radio and television stations.
Expanding the program elements of Islamic values and personality to deal with social ills.
Coordination and development of Islamic education
Developing a team of experts in various fields of Islamic knowledge.
Make Malaysia a hub for higher education and research al-Quran and al-hadith in regional and international levels.
Develop and coordinate the management of the state religious school of Islamic education and Islamic schools.
Develop and coordinate programs and classes al-Quran mass Ain (Kafa) in the current national education policy.
Strengthening the role of institutions and programs prosperity mosque as a center of science and civilization of the community development that involves all walks of life.
WHY ISLAM FORBIDS PORK
Pork is the most commonly eaten forms of meat around the world, there are over 100 million metric tons of pork is consumed throughout the world. And pork can be served in different forms such as cooked or form of sausages. However, we know that Islam not eating pork but what is the reason they forbids pork. So now, we go to discuss about it.
We know that food and drink have a direct effect on our health. That is why Islam prevents to unhealthy food. Because they believe both physical and moral health are equally important for a healthy society. Therefore, the abstention from eating pork is one of the steps taken by Islam to practice hygiene and to attain purity of soul.
To cultivate our inner faculties, Islam insists upon the cleanliness of body and the purification of soul through Salaat (prayers), Zikr (remembrance of Allah) and other devotional duties. Islam teaches us how to attain the virtues and how to give up bad habits because both good and bad grow in the man according to his upbringing, education and environment.
A human being has natural desires: food, sleep and sex being the three primary ones. He has also natural emotions: sorrow, happiness, love, fear, disgust and avarice etc. Islam doesn’t recommend the complete abrogation of these impulses but offers a method of controlling them through religious education and discipline.
The prohibition of eating pork in Islam is relevant in this context. There is a saying in English that “a man becomes what he eats.” According to physicians and medical experts, pork is a harmful diet. Consumption of swine-flesh creates lowliness in character and destroys moral and spiritual faculties in a man. Despite Islam allows Muslims to eat clean thing. However, in the consumption of meat, Muslims are required to be selective and distinguish the Halal foods.
Dr. E. Kazim. M.D, in his article “Medical aspects of forbidden foods in Islam” (July 1981 issue of Muslim Journal) has described diseases carried or caused by the flesh of swine. He writes: “The pig is a scavenger. It is an omnivorous animal. It eats everything. There are many diseases carried from swine to man, particularly parasite infestations. Lately extensive research has been focused on senility-old age is characterized by hardening of inner lining of the blood vessels of the heart, brain etc. a process called atherosclerosis. When a clot forms, it results in coronary thrombosis or a heart attack, cerebral thrombosis or stroke.
Dr. Glen Shepherd wrote the following on the dangers of eating pork in Washington Post (31 May 1952): “One in six people in USA and Canada have germs in their muscles – trichinosis 8 from eating pork infected with trichina worms. Many people who are infected show no symptoms. Most of those, who do have, recover slowly. Some die; some are reduced to permanent invalids. All were careless pork caters.”
He continued: “No one is immune from the disease and there is no cure. Neither antibiotics nor drugs or vaccines affect these tiny deadly worms. Preventing infection is the real answer.”
After reading the statement of Dr. Shepherd, one can realize that there is no real guarantee of safety when eating pork that one would not be affected by trichina worm. That is why modern doctors advise three prohibitions during illness: no liquor, no pork and no smoking.
At the end we know that Muslim forbids pork because they respect their religion. They believe their GOD will care for them. But if they are under famine, they still can eat pork to survive, it’s no sin.
CONCLUSION
At the end, we found that Halal food have many benefits and that’s why many people either Muslim or non Muslims, would like to choose Halal food.
Halal meat is beneficial for nutrition and health. Only healthy animals can be slaughtered. It is done by Muslims who are trusted and experienced. The meat itself will have no blood clots within the veins-giving it a longer shelf life. Animals will be treated with mercy and respect and will be blessed with the name of God (Allah) prior to slaughter.
Ethnic and religious considerations are not the only reasons why consumers are choosing kosher- and Halal-certified foods. Many perceive the extra supervision implicit in the certified foods assures higher quality and safer food products.
According to Packaged Facts report, ‘Market Trend: Kosher- and Halal-Certified Foods in the US’, resonates with a similar report from Mintel released earlier this year, which concluded that the majority of US consumers who buy kosher foods do so for perceived quality and safety reasons, rather than for religious ones, and there is no reason to assume things are any different in Australia and New Zealand.
They study found that three in five people who buy kosher food do so because they perceive it to be better quality, Halal food also have a lot of nutrition and they feel safe to eat it, and it free from any disease other that, availability to get Halal food is easier. The two most popular markets for Halal food are South-East Asia and the Middle East.
By going through the Halal certification process, food processors will open up the possibility of additional clientele and often they will not even have to make changes to their product to get such certification.
There are four steps in processing of Halal food that is: application, submission, processing certification and post certification. And what’s the important in the steps of processing is certification attests that a product/service is suitable for Muslims and finished products which adhere to Halal manufacturing procedures carry a Halal symbol on the label.
We know that all equipment used in the production of Halal foods must be free from contamination with non-Halal items and comply with the necessary hygiene and sanitation requirements. All ingredients must all be Halal as well.
Favorable perceptions
Many consumers believe that Halal and kosher food is produced under stricter supervision than is provided by government inspection and for many consumers the Halal and kosher symbols guarantee that the food is free of contaminants or disease and no preservatives added.
The research indicated that more than half of consumers who purchased kosher products did so because they considered them to be safer than products not certified as kosher.
Mintel’s research has shown that kosher was the most frequently used claim on food and drink products launched in the US in 2008 which, as the Jewish population is not increasing, suggests that the growing interest may be more to do with food safety than religion.
Aside from religious requirements, kosher and Halal supervision adds another level of quality control in responding to the needs of the discerning consumer. Simply by adhering to the kosher and Halal requirements and having foods certified, processors will broaden their market.