Halal has become
the lifestyle in the world. For Muslim consumers, halal product means that the
products has met the requirements laid down by the Islamic shariah law. As the
Muslim populations increasing throughout the world, the awareness on consuming
Halal also goes in the same parallel trend. Halal is not only covering food consumption,
but also for non-food products such as cosmetics, toiletries, pharmaceuticals,
leather products, perfume and fragrances, brushes and so on. The services such
as banking, entertainment, tourism, and logistic are also related to Halal
requirements (Rahim, 2013).
It is important
for muslim to know about halal and why it matters their life. Especially about food, Allah SWT said in
Quran surah Al-Baqarah: 172 "O you who believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him that you worship." and Al-Baqarah: 173 "He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of wine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessary] neither desiring [it] nor transgressing ]its limit]. there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is forgiving and merciful." Both show that Halal education is needed
especially for muslim as consumers.
The best period
to educate is in children era. Children
period of human is the most appropriate time for somebody to get education
includes halal awareness. It should be given by parents for children as it is a
crucial thing for us as muslim. This following five points will show you how to
build halal awareness among children:
1. Show them. Show them that you’re aware
before you tell them what awareness is. Children are good imitators. Many
people failed because they used to tell their children without even show them
how. Start with simple things such as read ingredients and make sure about
halal logo in your food packaging, or make conversation about halal with your
spouse -for the example. Let your children see.
2. Let and teach. Sometimes, it is
important for children to make a decision by their self. Bring your children in
shopping time, and ask them to help you choose a product. Whether they choose
the ‘halal’ one, appreciate it. “Alhamdulillah, thank you for choosing me the
halal one, Honey.” But when they choose the non halal one, or product with no
halal logo, that’s a right time to tell them. Say something good and correct
it, “Alhamdulillah, thank you for helping me, Dear. But this one has no halal
logo. How if we choose another?” -and don't forget to smile.
3. Make dua. Dua is our weapon as muslim. Start every single thing with
dua. We know that we can’t ensure the halalness for every product. For the example, we eat fried chicken in a restaurant, We don't know; is it halal? is it slaughtered properly based on syariah? Then, dua completes our effort. Dua is an indicator that we’ve tried our best and we act
tawakkal as Allah commands us in the Quran. Involved your children in dua
activity, build the sense of tauhid in all of their activity. Later, this
simple thing will significantly affect their future. InshaaAllah.
4. Right and Obligation. Help your
children to learn moral reasoning about halal. Children usually questioning
everything. Why we can't eat those things? why we have to aware about halal? why. why, why. Specifically, they usually ask ‘why’ for every single thing. Do not ever feel too lazy to answer their question. Remember that you're helping them to build awareness. Use creative
ways to tell about right and obligation as a muslim, and show the beauty of Islam :) One more thing, remember to use concrete explanation. Make it easy for them to understand.
5. Story. Story telling is a great choice
to educate children and raising their halal awareness. It elaborates audio,
visual, and also kinesthetic. You can make your own story, or search it on the
internet. In addition, it is also important for you to tell them about sirah
nabawiyah and another islamic story especially that linked into halal.
Well done, happy raising awareness! :)
Rahim NF, Shafii Z, Shahwan S.
2013. Awareness and perception of muslim consumers on non-food halal product. Journal of Social and Development Sciences
4:478-487.
Rizky Sahla Tasqiya, student of Family and Consumer Sciences
Halal Product Management | Syariah Economy | Bogor Agricultural University