Dr. HM Ma’rifat Iman, MA
The Deputy Chairman of the Tarjih and Tajdid PP Muhammadiyah
Member of the Fatwa Commission of the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI)
The public’s awareness of halal product seems to be gradually increasing and it is very prospective. Halal socialization must be done and increased integrative and comprehensively since it is related to the slogan of MUI and LPPOM MUI, “Halal is My Life”.
“Halal is My life” is a phrase which have two main points. The first is a having commitment to produce and distribute products in halal ways, either the substance or the method of producing it. The second, further commitment to carry out all religious guidance, Islam. Consuming halal food and beverages, dressing, must be from halal substance and to earn it also must be in halal ways.
Halal things in related to LPPOM MUI it is limited to the aspects of food, beverages, medicines, and cosmetics. However, halal is not only in those aspects. Halal is a commitment to live all of the aspects of life in accordance with sharia. Even nowadays the aspects of halal product have been wider, as result halal tourism, syar’i hijab, and also includes used goods, which have also been adopted and stipulated legal requirements in the Halal Product Assurance Act (UU JPH). Thus, MUI and its sub divisions such as LPPOM and The MUI Fatwa Commission, there is also the MUI National Sharia Council which discusses and stipulates fatwas in the field of Islamic finance and economics, or aspects of Muamalah in general. Therefore, with LPPOM MUI’s journey of almost three decades now, of course, continuous efforts must be made to integrate the halal consumption comprehensively with the aspects of muamalah in accordance with sharia principles.
The commitment to living the halal life, to conducting the religious guidance comprehensively or as a Kaaffah have been commanded by Allah firmly in a verse which means: “O you who believed, enter into Islam completely, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a cruel enemy. ” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2: 208). The point of the verse is that we have to conduct Islamic guidance as a kaffah, or totally. If doing the guidance partially it resembles to following the footsteps of Satan.
Historically, Satan has obeyed some of Allah’s commands, but denied or even rejected some others. That is, when Allah ordered him to prostrate to Prophet Adam, Satan refused Him. Even Satan felt and claimed to be better than Adam, because he was created from fire which he considered more glorious; while Adam from clay which he considered inferior. As stated in the Holy Qur’an, “Allah said: “What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?” Satan said “I am better than him: You created me from fire, while he created him from clay.” (Surah Al-A’raaf, 7: 12).
The Reference of Qur’an and Hadith
The phrase “Halal is My Life” should be practiced in daily life since has been commanded in Islam as the reference of Qur’an and Hadith. The Prophet Muhammad has also given a real example in living a halal life by very noble morals, practicing the guidance of the Qur’an in a real way. Ummul Mukminin ‘Aisyah, when asked by the companions, Hisham bin Amir about how the character of the Prophet, then’ Aisyah said: “Do you not often read the Qur’an?” He replied: “Yes.” So A’ishah said: “The morality of the Prophet is the Qur’an.” (HR. Muslim).
Ibn al-Qayyim Al-Jauziyyah explained the hadith that the Prophet Muhammad combined piety with Allah and the sublime attributes. Therefore, we must ittiba’, by living a halal life as well, practicing the guidance of the Qur’an completely. This is also part of faith in Prophet Muhammad. As stated in the command of the verse which means: “Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (QS. Ali Imran, 3:31).
In implementing Halal is My Life, we must feel and believe, the movement of life that we do is always under Allah’s control. So that we are always careful in living this life. Like a working employee, if he supervised by his foreman or supervisor, of course he will show good performance, work hard and be careful. Attitudes and behaviors with awareness are under the supervision of Allah in the guidance of religion called Al-Ihsan, and has been indicated by the Prophet saw in his long and famous hadith in the Book of Hadith Arba’in an-Nawawiyah, in a dialogue when He was asked by the Jibril: “… He (the Angel Gabriel) asked again:” Tell me about kindness. ” The Prophet Muhammad replied, “You should worship Allah as if you saw Him. If you do not see Him, then (be sure) He does see you. ” [HR. Imam Muslim].
The words of Rasulullah defined the expression of the word “Ihsan”: “you worship Allah as if to see Him and so on” hints, that a servant worships Allah in such a situation. Meaning, he felt close to Allah and he felt as if he was in the presence of Him, with confidence as if seeing Him. Such a belief will inevitably cause fear, embarrassment and glorify Allah, as in the narration of Abu Hurairah: “Let you fear Allah as if you saw Him”. Attitudes and movements of worship like this also produce sincerity in worship, and work hard to continue to improve and perfect it.
Next about the words of the Prophet saw. “If you cannot see Him, indeed He sees you”, some scholars say, the word is an explanation for the previous word / hadith. That if a servant is commanded to feel God’s oversight in worship and to feel Allah’s closeness to His servant, until the servant seems to see Him, then it can happen to him. That is, by his faith, he believed that Allah sees him, knew the secrets of his heart and his actions, knew what he showed, his inner self, and there was not the slightest bit of himself that Allah did not know. If the servant puts himself in such a position, then it is easy for the servant to move to the second position, which is to constantly feel the closeness of Allah is with himself as His servant and the togetherness of Allah with His servant, until the servant can feel like seeing Him.
Exoteric and Esoteric
Worship has both exoteric and esoteric content. Worship in the exoteric aspect is physical or appears material-physical. Like kayfiat or the rituals of worship carried out by physically moving the limbs of the body. Meanwhile, esoteric is the essence of worship itself in terms of values ??and implications and the application or follow-up of the worship. For example, praying, from the point of view of its movement, it is called an exoteric aspect, of course it appears as a good deed, but from the point of view of its essence or spiritual side, in Allah’s judgment, people who pray could even be harmed and threatened with torture in the Wayl since worshipper performs prayers negligently and willing to be seen, or riya’.
Furthermore, in terms of its application, a person who does praying well, should behave well too, such as: likes to help the poor, feeds the poor, and so on. If the practice is not the same, for example, unwilling to help the poor, stingy, and other negative behaviors, then the person who prays, in Allah’s view and judgment, will undoubtedly be hurt. The verse of Qur’an also reminds us: “So woe to those who pray, [but] who are heedless of their prayer, those who make show [of their deeds].” (Surah Al-Maa’uun, 107: 4-6). Riya’ is doing something not to seek the pleasure of Allah, but praise or fame among beings (society).
In the context of halal food, for example, halal exoterically is not only the material; but esoterically the way to get the needs must be halal, and as an aspect of muamalah. Owning the halal food is also used for good, such as to help feed the starvy, the poor, and so on. As referred to Surah Al-Maa’uun.
Understanding the urgency of “Halal is My Life”, the believers must perform it wholeheartedly. Conveying, reminding and persuading family members who are our responsibilities to perform halal life: O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded, (Surah At-Tahrim, 66: 6). Besides, it is a must to perform halal life in environmental community so that the halal lifestyle can continue to grow more. Obviously, we cannot hope in others, but as Muslims the start is in our hand, as far as we are able, from now on. Allah commands through the Qur’an “So fear Allah as much as you are able.” (Surah At-Taghabun, 64: 16), being piety, obeying all the commands of Allah, perform those maximally, to the limit of one’s ability. This has also been instructed through the Hadith, “When I order an order, then do it according to your ability.” (USM)
