10/08/2026
What does a halal certificate actually mean in relation to a product, especially a meat product?
A halal certificate is not simply a piece of paper issued without investigation. It means that the product has undergone a process of verification and auditingโideally from farm to fork/tableโto determine whether it complies with the requirements of Shariah and the applicable halal standards.
Among the matters that need to be examined are:
1. Animal feed โ The feed should comply with halal requirements, particularly to avoid issues related to jallalah, which has been addressed in the Sunnah.
2. Slaughtering โ The animal must be slaughtered in accordance with the requirements of Islamic law.
3. Raw materials and ingredients โ These must be halal and free from prohibited substances.
4. Primary packaging materials and processing aids โ The materials that directly contain or come into contact with the product must comply with halal requirements.
5. Logistics and transportation โ Proper segregation between halal and non-halal products must be maintained to prevent cross-contamination.
This is how halal products are supposed to be audited and verified. It is not merely a matter of issuing a certificate without undergoing a strict and rigorous process. The objective is to provide reasonable assurance that what Muslims consume complies with the requirements of Shariah.
At the same time, contamination can sometimes occur because of human error, changes in processes, or other circumstances. This is precisely why continuing verification and auditing are important.
Ahl al-Kitab meat in our contemporary circumstances
Now, despite these strict processes, can we still say that the meat slaughtered by Ahl al-Kitab is halal?
Yesโprovided that it satisfies the requirements established by Shariah concerning the slaughter of animals.
Here, there is an important point that I would like to clarify.
Some scholars rely on the general indication of the Qur'anic verse:
ุทูุนูุงู
ู ุงูููุฐูููู ุฃููุชููุง ุงููููุชูุงุจู ุญูููู ูููููู
ู
"The food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you."
Based on this, some argue that Muslims should not investigate meat produced by Ahl al-Kitab, because their food has already been declared permissible by the Qur'an.
However, we must also consider our contemporary circumstances.
Today, animal feeds may contain prohibited substances. Slaughtering methods have developed and may not always comply with the requirements of Shariah. Food products may contain raw materials, ingredients, processing aids, or lubricants that are not halal. Some primary packaging materials may involve prohibited or impure substances. During transportation and storage, cross-contamination may also occur.
Therefore, investigation and verification are not necessarily a rejection of the Qur'an or Sunnah. Rather, the purpose of investigation is to determine whether the particular meat product before us actually satisfies the conditions required by Shariah.
Another important question
After knowing that certain practices are widely accepted in contemporary non-Muslim food production, can we simply declare that such meat is halal?
Or should we apply the legal principle:
ุงูุฃุตู ูู ุงููุญูู
ุงูุชุญุฑูู
"The original ruling concerning meat is prohibition," until it is established that the meat fulfills the requirements of Shariah?
At the same time, after becoming aware of these contemporary complications, can we simply declare that such meat is 100% halal and that Muslims may consume it whenever and wherever they wish without any investigation?
Some may argue that investigation creates hardship (haraj) and therefore is unnecessary.
But my brothers and sisters in Islam, we should consider how different our circumstances are from those of the Prophet ๏ทบ.
The slaughtering practices of Ahl al-Kitab during that period were comparatively straightforward and known. Today's industrial slaughtering methods are far more complex.
The feeds used during the time of the Prophet ๏ทบ were not comparable to today's industrial feeds, where various substances may be incorporated into animal feed.
Likewise, packaging during that time was simple and known. Today, packaging materials may involve substances whose halal status requires examination.
The same applies to processing, storage, transportation, and logistics, where cross-contamination can occur at different stages of the supply chain.
Therefore, verification should not automatically be characterized as an unnecessary hardship. We need to distinguish between investigating matters that genuinely require verification and creating unnecessary doubts where no legitimate concern exists.
Finally, regarding haraj and darurah in the Philippines
My brothers and sisters, Muslims in the Philippines are blessed that we can practice our religion freely, including the observance of halal requirements and other aspects of Islamic life.
Therefore, an important question arises:
When halal certification and halal-compliant products are reasonably accessible, can we still automatically claim the existence of haraj (undue hardship) or darurah (necessity) as a justification for consuming products whose halal status has not been adequately verified?
This is not an argument against any particular halal-certifying organization. Nor is it an argument that every product without a particular certificate is automatically haram.
Rather, the issue is about verification, evidence, contemporary circumstances, and the proper application of Islamic legal principles to modern food-production systems.
We should neither declare something haram without sufficient evidence nor declare something unquestionably halal without adequately examining whether the conditions of halal have actually been fulfilled.
The discussion should therefore be based on evidence, Shariah principles, contemporary realities, and careful scholarly investigationโnot merely on assumptions or generalized statements.
Mahid B. Mangondaya, SCL
Special Investigator II
NCMF-NCR
