Recently, an assignment to prove the Haram-Halal status of products that can be easily found around us was given by the lecturer. It was a real hard time doing this assignment but well, I don't want it to be wasted in the trash bin of the lecturer (hopefully not). Why don't I share it with you guys? Oh! And please feel free to add and criticize the list... Thanks!
- Magnum, Ice Cream Produced by Walls – Unilever
The doubts of the ice cream’s status was arouse recently in the early of March 2011. There were some issues of the product of using the derivatives of pig tissue. This was triggered by the using of E-Codes in its ingredient list and that the origin of E-Codes was to disguise the using of pigfat.
The E-Code listed in the product’s package is E472. A further research has been conducted and explained from a former secretary of MUI (institution granting the Halal symbol on the package). The code E472 telling us that it is a compund made of fatty acid (can be from animal which will be haram if the slaughtery was not Islamic or if it was from pig, or else, from plants). Said, for every company wishing to get halal certificate from MUI must made a report on the whole process of its operational and the origin of the materials. So that we can trust the halal certificate/symbol printed on the packages of products sold in the country.
Status → Halal
- Sex toys
The idea behind mentioning these products is that the allowance of masturbation in order to prevent zina and that these products image is strongly-related for masturbation use or non-urged condition (lust-purpose). And it implies that purchasing of sex toys (or the product itself) is then categorized as haram.
There are two online shops (pioneers) that widely known recently for selling products to help Muslim married couples enhancing their passion without breaking the Islamic law. They are located in Atlanta , Georgia (United States ) and Amsterdam (Holland
Status →Halal
- Perfume
Most of the time we can read any kinds of alcohol in the perfume’s bottle. Does this make perfume haram? It apparently does not. The prohibition of Muslims to consume khamr is not because of the alcohol because most of primary food like rice, cassava, wheat, oats, etc are actually containing some compunds which are alcohol’s “family”.
Khamr became haram because consuming it may cause lost of self-control and consciousnes. The other products that went through fermentation process would eventually increased the alcohol percentage. Those product would not be haram as long as they did not turn into khamr. This also explained the usage of alcohol for perfume or medical treatment. That alcohol can be used and allowed in Islam for specific purposes as long as they do not contain any harm (breaking Islamic law)
Status →Halal
- Marshmallow
It is the plasticity of marshmallow which is obtained from gelatin that makes the product questionable. This is because people got gelatin by extraction process of animals material and that the materials are mostly imported and might slaughtered in methods that unapproved by Islamic law (which gives more doubts to its status). This make us to be more aware and alert for such product.
Status →without Halal Certificate from BPOM can be called Haram
- Candy
Candy is almost the same with marshmallow. Especially for gummy and jelly-like candies which might contain gelatin.
Status →without Halal Certificate from BPOM can be called Haram
- Jelly
Indonesian jelly producers that the products we can easily find are mostly had their operational process and material origins checked by MUI/BPOM. Eventhought they are elastic, Indonesian jelly products are mostly do not using gelatin for its ingredients.
Status →mostly are Halal
- Brem
The case of this product is mostly the same and already explained in the perfume section. Fermented products made of rice, cassava, wheat, etc as long as they did not turn into khamr are allowed to be consumed in a reasonable amount.
Status →Halal
- Bika Ambon
The case of this product is mostly the same and already explained in the perfume section. Fermented products made of rice, cassava, wheat, etc as long as they did not turn into khamr are allowed to be consumed in a reasonable amount.
Status →Halal
- Tape (Fermented Rice)
The case of this product is mostly the same and already explained in the perfume section. Fermented products made of rice, cassava, wheat, etc as long as they did not turn into khamr are allowed to be consumed in a reasonable amount.
Status →Halal
- Pirated products (book, article, song, music, movies, drawing, etc)
Piracy can be simply stated as haram but very often we do not think about violating the copyright of any artworks or articles by downloading freely from the internet or copying them without the permission of the author.
Status →Haram
- Tio Ciu, Chinese Food Restaurant
The restaurant serves pork in its menu and this kind of restaurant must be avoided for some specific reasons. First, the placement of its halal material can become haram if they are mixed up with the pork. The second reason is that they did not wash their cooking utensils when they were processing halal food after cooking the pork.
Status →Better to be avoided (might be Haram)
- Kopi Luwak
It has the same case with Tio Ciu Chinese Restaurant. The coffe beans were literally pooped out from the Luwak’s feces. Animal feces are gross, nasty, and najis. So then the controversy of Kopi Luwak as a haram product arouse in the society couple years ago. This confusion and controversy led MUI that it is Halal with condition, the beans didn’t broken/smashed so the inside part had a contact with the feces of the animal. The najis can also be eliminated by washing it with water.
Status →Halal
- Artificial Insemination on cattle
The needs of farmer to create efficiency and effectiveness in breeding cattles have resulted in the practical of artificial inseminetion where the sperm from the male cattles was taken by specific method and then to be injected to the female cattle. This method of insemination (fertilization) is purposed to achieve better descendant of the cattles, reducing cost and time, etc.
The practices of selling superior male sperm have been done in the era of the prophet. It was called as Asbu al-fahl and it is prohibited by the prophet (HR Bukhori). The reason is because the superior male that was “bought” to mating with the female cattle cannot be evaluate if it produced enough sperm to make the female cattle pregnant or would it do ‘it” or not.
But since in today’s era, the illat (reasons that make things haram) are not fulfilled (the amount of sperms can be monitored and the insemination will be depends on the vet that injects the sperm), some scholars said it is allowed.
Status →Allowe if the illat are not fulfilled
- Grasshopper
It is said that animals which are gorss, nasty, and dirty are haram. The example is insect. But just an hour or two from the downtown to the southern-eastern area, we can find lots of kiosks that sell grasshoppers for consumption purpose. But like fishes which are exceptional to eat deadfishes, grasshopper is also an exceptional case. It is told that the Prophet ate grasshoppers in seven battles (wars).
Status →Halal
- Earth Worm
It has the same case with Grasshopper. It is not an exceptional case like deadfishes or grasshoppers, but because the usage of earth worm as medicine. It has been used as antipiretik (reduce the temperature on fever) since 4000 BC.
Status →Halal
- Gekko
The recent trend of gekko-hunting raised questions in people head. How could such animal can be sold for a very high price? Was it for consumption? Or for pet? The trends might get some people to think that gekko is halal for consumption while it is included in the categoty of animals to be killed in Islamic laws. And it is clearly haram for consumption and medicine (because there is already other medicines that we can take and are halal)
Status →Haram
- American football (the ball)
We can find the american football in the sport stores. Because they are fully imported products, we can say that they are haram for the chance of the leather from pig bladder or other animals that slaughtered in non Islamic ways.
Status →Haram
- Imported leather products
Pretty much the same case with the ball for american football. Imported leather products are doubtfull for its status of allowance to be used by Muslims. Except if they came from country that applied the Islamic laws in their products.
Status →Mostly Haram
- Mc Donalds
There were campaigns of boycotting products that the origin are from United States , Israel Israel in attacking Palestine and it raised solidarity among Muslims all over the globe and raised hatred and sentiment to United States
I would say that this is more like a sentiment action towards US and its allies rather than to look upon the product status itself. Lots of the subsidiaries from those brands gave huge contribution for the society surrounding them. And that in Indonesia
Status →Halal
- KFC
The same case with Mc Donalds that this is more like a sentiment action towards US and its allies rather than to look upon the product status itself. Lots of the subsidiaries from those brands gave huge contribution for the society surrounding them. And that in Indonesia
Status →Halal
- Nestle
The same case with Mc Donalds that this is more like a sentiment action towards US and its allies rather than to look upon the product status itself. Lots of the subsidiaries from those brands gave huge contribution for the society surrounding them. And that in Indonesia
Status →Halal
- National Geography (magazines and channel)
The same case with Mc Donalds that this is more like a sentiment action towards US and its allies rather than to look upon the product status itself. Lots of the subsidiaries from those brands gave huge contribution for the society surrounding them.
Status →Halal
- L’Oreal
The same case with Mc Donalds that this is more like a sentiment action towards US and its allies rather than to look upon the product status itself. Lots of the subsidiaries from those brands gave huge contribution for the society surrounding them. And that in Indonesia
Status →Halal
- Johnson and Johnson
The same case with Mc Donalds that this is more like a sentiment action towards US and its allies rather than to look upon the product status itself. Lots of the subsidiaries from those brands gave huge contribution for the society surrounding them. And that in Indonesia
Status →Halal
- Coca Cola
The same case with Mc Donalds that this is more like a sentiment action towards US and its allies rather than to look upon the product status itself. Lots of the subsidiaries from those brands gave huge contribution for the society surrounding them. And that in Indonesia
Status →Halal
- Disney (Comics and Magazines)
The same case with Mc Donalds that this is more like a sentiment action towards US and its allies rather than to look upon the product status itself. Lots of the subsidiaries from those brands gave huge contribution for the society surrounding them.
Status →Halal
- Nescafe
The same case with Mc Donalds that this is more like a sentiment action towards US and its allies rather than to look upon the product status itself. Lots of the subsidiaries from those brands gave huge contribution for the society surrounding them. And that in Indonesia
Status →Halal
- Danone
The same case with Mc Donalds that this is more like a sentiment action towards US and its allies rather than to look upon the product status itself. Lots of the subsidiaries from those brands gave huge contribution for the society surrounding them. And that in Indonesia
Status →Halal
- Huggies Diaper
The same case with Mc Donalds that this is more like a sentiment action towards US and its allies rather than to look upon the product status itself. Lots of the subsidiaries from those brands gave huge contribution for the society surrounding them.
Status →Halal
- Kit Kat Chocolate bar
The same case with Mc Donalds that this is more like a sentiment action towards US and its allies rather than to look upon the product status itself. Lots of the subsidiaries from those brands gave huge contribution for the society surrounding them. And that in Indonesia
Status →Halal
- Nokia Mobile Phone
The same case with Mc Donalds that this is more like a sentiment action towards US and its allies rather than to look upon the product status itself
Status →Halal
- Starbucks
The reason I putted Starbucks in this list was because it is one of the brands that are being boycotted by the campaign. But in Indonesian Starbucks itself, there is no Halal label or certificate from MUI. There were cases in Malaysia Malaysia
Also recently there is an attempt of Starbucks to refine their image by asking for the halal certificate grant from MUI and or BPOM. Means that we have to wait for the results.
Status →Waiting Clarification from BPOM/MUI
- Green Sands (No Alcohol)
Last year, on the package (can and bottle) of Green Sands, printed a logo that said they are alcohol free or 0% alcohol. While Green Sands itself has been widely-known for its beer products. Confusion then raised in the society.
MUI has given clearance about this and has stated that Green Sands and Bintang Zero are haram products. There are two reasons (illat) about the fatwa but one is more exact. Copying haram product eventhought its materials are actually allowed to be consumed made the product haram because by consuming it is like make the Muslims used to consume the haram products.
Status →Haram
- Bintang Zero
It has been explained in the Green Sands case.
Status →Haram
- Root Beer
It has the same case with Bintang Zero of copying haram product.
Status →Haram
- Conventional Banking Products
It is still widely used in Indonesia
Status →Haram
- Insurances
The status of insurance is still debatable. But there are currently three point of views about insurance. Ones said it is totally haram because of the existence of riba, gambling, gharar, and speculation to the future. Larger number of scholar said that it is haram because of the existence of gharar only. The third opinion presented by Sheikh Mustafa al Zarka, insurance is permissible by two conditions that it contains no usury and that its subject (insured thing) is legitimate. The gharar itself in the contract is remedied by the fact that it is a contract based on overwhelming statistical knowledge and the application of the theory of probability, so there actually is no gharar.
Status →there is now Syariah Insurance
- Hair Extension
The lesson I got from the primary school about extending hairs or using fake hair to make the hair look longer is strictly forbidden. But recently lots of women doing it and it’s like nobody knows that there are some hadiths talking about those activity. One of the Hadith narrated by 'Aisha:
An Ansari woman gave her daughter in marriage and the hair of the latter started falling out. The Ansari women came to the Prophet and mentioned that to him and said, "Her (my daughter's) husband suggested that I should let her wear false hair." The Prophet said, "No, (don't do that) for Allah sends His curses upon such ladies who lengthen their hair artificially." (Bukhari 7:133)
This also means the using of wig, which lots of Indonesian celebrities do.
Status →Haram
- Hair Rebonding
The nature of Indonesian people to copy everything they see without further research really is something ridiculous. Also the trend of rebonding which quite a hit several years ago. The trend makes a community of muslimah states that it is haram to do rebonding. This then like the other case, create confusion in the society and forced MUI to explain the status of it.
Said, that the status is mubah but can be haram if the effect(s) is negative. Negative in the context of Islamic view, and that means looking attractive in the men’s eyes Is negative.
Status →Mubah to Haram
- Plucking Eyebrows
Most authorities agree that it is haram to remove hair from the eyebrows. Some say that it is halal to remove hair between the eyebrows, which is not the same as changing the eyebrows themselves. There is also an opinion that coloring the hair to match the skin is halal. And there also is the opinion that cutting this hair is halal but plucking it is not.
But because there is a command to stay away and to avoid from syubhat (doubtfull) things, it is better not to do it.
Status →Syubhat
