Halal Lifestyle, a New Breakthrough of Industry in Global Market

The Postgraduate School of Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) launched a new podcast variant to fill the days of the holy month of Ramadan. This time, the first podcast of The Sharia is entitled “Underground Issues of Halal Lifestyle”. Present as speakers were Dr. Yono Haryono as Senior Economist and member of the MUI National Sharia Council BPH, Umi Waheeda as PP Al Ashriyyah Nurul Iman and Board of Trustees of the Islamic Boarding School Economics and Business Association (HEBITREN), and Dr. Muhammad Nafik H.R., S.E., M.Si, as General Chair of the Board of Management for the Council of Islamic Economics (MASEI) and Host The Sharia. This event will be held on Monday, May 3, 2021.

Umi explained that halal is not only about food, but also fashion. “If we wear fashion that is made of non-halal materials, it will be difficult for us to worship and be anxious in life,” he said. In addition, a lawful lifestyle invites several indirect benefits to individuals, namely gaining the blessing of Allah, forming morals, bringing peace of life, maintaining health, and obtaining a blessing for both the world and the hereafter.

Meanwhile, Yono explained that Indonesia has a lot of potential for halal products which are supported by the majority of the largest Muslim population in the world. However, Indonesia is still unable to compete with Malaysia in global halal products. This is actually related to the lifestyle between the government which focuses on halal policy and the lifestyle of a linear society. Malaysian products even have halal certification globally, which is still difficult to find in products in Indonesia.

In the field of Islamic finance itself, the results have not always been encouraging. It is considered that there is something wrong with the implementation of the Islamic finance master plan in Indonesia. One of them is building a good banking system with luxurious facilities but forgetting to focus on implementing how Islamic finance can empower the economy of the poor. Meanwhile, to develop the halal industry into a lifestyle, it must be focused on the community first. One of the most basic is the preference for choosing necessities, such as staple foods that are halal certified.