Best Halal Practices
One of the principles of Islam is a term called “Ihsan.” Often translated as meaning “perfection” or “excellence,”. It famously outlines the larger purpose of the religious path after “iman” (faith) and “Islam” (the structured religion) in a hadith. This is where the archangel Gabriel visits the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Therefore, as Muslims, we already have our idea of “best practices,”. It is that every practicing Muslim should strive for in their worship and worldly pursuits.
Halal And Best Practices
These “best practices,” as the business world outlines, are guidelines or ideas that lead to the best possible course of action. So how does this term relate to halal?
They relate in many ways, in fact. If you consider the way slaughtering animals in the zabiha manner, the ritual means much more than how and where to cut the neck. The animal should not feel any pain, should live a good life before they are killed, must be comfortable during the slaughter, cannot see another animal being killed, cannot see the blade being sharpened, and must be killed using the best of knives by a Muslim in a clear state of mind.
Beyond the Slaughter
Beyond the slaughter, however, halal products and services must fall under a set of guidelines. These guidelines ensure the product is more than safe for the body. In addition, also being safe to the soul of a Muslim. This means safeguarding the religion on behalf of the person you are preparing the food or service for. This is a large responsibility that is also considered a “best practice.”
Having the best possible farm that produces the best meat before slaughter also fits the bill. As does having the best food processing plant that produces flavorful, healthy, and halal items. “Best practices” can be seen as a synonym for a Muslim engaging in the modern world as God wants them to.
Bearing the responsibility of offering halal services is also a noble endeavor. This is why the American Halal Institute partners with some of the best companies for testing food, products, and services. This enables us to provide Muslims more than just Sharia compliance, but also a level of quality that is superior.
With regard to food testing, we have partnerships with some of the leading chemical analysis firms in the country. In line with the concept of “best practices,” we streamlined our testing process. We want to make everything easy for the product manufacturer. In addition, we utilize our resources in the best possible way.
At the end of our simple yet thorough procedure, the halal certificate awarded to the company responsible for the product means that the “best practices” have been implemented at every step of the way. This means all the way from product design, through the manufacturing process, then in testing, and throughout distribution, everything is halal.
For Muslims, halal and “best practices” should be synonyms. They definitely are at the American Halal Institute.