@Halal November/December 2022 | Page 15

Saudi International Halal Expo gathers big halal players from all around the world in Riyadh . p10-13

Madeena Bedding Industries seeks to create awareness about the use of rebond foam in mattress manufacturing . p19

AN IDEAL SHARI ’ A FOR BUSINESS & LIFESTYLE

Financial institutions should leverage Islamic finance to encourage the adoption of sustainable finance . p20

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 KDN NO : PP19477 / 05 / 2019 ( 035077 )

In Partnership with Islamic Tourism Centre

MUSLIM-FRIENDLY TOURISM DIGEST

Islamic Tourism : A new frontier Outlook for the industry is optimistic as more experts now see a potential return of international arrivals to 2019 levels in 2023 . p04-05

VOL 4 : ISSUE 22 KDN NO : PP19477 / 05 / 2019 ( 035077 ) NOVEMBER- DECEMBER . 2022 RM8.00

November-December . 2022 | @ Halal

15 subscribes to , a consumer , being a customer , is always right . It becomes almost a cliché that a customer is always right . However , is it a very true statement ? The problem lies in the consumer , where only a fraction exercises their rights . The fundamental rights of consumers ( taken from https :// aseanconsumer . org / cterms-consumer-protection / consumerrights-and-responsibilities ) include :

• Rights to comfortability , security , and safety

• Rights to choose product / service

• Rights to receive accurate information about the product / service condition

• Rights to complain and be heard

• Rights to advocacy , protection , and dispute settlement

• Rights to be informed about your rights

• Rights to be served and treated without discrimination

• Rights to seek compensation and redress World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated every Mar 15 , but perhaps it is not a very popular yearly celebration which could partly explain the lack of awareness of consumer rights . The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs ( Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna , KPDNHEP ), Malaysia , recently rejuvenated its Consumerism Movement Development Programme , formerly known as Skuad Pengguna ( Consumer Squad ), and rebrand it to Rakan KPDNHEP ( Friends of KPDNHEP ).

The primary roles of the members of Rakan KPDNHEP include voluntary monitoring of prices of goods and services and reporting any business misconduct to the Ministry .

Consumption and consumerism in Islam

While modern consumerism only emerged in the 18th century , Islam has recognised and provided clear guidelines on consumerism in the Qur ’ an and Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad ( Sunnah ) - peace and blessings of God upon him ( pbuh ) - some 1400 years ago .

Ibn Mas ’ ud narrated that the Messenger of God ( pbuh ) said : “ The feet of the son of Adam shall not move from before his Lord on the Day of Judgement , until he is asked about five things : About his life and what he did with it , about his youth and what he wore it out in , about his wealth and how he earned it , and spent it upon , and what he did with what he knew .”

( Da ’ if ) [ Abu ‘ Eisa said :] This Hadith is Gharib , we do not know of it as a narration of Ibn Mas ’ üd from the Prophet except through the narration of Husain bin Qais . Husain [ bin Qais ] was graded weak in Hadith [ due to his memory ]. There are narrations on this topic from Abu Barzah and Abu Sa ’ eed . ( Jami` at- Tirmidhi , Hadith No . 2416 )

Islam believes that goods and products are bounties from God , The Most Gracious . Two terminologies from the Qur ’ an are of interest concerning goods consumed by humans : al-tayyibat and al-rizq . These terminologies describe the moral virtues binding the products with the religious obligations associated with them .”

The message from this hadith implies that ( i ) wealth is not only dealt with its quantity aspect but also its quality , and ( ii ) equally important is the responsibility of gaining and using it , according to Shari ’ ah . From the Islamic point of view , human desires should be controlled and bounded by religious values , not lust .

Islam believes that goods and products are bounties from God , The Most Gracious . Two terminologies from the Qur ’ an are of interest concerning goods consumed by humans : al-tayyibat and al-rizq . These terminologies describe the moral virtues binding the products with the religious obligations associated with them .

Al-tayyibat refers to goods that are halal and pure . This concept assumes that humans are accountable to God and their fellow human beings when ( s ) he consumes al-tayyibat goods . As such , goods acceptable to the Islamic shari ’ ah are only those which are halal , have good values , and are pure , wholesome , and safe for consumption .

Goods that are impure , unbeneficial , and worthless are prohibited . Al-rizq refers to natural resources to sustain life , of which the natural resources are the gift and endowment from God , The Most Gracious , who provides all humankind and grants them necessities and requirements . Human beings are accountable for the bounties that God provides .

Hence , the implication of the concept of al-tayyibat and al-rizq include :

• consumer goods should be worthy in their material , moral , and spiritual aspects for men to own , consume and obtain benefits from them , and

• goods that are not beneficial , not contributing to the general well-being of the mankind are not considered to be a worthy product and is unacceptable to be an asset .

Halal consumerism and wasatiyyah consumerism

Adhering to the Islamic principles of con- sumerism , several types of consumerism have been proposed and debated by scholars . Wasatiyyah consumerism focuses on the level of consumption , guided by the components of the Maqasid al-Shari ’ ah ( MS ) – the higher objectives of the shari ’ ah . Consumers make purchase decisions based on the levels of MS – daruriyyah ( basic / life needs ), hajiyyah ( additional needs ), tahsiniyyah ( complementary / convenience needs ), kamaliyyah ( luxury needs ), and dangerous or destructive goods .

On the other hand , halal consumerism advocates the functional reciprocal relationship between the entrepreneur ( manufacturer / producer ), products / services , and consumer . While these elements are inherently present in all types of consumerism , some may focus only on a particular perspective . For instance , consumers are often told to be aware of their rights and exercise them . Less has been focused on the manufacturer ’ s responsibility to produce a product that ticks all the boxes of good consumerism . Less is also being focused on the Islamic ethics of consumers to steer away from tabzir ( misusing or spending on unlawful things / indulging in prohibited activities ) and israf ( overspending on halal products ).

Embracing halal consumerism would assist in the realisation of a holistic and thriving halal ecosystem . More importantly , consumerism is embedded in daily activities ; subscribing to halal consumerism could be a way to always be deliberate in connecting one ’ s everyday life and thoughts to tawhid ( absolute monotheism ) in the pursuit of achieving mardhatillah ( God ’ s pleasure ). After all , the hukm ( rulings ) of halal ( lawful ) and haram ( unlawful ) is indeed an instruction and guidance from the Creator Himself . Proper consumer behaviour signifies a good habit in Islam and a sign of obedience to God .

“ O mankind ! Eat of that which is halalan toyyiban ( lawful and good ) on earth , and do not follow the footsteps of Satan ; verily , he is to you and open enemy .”

[ Q . Al-Baqarah , 2 : 168 ] Am I a halal consumerist ?

When consumers make deliberate choices over their consumption , guided by the ethos and principles of ‘ good ’ consumerism , the negative impact of consumerism can be greatly reduced . The Cambridge dictionary defines a consumerist as an adjective relating to a society in which many goods are sold to individuals , which is very important to the economy .

Hence , we are all consumers . But , to make this activity worthwhile , achieving the holistic goals here in the present and hereafter , one should constantly ask oneself : I am a halal consumerist , or am I ?

RM 162

Ravshan Usmanov , Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Malaysia , says there are ambitious plans to develop his country ’ s tourism industry effectively and positively . p04-05

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