Exploring the Concepts of Halal and Haram in Islam and Their Scientific Perspective: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Islam is a divine religion with its own concepts, principles, and theories. Major Islamic faiths include believing in the one and only Allah Almighty, the holy books, the prophets, the angels, etc. Besides these basic beliefs, Islam has comprehensive rules that deal with modern-day problems. Thus, the number of followers of Islam is increasing rapidly, and have currently become the world's second-largest religion with more than 1.8 billion followers. Halal and haram are criteria determined by Allah and His last prophet, Muhammad S.A.W., while interpreted by Islamic scholars every time. Halal substances are those that are permissible and allowed for and are free from all the attributes that lead to prohibition. While haram things are those that are not lawful and not allowed as it is the order of Allah that requires you to stop doing them. Islam, being the final and universal religion, has rules and guidelines for things to be described as halal or haram. In the modern scientific period, every individual is looking for research-based arguments and product development. Thus, there is a need to explore how scientific methods are used to explain the halal and haram nature of substances. Currently, various analytical, molecular, and instrumental approaches are being used for the halal certification of items. Hence, this article aimed to provide recent and updated literature about the concepts of halal and haram and how the scientific methods are helpful in their explanation.