Tayyib from the Perspective of Qur’anic Thematic Analysis: Proposing the Divine Insights as the Best Practice for Global Halal Industry

Abstract

Halal standards, derived from the Muslim dietary law and spelt out in various halal regulations and procedures, have been globally accepted among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Although the Malaysian halal standard has been widely acknowledged and accepted, it generally governs only the physical aspects, such as, hygiene, safety and quality assurance, raw material, processing, and logistic activities. What it is still lacking in is a few critical elements of “tayyib” as typically offered by the commentators of the Qur’an. Scattered within 51 verses throughout 14 major topics in the Qur’anic, the term “tayyib” (or its derivatives) has to be revisited and reconsidered as it covers other criteria not previously contemplated, such as, the natural and the organic, or those pertaining to the halal food-supply chain or the supply chain management. This article aims to explore and extract the notions of “tayyib” from the thematic exegetical perspective of the Qur’an so that such notions will in turn provide the extended platform necessary for industrial standards and practices. The qualitative research methodology is used in this study through the thematic analysis of the Qur’an.