Halal Branding: A New Trend in Islamic Marketing

Origins of Halal

Halal is an Arab`ic term which is connected to the Islamic tradition. Generally, Halal can be defined as “allowed” or “permitted”. The acceptance and understanding of what means Halal is at the center of Muslims’ beliefs. The opposite of Halal in Arabic is the term “haram” or unlawful. Islamic tradition considers everything as Halal unless the opposite has been proven. So, a Muslim must distinguish between Halal and unlawful foods. On the other hand, it seems that “haram” causes much strong feelings in people. That is because the voluntary consumption or involvement in unlawful activities will lead to spiritual or physical punishments. So, Muslims prefer to avoid such activities when they are doubtful. For Muslims, Halal is not just a brand but a part of their belief system and ethical program in their everyday lives. The literature review in the current study points to the exact and uniform definitions of Halal. Generally, such definitions fall into the field of marketing. However, experts claim that “Halal” as a concept contains some characteristics that give it the features of a phenomenon and spirituality. Anything which is presumed as Halal is driven by the spiritual world and as a result cannot be confined to the physical dimensions of branding (Wilson, 2010:115).