Fiqh aqalliyah as a legal alternative to Halal standardization in Japan as a non-majority Muslim country

Abstract

The increasing number of Muslim populations in the world has led to the development of the halal industry in both Muslim-majority countries and Muslim-minority countries. Japan is one of the non-Muslim majority countries that is actively developing the halal industry to meet the needs of Muslims both domestically and for export purposes. This research discusses the problems faced by Japan in meeting the needs of halal products for Muslims in Japan. This study uses qualitative research methods through observation, in-depth interviews and FGD to explore the problems encountered in determining halal standards in Japan. This study found that Japan is experiencing problems related to halal standardization because the halal standards applied in Japan are halal standards from several Muslim-majority countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. This research looks at the importance of an alternative legal approach in determining the halalness of products, using fiqh aqalliyah, which considers the community’s geographical, social and cultural conditions, for determining halal standards in Muslim minority countries.