ﺍﻟﺴﻼﻢﻋﻠﻴﻜﻢ
My dear honourable brothers whom we work together under the roof WHC on halal and tayyib products, the most urgent issue of the Islamic world.
Seeing that the Islamic Ummah has been without a leadership for over a century and seeing that some individual Muslims from different countries unite their efforts on halal and tayyib foods under the roof of WHC, I pray for these dear brothers and thank Allah. Your services are efforts are really important and may Allah reward you for all what you sincerely have been doing for the Ummah.
Brothers, as you may also remember after the breakup of WHC a few years ago, many people thought that WHC would be dissolved and some members would disappear totally from the Halal field. I guess that was part of the plan. I remember the first meeting after most members left for the other organization that was to be founded. That was a sad day. We couldn’t even find enough people to fill up the Executive Members positions. We had to recruit newcomers to management positions. The future was unclear and not very promising.
Our efforts to reunite under one roof with the newly founded body were rejected or maybe neglected for reasons still unknown to us. However, I remember one former member of WHC to mention about WHC members as bad apples in a basket. Who was the bad apple? This statement was not confident to me. Uncertainty puts all apples in the basket in the same category. Bad or rotten. Discard them, and you will have a clean basket that you can fill with fresh ones. It sounds like a good idea. It is tempting. After all, who wants to be wrong or side by side with bad apples where you will end up in a trash can. Believe me; we sincerely did all we could to convince people that we are not rotten, indeed as fresh and good as wished. We knocked doors to explain ourselves, used all platforms to reconcile, invited everyone to all our functions, without prejudice, left our pride and approached everyone with the same commitment.
Alhamdolillah, we have past the difficult days, and a better new future is ahead. As a result of countless efforts, I can proudly say that WHC has survived and will survive inshaAllah.
I hear some people think WHC is weak, and some say people don’t want to be a member; some may tell other stories about WHC.
Let me explain. WHC is even stronger and more committed than ever. Its unique strength lies in its independence. As an organization itself, WHC is wholly independent, Islamic umbrella body. We are not bound by the rules of any country or countries. Our mission is to be a single voice of the Ummah for Halal and Tayyib matters. Wherever there is a Halal question, other organizations, governments, institutions have begun to come to us for resolution. I cannot say we have totally fulfilled our mission yet, but I am saying that from a rundown organization, by the help of Allah and efforts to our members, we managed to operate the ship again. WHC ship is not sinking anymore, or not going backward.
Brothers, please reconsider that WHC must be the only address where Halal related matters can be reviewed and decided upon. For this, WHC must be strong and firm and united. We must stay away from gossip and from anything that might cause fitnah. Our members should build strong cooperative relations with each and with other reliable Halal certification organizations in the world to protect the rights of Muslims.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى revealed:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
“The believers are nothing else than brothers. So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy.” [Al-Hujjurat, 49:10]
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم also said about brotherhood: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
Above individual and national interests, please remember that ‘Muslims are brothers.’ This means we are also responsible for each other. We all have to be a mujaheed under this roof. Our work should be more to serve to Muslims rather than to trade.
An-Nu’man ibn Basheer reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
The parable of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever.
Nowadays, Muslims encounter many obstacles all over the world. We have to deal
Brothers, as your elder brother I want to remind again that Halal certification that we are dealing with it is as a litmus paper to shows the reliability of any product or raw materials. For this reason, it is a huge responsibility for a Halal certifying body to issue Halal certifications. He will give an account of what he did directly to Allah. I invite all my WHC member brothers to think and contemplate. For two billion Muslims to regain consciousness and to become a strong Ummah, they have to make their daily lives Halal. And the first step that should be taken in this regard is to feed themselves with Halal and Tayyip foods.
Alhamdolillah, CEN Halal project went to death with your sincere efforts and support. But, the methods of unbelievers on the interference of Halal certification standards and certification process still keep going. Unfortunately, some country wants to establish their accreditation system which is based on non-Muslims standards and request a very significant amount of money. It is also sorrowful to see that these countries want to twine non-Muslims into the Halal system as well. UAE demands thousands of dollars for recognition that is an annual income of some sincere Halal certification bodies. This is, of course, unacceptable.
Brothers, as the most credible and strong umbrella organization, World Halal Council must start to implement its accreditation and member visiting system for its current and new members. This will facilitate to show both Muslims and Non-Muslims that World Halal Council is the only address for Halal certification bodies which want to demonstrate their credibility all over the world.
Halal industry has high potentials. There are more than 2 billion Muslims all over the world and the current Halal market value estimated around 3 billion dollars. There is an immense direction for companies to Halal certification. But still there are some companies doesn’t get their Halal certificate.
Turkish Muslim consumers requested us to start an initiative to find just Halal certified products in one place. That is why we have begun Halal Dunya Market Project in Turkey. Now there are 50 branches all around Turkey. GIMDES has started this project, but this isn’t just a local Muslims. It is for all Muslims. That is why World Halal Council Members brothers shall also think and support entrepreneurs to promote open a branch of markets in their countries or cities as World Halal Council project.
Brother, I want to remind you again about the Islamic Calendar. It is based purely on lunar cycles, was first introduced in 638 C.E. by the close companion of the Prophet (PBUH) and the second Caliph, `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (592-644 C.E.). He did it in an attempt to rationalize the various, at times conflicting, dating systems used during his time.
`Umar (radiyallahu anh) consulted with his advisors on the starting date of the new Muslim chronology. It was finally agreed that the most appropriate reference point for the Islamic calendar was the Hijrah. The actual starting date for the Calendar was chosen (on the basis of purely lunar years, counting backward) to be the first day of the first month (1 Muharram) of the year of the Hijrah.
The Hijrah, which chronicles the migration of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from Makkah to Madinah in September 622 C.E., is the central historical event of early Islam. It led to the foundation of the first Muslim city-state, a turning point in Islamic and world history.
To Muslims, the Hijri calendar is not just a sentimental system of time reckoning and dating important religious events, e.g., Siyaam (fasting) and Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah).
It has a much deeper religious and historical significance. For this reason, I believe that mentioning important dates in Hijri calendar is a kind of duty for all Muslims.
In this context, we decided with you as my brothers and sisters in the World Halal Council that 17 Ramadan is World Halal Day and will be will be commemorated each Ramadan, particularly on the 17th day of the holy month. However, just after this initiative, some brothers from other part of the world reinvent another separation to fix World Halal Day. I also remind them that Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh’s blessings and peace be upon him, say: “Actions are only by intentions, and every man only has what he intended.” So, in my opinion, celebrating the world halal day is a very good intention. We as World Halal Council member will celebrate 17 Ramadan as World Halal Day inshaAllah.
Education is very important to change any community. But, unfortunately, our education system also effected by western modernity.
However, we would like to change this direction and announced a new project which is called Darul Halal Madrasah project. In this project, we aimed to educate our generations both technical sciences and Islamic sciences. So, we request from all brothers and sisters to support this idea as one of the World Halal Council projects. The experts and scholars from World Halal Council members can teach students all over the world.
I would like to finalize my letter with the following verse which is also mentioned my previous letter.
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللّٰهِ جَم۪يعاً وَلَا تَفَرَّقُواۖ وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْكُمْ اِذْ كُنْتُمْ اَعْدَٓاءً فَاَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَاَصْبَحْتُمْ بِنِعْمَتِه۪ٓ اِخْوَاناًۚ وَكُنْتُمْ عَلٰى شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِنَ النَّارِ فَاَنْقَذَكُمْ مِنْهَاۜ كَذٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّٰهُ لَكُمْ اٰيَاتِه۪ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
And hold fast, all of you together, to the cable of Allah, and do not separate. And remember Allah’s favour unto you: How ye were enemies and He made friendship between your hearts so that ye became as brothers by His grace; and (how) ye were upon the brink of an abyss of fire, and He did save you from it. Thus Allah maketh clear His revelations unto you, that haply ye may be guided.
I pray to Allah (SWT) that 14th World Halal Council AGM will bring khayr and benefit to all ummah. I believe the brothers and sisters who are elected in this AGM will devote their self to constitute the best example as unique umbrella organization as former elected brothers sisters.
May Allah bless you.
Best regards.
Dr. Hüseyin Kami BÜYÜKÖZER
GIMDES President
Patron of WHC
