Maqasid Al-Shari'ah and The Ethics of Food: An Analysis of Genetic Modification Foods (GMFs) Beyond Halal Permissibility

Auni Zhafirah Mohd Asnan; Nabihah Khairulazhar; Nur Najla Mohamad Asri; Nur 'Aqilah Sofiyyah Nurli Suffian

doi:10.55265/al-maqasid.v6i1.378

Authors

Auni Zhafirah Mohd Asnan Faculty of Syariah and Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Nabihah Khairulazhar Faculty of Syariah and Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Nur Najla Mohamad Asri Faculty of Syariah and Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Nur 'Aqilah Sofiyyah Nurli Suffian Faculty of Syariah and Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55265/al-maqasid.v6i1.378

Keywords:

Maqasid al-Shariah, GMOs, Ethics, Halal

Abstract

The rise of Genetically Modified Foods (GMFs) has introduced new challenges to halal assurance systems, which have traditionally focused on the permissibility of ingredients. While many GMFs products may be considered halal in a technical sense, their production, safety, and overall impact on human health and the environment raise questions that go beyond legal compliance. This study examines GMFs through the lens of Maqasid al-Shariah, the higher objectives of Islamic law, to explore how biotechnology can align with ethical, safety, and tayyib(wholesome) principles in the halal food sector. Using a qualitative, library-based approach, the research draws on primary Islamic sources, classical fiqh, and contemporary halal and bioethical literature. The findings highlight that a maqasid perspective allows for a more holistic evaluation of GMFs, emphasizing the protection of religion (hifz al-din), life (hifz al-nafs), intellect (hifz al-ʿaql), lineage (hifz al-nasl), and property (hifz al-mal). Ultimately, the study demonstrates that integrating maqasid principles into halal certification not only ensures that GMFs are not only legally permissible but also promotes public welfare, ethical responsibility, and sustainability, making halal food both permissible and truly wholesome in the era of modern biotechnology. The contribution of this paper to the international scholarly and policy community lies in its development of an integrative ethical model that bridges Islamic jurisprudence, global food safety concerns, and sustainability discourse. By articulating how maqasid principles can complement existing international standards on biotechnology, food security, and environmental protection, the study offers a normative framework that is relevant not only to Muslim-majority contexts but also to multicultural and multireligious societies engaged in ethical food governance. Ultimately, this research contributes to global debates on responsible biotechnology by demonstrating that halal certification, when informed by Maqasid al-Shariah, can function as a universal ethical benchmark—promoting public welfare, consumer trust, environmental stewardship, and sustainable development—thus positioning halal not merely as a religious compliance system but as a globally relevant paradigm for wholesome and ethical food production in the era of modern biotechnology.

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