From Islamic revivalism to Halalization: Islamisation and the institutionalisation of halal in Malaysia

Abstract

Islamic revivalism in Malaysia reshaped not only religious education, politics and public institutions, but also the way halal was understood and institutionalised. Although existing studies have increasingly discussed halal from the perspectives of certification, regulation, political economy and market growth, the ideological roots of halalization in Islamic revivalism remain less explored. This article examines the relationship between Islamic revivalism and the development of halalization in Malaysia, with particular attention to how state-led Islamisation shaped halal practices into a formal system. Using qualitative document analysis of historical records, policy texts, halal standards and scholarly literature, together with selected Qur'anic and Prophetic sources, the study traces the development of halalization from the Islamic revival movements of the 1970s to the establishment of a more structured halal ecosystem under state institutions. The findings show that halalization in Malaysia did not emerge as a standalone regulatory or economic initiative, but as an outcome of revivalist-driven Islamisation, functioning both as a mechanism of Islamic identity consolidation and as an economic strategy positioning the country within the global halal market. This study contributes to the literature by conceptualising halalization as an institutional outcome of Islamic revivalism and a manifestation of state-led Islamisation, thereby complementing political economy and regulatory explanations with an Islamic conceptual understanding of halal development in Malaysia. Future research should test this interpretation through archival work, stakeholder interviews and comparative studies across Muslim-majority societies.