HALAL WITHOUT LABEL: IMPLEMENTATION OF MAQASID AL-SHARIAH IN COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM IN KERINCI, INDONESIA

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of tourism management that upholds halal values and meets maqāṣid al-sharī’ah indicators, without necessarily using a halal label. Specifically, it aimed to understand the community's social, economic, and religious dynamics where a tourist destination grows and is managed. Using an ethnographic approach, the study was conducted in 2022. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with twenty informants, document analysis and observation. The Spradley model was employed to analyze the data. The findings of this study indicate that the management of Pantai Indah destination in Kerinci Regency emerged in a social context where religion and culture were closely intertwined through acculturation processes. Therefore, tourism in this area is a religious-cultural expression, rather than solely an economic pursuit. This background has allowed tourism to meet the elements of halal without requiring a halal label or special assistance, while still being able to initiate community-based tourism. Moreover, tourism can be measured using maqāṣid al-sharī’ah indicators. However, the study has certain limitations, such as the concentration of data in one community and the lack of comparison with other communities using different typologies, approaches, and characteristics. Nevertheless, this study recommends that the halal tourism program advocated by the government cannot be implemented in a top-down and uniform manner for all regions. This is because, in several areas, the local community has rejected such a program. In fact, halal tourism can be successfully implemented by ensuring its substance without the need for a halal label.