Historical Background
About Us
The Muslim Judicial Council Halaal Trust is an NGO/NPO, duly established in 1945. It formally adopted its legal status in 1986 as a legal ḥalāl authority, namely: the MJC Halaal Trust (MJCHT), to endorse and certify ḥalāl products and consumables for the Muslims of South Africa and beyond its borders. Currently, its ḥalāl product logo is legally registered with the South African authorities.
Recognition
A priority and of utmost concern that Muslims, especially in South Africa eat and drink ḥalāl, nutritional, and wholesome (i.e. ḥalāl and ṭay-yib) food and drink, was an entrenched-accolade for our pioneering Muslim religious leaders (‘ulamā), especially in the Western Cape, South Africa. They laid the fundamental blocks for ḥalāl-assurance and ḥalāl-control, which subsequently developed from an informal body to a formal structure for ḥalāl certification (i.e. the MJCHT). This was achieved by consulting ‘ulamā, professionals, and academics in the field. In this way, Muslims were assured of ḥalāl dietary/food for themselves in South Africa. The formal registration of the MJCHT as a Trust in 1986 endorsed the MJCHT as a ḥalāl certifying authority, which is duly recognized locally, nationally, and internationally. The MJCHT is not only the oldest organization but also the first ḥalāl entity in the world to have catapulted the concept of ḥalāl certification into the international ḥalāl arena, as an organization (i.e. an NGO or NPO).
Oldest Halal Regulatory Body
The International Trade Centre (ITC), Geneva in Switzerland, listed the MJC Halaal Trust (MJCHT) as the first and oldest Ḥalāl Regulatory Body in the world. In their 2015 “Ḥalāl Goes Global” publication, under the heading, “The Evolution of Ḥalāl Regulations”.
Vision
To become a world-class professional halal certifying body of choice.
Mission
To develop and promote the halal industry into a reciprocal halalan tay-yiban (wholesome/pure) operation that everyone will respect and appreciate.
Core Values
- Ensuring that wherever the MJCHT halal certificate is displayed that the halal commodities, industries and services are intact and halal compliant.
- We render high-quality and professional services.
- We do not compromise on our principles and integrity.
- We care about the community and the environment.
- We respect, honour and dignify the creation of Almighty Allah (God).
Goals
To create an environment whereby everyone is comfortable with the entire chain of halal (permissible) food supply in South Africa and beyond its borders.
To have an integrative market-share in the global halal industry.
To provide proficient and efficient customer-services for all facets of the halal industry.
To have policies and governance documents for every aspect of the MJCHT operation.
To have an automated system for all applications and MJCHT operations.