Case Study: Muallafs’ Lifestyle Transition Towards Halal Food Consumption in Brunei Darussalam

One of the factors to the rising number of Muslim populations is due to the growing number of people converting to Islam. This paper will be focusing on the converts’ sustainable lifestyle changes towards halal food consumption. Food and beverages are the most fundamental need for humans, this is supported by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which categories food as the first and most important stage of human necessity in life. The purpose of this qualitative study is to analyse the Muallafs’ halal food practices, their challenges, their adaptation to halal food consumption as well as to analyse ways to sustain their new lifestyle. The research showed that there are still gaps in the halal food consumption education amongst Muallaf with social challenges from their close social circle’s lack of support and awareness. Challenges also includes difficulties in obtaining halal food while travelling abroad, challenges on halal food issues and that they have vague understanding of Islamic teachings. Thus, it can be concluded that the challenges with halal food consumption amongst Muallaf in Brunei Darussalam mostly occurs during social eating.