A Balanced Nutrition According to the Al-Quran and Al-Sunnah: An Islamic Approach for Enhancing the Urban Poor Asnaf Community’s Quality of Life

Balanced nutrition is a crucial aspect of human life that significantly impacts health and well-being. Islamic principles and values, as stipulated in the al-Qur’an and al-Sunnah, emphasize the importance of balance in dietary practices by advocating healthy eating habits while avoiding wastefulness and harmful foods. However, the urban poor asnaf community often faces nutritional deficiencies due to limited access to high quality and nutritious food. According to the literature review, the halalan tayyiban concept highlights the importance of moderate food consumption as well as the selection of wholesome (tayyib) and healthy food. This study aimed to explore the Islamic-based balanced nutrition concept and its application for improving the urban poor asnaf community’s quality of life. It also aimed to identify the principles of nutrition in Islam, analyse the nutritional challenges faced by the urban poor asnaf and propose Quranic and Sunnah-based solutions for addressing this issue. This study adopted a conceptual approach that examined Islamic literature and previous studies related to nutrition and social well-being. Findings suggest that a balanced intake of nutrition can be achieved through nutrition awareness education, strengthening food aid programs initiated by Islamic institutions, and the role of zakat institutions in ensuring easy access to nutritious food for the asnaf community. This study is expected to contribute to the formulation of more holistic and effective nutrition aid policies or programs to address healthy eating habit issues faced by this vulnerable group.