PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

Dining is a fundamental biological need which serves as a social function for binding people in a society. It is a human sociality that people eat together; however, it could turn to be very complex in a multi-religious society where people have different dietary requirements prescribed by their religions. Limited studies reveal halal dining practices and its influence on social cohesion in a multi-religious society. In this study, we investigated and explored how Muslims uphold their religious commitment of halal dining within the inter-religious context and how non-Muslims perceive halal dining and participate in this commensality. This study aims to explore the behavioral patterns of halal dining experiences among urban millennials in a multi-religious societal context. The study was undertaken to measure the influence of halal dining experience on the socialization process between Muslims and non-Muslims which may affect the condition of social cohesion among them. This study also attempts to explore the inclusiveness of halal diners and their interactions. Adopting a qualitative approach, interviews were conducted among Muslims and non- Muslims urbanite millennials residing in Klang Valley. This study finds that dining dissimilarities challenge aspects of multi-religiosity but do not cause a major disruption in building a cohesive society. Thus, the issue that comes to fore is the manner in which people positively or negatively deal with their differences during commensality. The outcome of this research aspires to serve as a reflection of halal dining experience in a multi-religious society towards building a cohesive and united society.