Religiosity as a Moderator Between Attitude and Intention towards Online Halal Cosmetic Purchasing

Religiosity is one of the cultural subsystems that influence human behavior. Religiosity is, as expected, a substantial factor of the halal purchasing decision among Muslims. Therefore, this paper attempt to review the moderating role of religiosity on relationship between attitude and intention towards online halal cosmetic purchasing. This study will be useful to researchers, professionals and practitioner concerned about understanding consumers' the religiosity influence on attitude and intention. It would lead to operational efficiencies through effective marketing strategies and a better understanding of the religiosity.


Introduction
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in Islamic business marketing (Global Islamic Economy Report, 2018). One of the important concepts in Islamic business marketing is halal. In recent decades, the halal industry has become one of the most appealing industries for marketers. Its expansion is regarded as one of the world's fastest-growing markets (Shahid et al., 2022) and its estimated worth in 2017 was US$2.1 trillion (Global Islamic Economy Report, 2018).
Muslim are the fastest-growing religious group in the world. The Muslim global population are was 24% (1.9 billion) and is expected to increase further (Desilver and Masci, 2017). According to the figure 1, the global Muslim population will continue to grow. In 2012, the entire Muslim population in the globe was estimated to be 1.8 billion people. By 2030, the Muslim population will have grown to 2.2 billion people, accounting for 26.4 percent of the global population. By 2050, the overall Muslim population will have grown to 2.6 billion people, accounting for 30% of the global population. Previously, halal was solely a religious problem, but it has since become one of the global emblems of quality assurance and a healthy lifestyle for customers (Naseri, Rahmiati and Esa, 2021). Halal also known as a cultural featise and offers a way to acquire a competitive edge in emerging source markets (Han et al., 2019). The phrase halal simply means "permissible," "lawful," and "legal" for Muslims to use, act, or consume; meanwhile, the term Haram can be interpreted as "prohibited" or "illegal" for Muslims to act, use, or consume (Rahmah, 2021).
Many people misunderstand what a halal product is. Scholars have been inspired to research halal marketplaces in a variety of industries, including food, fashion and art, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, finance, supply chain management, logistical services, marketing, and hospitality and tourism (Ngah et al., 2021). Although the phrase halal is frequently linked with food, it can also refer to a variety of products such as hygiene, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals (Aziz et al., 2022).
Cosmetics have long been seen as an integral element of many women's lifestyles around the world. However, according to (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, 2018) both genders buy cosmetic products, with 64.7% of women and 35.3% of male consumers purchasing cosmetic products. Based on that statistic, it is clear that Malaysian market has experienced a rapid increase in beauty and health industry over the past few decades. However, there is a sizable number of Muslims around the world are willing to pay a premium for halal certified cosmetic items. As a result, in recent decades, the Halal industry has become one of the most appealing industries for marketers.
Religiosity in general, and Islam in particular, has grown increasingly important in the framework of marketing. It has drawn numerous market researchers to investigate its position in the consumption world because it is seen as a vital component of the culture (De Run et al., 2010). Although the literature on Halal cosmetics is relatively thin, a rising body of research has focused on the impact of religiosity in customer desire for Halal products (Chung, Yu, Kim and Shin, 2016). Even while religiosity influences consumer behaviour in many parts of the world, it is usually ignored when determining consumer behaviour (Jannah and Al-Banna, 2021).
Wei, Mohamad and Kuah (2020) looked into religiosity as a moderating factor for online buying intention. Their findings imply that religiosity has a role in Muslim customers' willingness to accept halal cosmetics. Haque et al (2018) investigated Muslim customers' cosmetic purchasing intentions and observed a significant correlation between religion and cosmetic purchase intention. Religiosity was employed as a variable to account for disparities in consumer purchase habits around the globe (Dali et al., 2019). However, the role of religiosity as a mediator between attitude and halal product purchasing intention is remained contradicts and inconclusive (Yunus et al., 2018). Furthermore, there is a paucity of research on the role of religiosity as a predictor of consumer purchase intent (Yunus et al., 2018). As a result, this study provides an insight review of the religiosity as a moderator between attitude and intention towards online halal cosmetic purchasing.

Literature Review
Religion, according to Worthington et al (2003), is "the degree to which a person clings to his or her religious ideals, beliefs, and employs them in daily life." Religion is one of the strongest determinants of human practices. It is an essential guide to the legal and ethical behaviour of the individual in each decision -making process (Ahmad and Rahman, 2015). Religion is an important part of any society and value system since it shapes people's intention and behaviour (Ramasamy et al., 2010).
The degree to which a person believes in his or her religion is determined by religiosity (Razzaque and Chaudhry, 2013). Religiosity, on the other hand, refers to a person's level of commitment to religious practises in their daily lives (Aziz et al., 2019). Mukhtar and Mohsin Butt (2012) argue that religiosity is the faith and allegiance to follow God-established rules. Religiosity is now a widely accepted social factor that influences human conduct (Eid and El-Gohary, 2015). In other terms, religiosity refers to one's level of religious commitment. This personal commitment to follow divine standards may influence a person's decision to purchase and consume a product or service (Agarwala et al., 2019).
Several writers, like Ambali and Bakar (2013); Khan et al (2017), find that religiosity is, as expected, a substantial factor of the halal purchasing decision among Muslims in Muslimmajority nations. Prior research has shown that religiosity has a significant impact on values, attitudes, and behaviours. Religiosity played a significant effect in individual decision-making and environmental actions in a variety of circumstances (Choi, 2010). Felix and Braunsberger (2016) stated that religiosity can mitigate the association between environmental sentiments and purchase behaviour.
Scholars say that in religious civilizations, religious beliefs are more likely to impact people's attitudes toward environmental issues (Bhuian and Sharma, 2017). The Qur'an and Prophet Muhammed's sayings characterise Islam's religiosity, which is known as iman, an Arabic word that describes Islamic religiosity. Faith, believe in the seen and unseen, humility, patience, and confidence are all included in the definition and explanation of iman. Because of various elements and distinctions among Muslims, such as context, age, feelings, and environment, the level of iman varies (Wilson, 2013).
For both Muslim and non-Muslim consumers, religious conviction is the foundation of consumption choice, and it aids them in making well-informed decisions in their life (Salman and Siddiqui, 2011). In line with this, the role of religion in consumer behaviour cannot be underestimated (Sun et al., 2012). When it comes to Muslim customers, religion plays a crucial role since it helps them discriminate between what is permitted and what is not (Echchabi, 2012). The complete decision-making process, from product selection to purchase and finally consumption, is heavily influenced by an individual's level of dedication to their unique faith (Kharim, 2010).
Few academics have looked into the impact of religious beliefs or rituals on consumer behaviour (Mathras et al., 2015). Prior research has revealed that consumers' choice of products is in line with their religious commitment whereby, when individuals are highly committed to their religious principles and values they are hesitant to purchase products that are deemed to be prohibited for them. On the other hand, less religiously committed people tend to ignore their religious values and get attracted toward the consumption of prohibited products. Religiosity basically impact the overall decision making process of an individual; their lifestyle, food consumption habit, social groups and the decisions they take in life (Varinli et al., 2016).
The term Halal applies significantly to the religiosity of Muslims. Halal is a religious philosophy and ideology. The customers, by adopting halal product want to follow the religious devotions faithfully for personal grooming. They wish to be assured that the products which they are intending to purchase is truly halal. Religiousness is thus very important as a determinant of individual behaviour in consuming halal products. Besides, religiosity also play a significant part in the decision to purchase Halal (Awan et al., 2015). According to Setyawati (2021), for conservative Muslims, they will not buy any product like any other people. They will see the details to ensure that the product is halal. However, less religious consumers generally buy less halal products (Schneider et al., 2011). Customer religiosity has, therefore become an essential marketing feature.
At times, the intent to buy halal products is used to define a customer's degree of religiosity (Awan et al., 2015;Haque et al., 2018). In the issues pertaining to halal market, religiosity, are among the possible elements that can develop positive attitude among consumers towards halal products (Kordnaeij et al., 2013). Nurrachmi et al., 2020 study among 295 Muslim respondents in the city of Bandung, Indonesia shows that religiosity is an important factor in determining Muslim intentions in buying halal products.
A recent study by Suparno (2020) study on online purchase intention of halal cosmetic with Indonesian Muslim women suggested that an understanding of individual religiosity, attitude and intention will provide relevant insight for marketers to establish the best strategies to increase the market of halal cosmetics products. Notably, although people who have a religion are not necessarily religious, people who are religious definitely have a religion because their attitudes and behaviour are formed by the religious values that they hold (Berakon et al., 2021). Prior studies affirmed that religiosity plays a significant role in Muslim behaviour (Ustaahmetoglu, 2020) but their behaviour varies among them and depends on the extent of their commitment to the religion (Elseidi, 2018). It is also noted that the level of religiosity varies because of some factors and differences in Muslims such as context, age, feelings and the environment (Wilson, 2013).

Conclusion
This study reveals that religiosity are essential elements in halal cosmetics' market success. To embrace halal cosmetics, online seller must give a beneficial and easy-to-use website and one that is trustworthy and takes the consumers' religiosity into account. Any promotional content related to online halal cosmetics products should create an Islamicappealing image. Failure to locate appropriate religiosity value in marketing strategy might lead to generate negative attitude toward online halal cosmetic purchasing. By having a better understanding of this, marketers may be aware of particular elements that they could remove, or lessen, to reduce the degree of controversy in their marketing strategies. As a result, all halal cosmetic marketing techniques must be focused on offering excellent customer service while also considering the religious aspect. Customers will continue to use halal cosmetics if the product is consistent with Islamic norms. Customers may be convinced of the cosmetic product's suitability to meet their cosmetic and religious needs if the market is informed that their chosen halal cosmetic products are well-suited to Islamic beliefs.