WHAT IS HALLOWEEN ?

—» WHAT IS HALLOWEEN ?

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31st. On this night, children’s dress up in different costumes and go door to door asking for candies (also known as treat or tricking). Other activities that also take part in this custom are bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunting houses, playing prank on one another, watching horror films, and other Halloween related festivities. Pumpkins are carved out for Halloween with faces and homes are decorated with ghostly and other evil images.

—» THE ORIGIN OF HALLOWEEN

Ancient Celtic Practices

The first Halloween event dates back to the time of the Celtics or ‘Celts’. They were a group of people occupying the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Northern France about 2,000 years ago. The Celtic year began on November 1st with the festival of SAMHAIN (sow-in). This day not only marked the end of summer and harvest, it signaled the beginning of cold, dark winter, which was often associated with death.

They believed that on New Year’s Eve, 31st October, the earth came in closest contact with the spirit world and that the ghosts of the dead returned to the earth on that night.

They also believed that the presence of these spirits facilitated the druids (their priest’s) in predicting the future, which served as a source of comfort for them during the long, dark winter. To commemorate the night, the Celts built large bonfires at which crops and animals were burnt as sacrifices to their deities. They wore costumes to these bonfires, consisting mostly of animal heads and skins, so that the roaming ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits and not harm them.

—» THE CUSTOMS

Dressing Up In Costumes : This was done so that the ‘spirits of the dead’ would not recognize people. It was also done by people imitating supernatural beings that were believed to roam the earth at that time.

Jack - O’-Lantern : This started off as a legend associated with a man of Irish origin named Jack who supposedly enjoyed playing pranks on the Devil. The legend states that after his death, Jack did not go to Heaven or Hell and therefore, had to wonder the earth carrying a lantern, providing him with some light to see where he was going. Pumpkins that were hollowed out and had candles lit inside were symbolic of this legend. These pumpkins were also used to scare away evil spirits (that is why odd looking faces are carved into the pumpkins).

Trick-OR-Treat : The Celtics believed that the spirits thronged about the houses of the living, they were thus greeted with a feast. At the end of the feast, villagers disguised themselves as souls of the dead and paraded to the outskirts of their villages in order to lead the spirits away. This was done to avoid any calamities the dead might bring. Another way the villagers tried to appease the dead was by setting out bowls of fruit and other treats so the spirits would partake of them and leave them in peace.

Later when the belief in ghosts and spirits declined, youths dressed themselves as ghosts and the like as threat to play tricks on those who failed to be generous with treats (hence the phrase, ’trick or treat’, implying a demand for treats or else a certain consequence would have to be given).

Bats and Black Cats: These animals were believed to communicate with the dead. It is also believed black cats were able to house the souls of witches.
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—» THE ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

Eemaan (Faith) is the foundation of Islamic society, and Tawheed (the belief in the existence and Oneness of Allaah) is the essence of this faith and the very core of Islam. The SAFEGUARDING of this EEMAAN, and of this pure TAWHEED, is the PRIMARY OBJECTIVE of all Islamic teachings and legislation. In order to keep the Muslim society purified of all traces of Shirk (associating partners with Allaah) and remnants of error, a continuous war must be waged against all customs and practices which originate from societies’ ignorance of divine guidance, and in the errors of idol worship.

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) issued a stern warning :

“Whoever imitates a nation is one of them!”
(Abu Da'wood)

Muslims should heed this warning and REFRAIN FROM COPYING or IMITATING THE KUFFAAR (disbelievers) in their CELEBRATIONS.

Islam has strongly ‪#‎FORBIDDEN‬ MUSLIMS TO FOLLOW THE RELIGIOUS or SOCIAL CUSTOMS of the NON-MUSLIMS , and especially of the idol-worshippers or those who worship the devil.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said :

“By Him in Whose hands is my life, you are ordered to enjoin good and forbid evil, or else Allaah will certainly afflict you with torments. Thereafter, even your du’aa (supplications) will not be accepted.” (Tirmidhi).

—» From an ISLAMIC STANDPOINT...

‪#‎HALLOWEEN‬ is one of the WORST OF CELEBRATIONS because of its origins and history. It is ‪#‎HARAAM‬ (forbidden), even if there may be some seemingly good or harmless elements in those practices, as evidenced by a statement from the Prophet (peace be upon him)

“ Every innovation (in our religion) is misguidance, even if the people regard it as something good” [1].

Although it may be argued that the celebration of Hallow’een today has nothing to do with devil-worship, it is still FORBIDDEN FOR MUSLIMS TO PARTICIPATE IN IT.

If Muslims begin to take part in such customs, it is a sure sign of ‪#‎WEAK‬ ‪#‎EEMAAN‬and that we have either forgotten, or outrightly rejected the mission of our Prophet (peace be upon him) who came to cleanse us from Jahiliyyah customs, superstitions and false practices.

Muslims are enjoined to neither imitate the behaviour and customs of the non-Muslims, nor to commit their indecencies.

Behaviour-imitation will affect the attitude of a Muslim and may create a feeling of sympathy towards the indecent modes of life.

Islam seeks to cleanse the Muslim of all immoral conducts and habits, and thus paving the way for the Qur’an & Sunnah to be the correct and pure source for original Islamic thought and behaviour.

A MUSLIM should be a MODEL FOR OTHERS IN FAITH AND PRACTICE, BEHAVIOUR and MORAL CHARACTER , and not a blind imitator dependant on other nations and cultures.

Even if one decides to go along with the outward practices of Hallow’een without acknowledging the deeper significance or historical background of this custom, he or she is still guilty of indulging in this ‪#‎pagan‬ ‪#‎festival‬. Undoubtedly, even after hearing the Truth, some Muslims will still participate in Hallow’een, send their kids “trick-or-treating,” and they will try to justify it by saying they are doing it merely to make their children happy.

—» WHAT IS THE DUTY OF MUSLIM PARENTS ?

Is it to follow the wishes of their children without question, or to mould them within the correct Islamic framework as outlined in the Qur’an & Sunnah ?

Is it not the responsibility of Muslim parents to impart correct Islamic training and instruction to their children ?

How can this duty be performed if, instead of instructing the children in Islam, parents allow and encourage their children to be taught the way of the unbelievers ?

Allaah exposes these types of people in the Qur’an :

“We have sent them the Truth, but they indeed practise falsehood.” (Surah Al Mu'minoon 23:90)

Muslim parents must TEACH their children TO REFRAIN from PRACTISING‪#‎FALSEHOOD‬, and not to imitate the non-Muslims in their customs and festivals. If the children are taught to be proud of their Islamic heritage, they themselves will, In shaa Allaah, abstain from Hallow’een and other non-Muslim celebrations.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said :

"The Final Hour will not come until my followers copy the deeds of the previous nations and follow them very closely, span by span, and cubit by cubit (inch by inch). (Bukhari)

Islam is a pure religion with no need to accomodate any custom, practice or celebration that is not a part of it. Islam does not distinguish between “secular and sacred.” The SHARI’AH MUST RULE EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES.

“You must keep to my Sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly-guided Caliphs; cling to it firmly. Beware of newly invented matters, for every new matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misleading.” [2]

“When the people see a person committing a wrong, but do not seize his hand to restrain him or her from the deed, it is likely that Allaah will punish them both.” (Abu Da’wood, Nasa’i, Tirmidhi)

“Whoever imitates a nation is one of them.” (Abu Da’wood)

—» WHAT TO DO ON HALLOWEEN ?

We have established, beyond doubt, that the celebration of Hallow’een is absolutely forbidden in Islam. It is HARAAM.
The question arises as to what to do on this night.

▸ Muslim parents must not send their kids out “trick-or-treating” on Hallow’een night. Our children must be told why we do not celebrate Hallow’een.

▸ Most children are very receptive when taught with sincerity, and especially when shown in practice the joy of their own Islamic celebrations and traditions. In this regard, teach them about the two Islamic festivals of Eid.

▸ It must also be mentioned that, even Muslims who stay home and give out treats to those who come to their door are still participating in this festival. In order to avoid this, leave the front lights off and do not open the door.

▸ Educate your neighbours about our Islamic teachings.
Inform them in advance that Muslims do not participate in Hallow’een, and explain the reasons why. (Give them a copy of this flyer if needed.) They will respect your wishes, and you will gain respect in the process.

“A PERSON WHO CALLS ANOTHER TO GUIDANCE WILL BE REWARDED, as will the one who accepts the message.” (Tirmidhi)

Finally, we must remember that we are fully accountable to Allaah for all of our actions and deeds. If, after knowing the truth, we do not cease our un-Islamic practises, we risk the WRATH OF ALLAAH as He himself ‪#‎warned‬ us in the Qur’an:

“Then let them beware who refuse the Messenger’s order lest some trial befall them, or a grevious punishment be afflicted upon them!”
(Surah Noor 24:63).

This is a SERIOUS MATTER and not to be taken lightly. And Allaah knows best.

May Allaah guide us, help us to stay on the right path, and save us from all deviations and innovations that will lead us into the fires of Hell...Aameen!