Every year hundreds of thousands young children are encouraged to dress-up as devils, witches, ghosts or other types of demonic figures. This act is followed by the children knocking on doors & requesting a ‘treat' or being ‘tricked' as part of the Halloween festival. During the Halloween season many schools, movies, cartoons, shops etc. are dedicated in promoting Halloween as a celebration worth celebrating.
As Muslims & responsible guardians of our children, it is important to take all necessary steps to safeguard ourselves & children from any practices that will lead to Hellfire (a punishment which is seventy times hotter than the fires of this world). Allah (SWT) said,
"O you who believe! save yourselves & your families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men & stones.." [EMQ 66: 6]
Origins of Halloween:Halloween is a mixture of Paganistic (idol worshipping) & Christian beliefs & practices.
The Pagans believed that during the night of the 31st of October the gods would play tricks/pranks on their worshippers that would bring danger and cause fear on them. To be safeguarded from the mischief of these gods, the worshippers would offer treats to their gods in the form of sacrifices, food, gifts etc. hence the notion "Trick or Treat". In current times children as well as adults dress up as creatures of the evil, scaring people (i.e. trick) unless they give a sacrifice (i.e. a treat).
For the Christians, Halloween is a celebration of all the Saints (devout Christians) that have passed away or were martyred/killed in the path of serving and establishing Christianity. Christians would spend the night before (31st October) in holding all night vigils remembering them and making special supplications for them.
To summarize Halloween is:
1. Belief in evil gods
2. Imitating evil gods
3. Offering sacrifice to evil gods to be free from their mischief
4. A non-Islamic celebration/festival
5. Remembering & praying for a dead Christian activist
Based upon the aims of Halloween, we as Muslim who submit only to Allah (the only true God) must ask what is the Islamic ruling on: belief in false gods, pretending to be a false god, offering sacrifices to a false god and praying for the dead from the non-Muslims? What is the Islamic ruling on celebrating Halloween i.e. dressing up in costumes, asking for treats, offering treats, decorating houses, displaying pumpkins?
To believe in or participate in Halloween is an act of Shirk (associating partners with Allah) the greatest crime any person can commit, so severe it is that Allah (SWT) will never forgive the one that commits Shirk and dies upon it. For Allah (SWT) said,
"Verily! Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom he pleases sins other than that, & whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, has indeed strayed far away."[EMQ 4:116]
Any person that offers a treat on the night of Halloween will have upon him the curse of Allah (SWT), for verily the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said,
"Allah curses him who sacrifices to other than Allah." [Reported in Muslim]
Those that practice any non-Islamic celebrations or imitate/copy the behavior of any people is the same as them, because the Messenger of Allah (SWT) said,
"Whoever imamates a group of people he is one of them". [Reported in Abu Dawood]
As Muslims we are responsible for purifying the lands from any corruption hence we are duty bound to eradicate all evil and the worst is Shirk (i.e. giving the right of Allah to another).
Dear Muslims we must realize and understand that any practices, celebrations that do not come from Islam are evil, because if it was good then Allah (SWT) would have included it in our Deen. Halloween is an evil celebration which promotes worship and sacrifice to false gods, an evil that pollutes one's belief and worship to Allah.
Halloween is a form of Shirk and disobedience introduced by Shaytaan in the form of a trick, enjoyment and celebration. Therefore do not participate in this evil, do not purchase any item to do with Halloween, do not let your children go knocking from door to door for treats, do not give any treats, warn your family members, warn your relatives, warn other Muslims and the non-Muslims about this great evil.
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