What do Muslims do on Halloween?

DanyalSAC

Junior Member
Asalaamu alaikum -

This is going to be my 2nd Halloween as a Muslim. Last year I left the house for a while. I may do the same this year.

I'm curious though, what do Muslims do in countries that celebrate Halloween? Please - I am not looking for any long lectures on what Halloween is or its history or anything of that nature. As a former Wiccan & "neo-Druid" and someone who has extensively studied Celtic history I can teach a class on the subject. I am just wondering what you brothers & sisters do...

Do you leave the house? Do you answer the door & do dawah to the little rugrats when they knock? Do you turn off all the lights and lay on the floor so they think you're not home?

Inquiring minds want to know :)

Ma salaama

D
 

BrotherInIslam7

La Illaha Illa Allah
Staff member
:salam2:

It is good Alhamdulillah that you are aware that it is prohibited for us to celebrate or greet others on non muslim celebrations. As the Prophet SallAllahu Alleihi Wa Sallama said “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood).

Also ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-‘Aas said: Whoever lives in the land of the mushrikeen and celebrates their Nawrooz (New Year) and their Mahrajaan (festivals), and imitates them until he dies, he will be a loser on the Day of Resurrection.

As for what we muslims do (or are supposed to do) : In our community, we distance ourselves from the celebrations, parties and gatherings on that day first of all. Also, a few days before major non-muslim festivities, our imam usually reminds us about the Islamic stance with regards to non muslim festivals.

If we come across a muslim brother who speaks to us about 'doing something' on Halloween, we inform him about we know from our ilm and ask him to revisit his lessons on Tawheed and Aqeedah and what our scholars have said with regards to attending/observing non muslim festivities.

And if children knock on the door on Halloween , it is pretty much up to individual as to whether he uses it to make dawah or ignores it (you have a right to not answer your door even if your lights are on). There is no harm in letting children know that you only celebrate festivals that are legislated by Allah Almighty and since this one is not one of those, you can't offer sweets etc etc. It might make them think, you never know.

Though, I haven't been bothered by kids on 'trick or treat' rounds. I usually answer the door and tell them I don't observe this festival.

Hope this helped. Wasalaamalaykum waa rahmatullahi
 

thariq2005

Praise be to Allah!
Wa `alaykkum salaam wa rahmatullaah

Lol though I live in a non muslim country, my area is very "muslim" dominated, so we don't really have kids knocking on our doors, rather we have muslims knocking on it calling us for Jamaat (Tableeghi jamaat) :p
 

zinirah

Junior Member
My parents are christian...so my parents don't like to associate with Halloween. We usually just put a sign on our door "No Candy,sorry".Lol...nothing special.
 

sister herb

Official TTI Chef
My parents are christian...so my parents don't like to associate with Halloween. We usually just put a sign on our door "No Candy,sorry".Lol...nothing special.

:salam2:

I think this is the most kindly (for the feelings of kids I mean) way to express this thing. Also it may save everybodies time.
 

DanyalSAC

Junior Member
My parents are christian...so my parents don't like to associate with Halloween. We usually just put a sign on our door "No Candy,sorry".Lol...nothing special.

That seems to be the best thing to do... or I just leave the house. Neither of my roommates have any particular religious belief (unless they want to argue with me, then they're armchair Christian) but they also aren't overly neighborly so they're not going to answer the door when they knock.

I think I will just stay at the masjid from asr to isha, inshallah :)
 

Aapa

Mirajmom
Assalaam walaikum,

I just told everyone in the neighborhood I am a Muslim. I give the kids candy on other occasions.
 

samiha

---------
Staff member
:salam2:

Somehow it seems, even though I've lived in mostly non-Muslim areas in places which are quite suburbian... I still havent gotten any door knockers. So I haven't really had to find out a solution to that.

But the one time I went out when it was Halloween (to the masjid or something) I was shocked lol, we hardly have anyone walking on the streets at night and here are ALL these people, dressed strangly milling about... as a kid personally I'd be terrified!
 

omahmed

Sister in Islam
"It is good Alhamdulillah that you are aware that it is prohibited for us to celebrate or greet others on non muslim celebrations. As the Prophet SallAllahu Alleihi Wa Sallama said “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood).

Also ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-‘Aas said: Whoever lives in the land of the mushrikeen and celebrates their Nawrooz (New Year) and their Mahrajaan (festivals), and imitates them until he dies, he will be a loser on the Day of Resurrection."

I actually didn't know that. My Christian friends at work would say Happy Eid, and I'd greet them if they had a celebration. I didn't know it was wrong.

Jazzak Allahu Khair

Salaam
 

BrotherInIslam7

La Illaha Illa Allah
Staff member
Salaamalaykum waa rahmatullahi respected sister in Islam omahmed,

You might benefit from reading the below threads as well :-

Ruling on celebrating non-Muslim holidays and congratulating them

Should he respond to non-Muslims when they wish him a Happy New Year?

Christmas celebrations fatwas

Ruling on celebrating non-Muslim holidays and congratulating them

Celebrating the Festival of the Kuffar

I would also recommend that you purchase a copy of Kitab ut Tawheed and read over it, as these things deal with Aqeedah and Tawheed which are essential knowledge for every muslim.

There are also some free online videos that have brief explanation on each chapter of the book. I can provide the link on request InshaAllah.

May Allah azz zawajal give us understanding of this deen and increase us much in knowledge. Ameen

Wasalaamalaykum waa rahmatullahi
 

saifkhan

abd-Allah
Salam alaikum

I don't even know what is halloween.
something religious, why candy to kids.

I have heard some movies or something, didn't actually care!
anyways

wassalam
 

um__ahmad

Junior Member
[I agree with you omahmad.

QUOTE=omahmed;471963]"It is good Alhamdulillah that you are aware that it is prohibited for us to celebrate or greet others on non muslim celebrations. As the Prophet SallAllahu Alleihi Wa Sallama said “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood).

Also ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-‘Aas said: Whoever lives in the land of the mushrikeen and celebrates their Nawrooz (New Year) and their Mahrajaan (festivals), and imitates them until he dies, he will be a loser on the Day of Resurrection."

I actually didn't know that. My Christian friends at work would say Happy Eid, and I'd greet them if they had a celebration. I didn't know it was wrong.

Jazzak Allahu Khair

Salaam[/QUOTE]
 

um__ahmad

Junior Member
I need everybodies patients when replying JAK. I have 3 kids and they give out candy and wear costumes on halloween. To be honust I never knew that it was haram. I just thought of it as being kids having fun. I take my kids to the library and they do halloween arts and crafts through the community for the holidays as they also do for our eid. Please explain to what limit is haram and whats fun for kids? JAK
 

BrotherInIslam7

La Illaha Illa Allah
Staff member
I need everybodies patients when replying JAK. I have 3 kids and they give out candy and wear costumes on halloween. To be honust I never knew that it was haram. I just thought of it as being kids having fun. I take my kids to the library and they do halloween arts and crafts through the community for the holidays as they also do for our eid. Please explain to what limit is haram and whats fun for kids? JAK

:salam2:

Sister, please click on the links that I have mentioned above. Especially the ones regarding permissibility of observing non muslim celebrations/festivals.

The Ummah of Muhammad SallAllahu Alleihi Wa Sallama only observes/celebrates occasions that Allah azz zawajal has allowed/legislated for us.

And we do not celebrate the festivals/celebrations that are man made, pagan and involve elements of kufr.

Please ask more questions if the matter is unclear..

Wasalaamalaykum waa rahmatullahi
 

JenGiove

Junior Member
I need everybodies patients when replying JAK. I have 3 kids and they give out candy and wear costumes on halloween. To be honust I never knew that it was haram. I just thought of it as being kids having fun. I take my kids to the library and they do halloween arts and crafts through the community for the holidays as they also do for our eid. Please explain to what limit is haram and whats fun for kids? JAK

Sister,

Halloween is a pagan holiday originally but it has been taken over and alot of the meaning has been lost. "It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holiday All Saints' Day, but is today largely a secular celebration."-Wikipedia

Samhain-The Irish name Samhain is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end".[2] A harvest festival with ancient roots in Celtic polytheism, it was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and continued to be celebrated in late medieval times.

All Saints' Day-In terms of Western Christian theology, the day commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. It is a national holiday in many historically Catholic countries. In the Roman Catholic Church, the next day, All Souls' Day, specifically commemorates the departed faithful who have not yet been purified and reached heaven.

Trick-Or-Treat-The tradition of going from door to door receiving food already existed in Britain and Ireland, in the form of souling, where children and poor people would sing and say prayers for the dead in return for cakes.[1] Guising — children disguised in costumes going from door to door for food and coins — also predates trick or treat, and was traditional at Halloween in late 19th century Scotland and Ireland.[2] While going from door to door has remained popular among Scots and Irish, the North American custom of saying "trick or treat" has recently become common.

In the end, Halloween is very much NOT a holiday that Muslims should be practicing/observing. There are other ways in which to have fun but not participate in a holiday who's roots lay in polytheism.....what hasn't been told is that alot od the traditions have alternate meanings. Dressing up is supposed to "hide" you from evil spirits and ghosts who cross into our world on that night to steal your soul. Jack-O-Lanterns are to ward off evil....the giving of candy is payment to the "spirits" so that they don't play a trick on you...essentially, "Pay us a treat or get a trick?".
 

Janaan

ربنا اغفر لنا ذنوبنا
Staff member
"No Candy,sorry".Lol..

Lol! That's smart.:) It's like a store sign reading-"sorry, we're out of candy".

The only time I remember going out on halloween was about 5 yrs ago...but it was just for the fun of it- and if you were there, you'd think houses were on fire and Everyone had to run outside for safety...subhanallah, streets were THAT packed!...

We usually just turn of the porch lights and no one bothers...oh well!
 

um__ahmad

Junior Member
Jak khair all for your explenation and patients. I have learned alot.






Sister,

Halloween is a pagan holiday originally but it has been taken over and alot of the meaning has been lost. "It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holiday All Saints' Day, but is today largely a secular celebration."-Wikipedia

Samhain-The Irish name Samhain is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end".[2] A harvest festival with ancient roots in Celtic polytheism, it was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and continued to be celebrated in late medieval times.

All Saints' Day-In terms of Western Christian theology, the day commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. It is a national holiday in many historically Catholic countries. In the Roman Catholic Church, the next day, All Souls' Day, specifically commemorates the departed faithful who have not yet been purified and reached heaven.

Trick-Or-Treat-The tradition of going from door to door receiving food already existed in Britain and Ireland, in the form of souling, where children and poor people would sing and say prayers for the dead in return for cakes.[1] Guising — children disguised in costumes going from door to door for food and coins — also predates trick or treat, and was traditional at Halloween in late 19th century Scotland and Ireland.[2] While going from door to door has remained popular among Scots and Irish, the North American custom of saying "trick or treat" has recently become common.

In the end, Halloween is very much NOT a holiday that Muslims should be practicing/observing. There are other ways in which to have fun but not participate in a holiday who's roots lay in polytheism.....what hasn't been told is that alot od the traditions have alternate meanings. Dressing up is supposed to "hide" you from evil spirits and ghosts who cross into our world on that night to steal your soul. Jack-O-Lanterns are to ward off evil....the giving of candy is payment to the "spirits" so that they don't play a trick on you...essentially, "Pay us a treat or get a trick?".
 

kayleigh

Junior Member
Here, they have this huge party downtown with thousands of people. It's fun to go and see different costumes. Some of them are really funny and creative. I don't dress up, and I don't stay home so I don't give out candy. I'll probably go this year, and maybe watch some scary movies with friends.

(I'm waiting for someone to tell me how horribly haram that all is... lol)
 

omahmed

Sister in Islam
@BrotherInIslam,

Salaam

I read the links you provided, and I have to tell you, I felt really uncomfortable with them. I have never celebrated Christmas, or Easter, or Halloween, or Valentine's Day, or anything else - because I'm a Muslim. But I cannot imagine one of my Christian friends coming up to me and saying, "Kol sanna wenti Tayebba" (which is a general Arabic greeting used for celebrations), or Happy Eid, and me just ignoring them. I also reciprocate during their celebrations by using the same greeting, which doesn't specify the occasion of the celebration, sort of like "happy holidays". I honestly don't believe this means I am imitating Christians. I believe it's mutual goodwill and respect of our differences, which is even more important now than it was a few years ago.
There are churches built in Muslim majority countries for the Christian population to worship in, Muslim men are allowed to marry Christian and Jewish women, if you have them as neighbours you still have to be kind and hospitable to them, and they are the People of the Book in the Quran. I thought a lot about this last night - I've come to the conclusion that I am a Muslim, and Islam is a religion of moderation. I try to pray on time, fast, give Zakaat, and have been on Hajj, al hamdulillah. I have a lot of room for improvement, of course, may Allah guide my family and I, insha'Allah, but to me this means trying to memorise more Quran surahs, and understanding them, and reading about Islam, and trying to do good for the sake of Allah - not getting into things like this. I sincerely hope I haven't offended you or anyone else - but the petty arguments on here, and links like these have made me realise that perhaps forums such as these are not the right place for me to learn. And Allahu Alam.

Jazzak Allah Khair, and Salaam.
 
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