8 Reasons Why We Don't Celebrate Halloween - As a Muslim

Assalaamu Alaikum - by Asma bint Shameem As Muslims we should avoid celebrating Halloween. 1) Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve, All Souls’ Day) has roots in honoring Samhain, a pagan “lord of death.” 2) The festival mixes pagan and Christian elements and venerates things like demons, witches, devils, and magic. 3) The custom of giving out candy comes from a pagan idea that evil or dead spirits return that night; people offered treats so the spirits would leave them alone, otherwise they would “trick” them or cause harm. 4) The jack-o’-lantern comes from a folk tale about a man named Jack who tricked the devil and was condemned to wander with a lantern. Today people put lanterns out to ward off spirits - Astaghfirullaah. 5) Witchcraft and sorcery are completely opposed to Islam; practicing them is kufr. Allaah tells us in the Qur’an about those who were taught magic by devils (Surah al-Baqarah 2:102), and the Prophet ﷺ warned against witchcraft as one of the harmful things to avoid. 6) Halloween is essentially a celebration of non-Muslim traditions. The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever imitates a people is considered one of them, so we should be careful not to imitate such customs. 7) Celebrating Halloween is not the way of the believers. The Qur’an describes the believers as those who do not engage in falsehood - scholars explained that this includes the festivals of disbelievers. 8) Trick-or-treating is effectively begging for sweets. A Muslim should maintain dignity and not engage in begging when it can be avoided; the Prophet ﷺ warned about asking people for unnecessary accumulation of wealth. Can I at least hand out candy? No. Giving out sweets to support or participate in a pagan or shirk-linked festival would be cooperating in something impermissible. Allah says do not help one another in sin and transgression (Surah al-Ma’idah 5:2), and whoever helps an evil cause shares in its burden (Surah an-Nisaa 4:85). What should we do? - Do NOT participate in this shirk-linked celebration. - Do NOT give out candy or otherwise support it. A simple way to avoid being involved is to turn off your porch light. - You are not obliged to answer the door if you don’t want to. It’s your home. - Teach your children about the shirk and harmful aspects of Halloween. - You don’t need to invent an “alternative” event; simply stay home and treat it like an ordinary day. Be proud of Islam and your Muslim identity. You don’t have to join such festivals to fit in. As scholars have explained, it is not permissible for a believing Muslim to participate in the holidays of disbelievers. Instead cling to the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ and avoid what Allah has prohibited. Conclusion: Halloween promotes witches, demons, and frightening superstitions. Keep your family away from it, educate your children about its harms, and take pride in Allah’s guidance. رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا ، وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا ، وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَسُولًا And Allah knows best.