Religious opinion on Halloween celebrations

In this article, we explore the question "is Halloween really harmless?" By examining its pagan origins and analysing its practices in light of the Qur'an and Hadith, we provide an in-depth research

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All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon the Master of the Messengers, and upon his family and all of his companions.

As the celebration of Halloween gains popularity worldwide, it is essential to assess its permissibility in Islam. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as a stronghold of Islamic teachings, must provide clear guidance on practices that may compromise the creed and identity of the Muslim Ummah. This fatwa aims to examine Halloween's origins, its implications in Islam, and provide clear evidence from the Qur'an and authentic Hadith for why Muslims should abstain from such celebrations.

Halloween traces its roots to ancient pagan and Celtic traditions. Historically, it originated from the festival of Samhain, celebrated by the Celts over 2,000 years ago in what is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France. This festival marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, a time associated with death. The Celts believed that on the night of October 31, the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred, allowing spirits of the deceased to return to the earth.

To ward off these spirits and ensure their survival through the harsh winter, the Celts would build bonfires, wear costumes made of animal heads and skins, and make offerings to their deities. The Roman Empire later merged Samhain with their own festivals of Feralia (commemorating the dead) and the celebration honouring Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees.

Over time, these pagan rituals evolved but maintained their underlying themes of honouring the dead, invoking spirits, and engaging in practices associated with superstition and polytheistic traditions.

Allah, the Exalted, commands Muslims to distance themselves from practices that go against Islamic teachings:

"And do not follow what you have no knowledge of. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart—about all those [one] will be questioned."
— Surah Al-Isra (17:36)

This verse serves as a directive to avoid engaging in practices rooted in ignorance or beliefs that contradict Islamic monotheism. Allah also says:

"And those who do not bear witness to falsehood, and when they pass by ill speech, they pass by with dignity."
— Surah Al-Furqan (25:72)

The term "falsehood" in this context includes participating in celebrations and practices that are not rooted in Islamic teachings and could mislead the believers into accepting or endorsing un-Islamic beliefs.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated clearly:

"Whoever imitates a people is one of them."
— Sunan Abu Dawood (Hadith 4031)

Imitating non-Muslim practices, especially those that have pagan origins or associations, leads to adopting customs and traditions that can weaken the distinct Islamic identity. This hadith serves as a clear warning that Muslims must be careful not to partake in activities that align with the beliefs and customs of other religious or secular traditions. Furthermore, the Prophet ﷺ said:

"You will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you, handspan by handspan and cubit by cubit, until even if they entered a lizard's hole, you would follow them." We said, 'O Messenger of Allah, (do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?' He said, 'Who else?'"
— Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 7320) & Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2669)

This hadith serves as a prophetic warning that Muslims should be cautious about adopting practices from other communities, including celebrations with non-Islamic roots.

Halloween’s core practices include wearing costumes, invoking themes of death and spirits, and engaging in superstitious rituals. These elements not only contradict the principles of Tawheed but also echo practices of polytheism and superstition, which Islam came to eradicate. The belief in supernatural forces influencing the world outside of Allah’s will is a direct contradiction to Islamic teachings.

Islamic teachings stress that Muslims should maintain a clear and distinct identity, characterized by their adherence to Islamic morals and values. The Prophet ﷺ taught:

"The two Eids (festivals) that Allah has given to you are better than any other: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha."
— Sunan Abu Dawood (Hadith 1134)

This hadith emphasises that Allah has provided Muslims with celebrations that are pure and free of any pagan or polytheistic origins.

Participation in Halloween, even if viewed as harmless fun, is a subtle way of blending into practices that hold origins in shirk (associating partners with Allah) and non-Islamic beliefs. While some argue that modern Halloween has been commercialised and stripped of its original religious connotations, the underlying elements of superstitions, themes of the occult, and practices associated with paganism remain intact.

Based on the clear evidences provided from the Qur'an and Sunnah, and the analysis of Halloween's origins and practices, it is evident that participating in Halloween is impermissible (haram) for Muslims. It contradicts the essence of Islamic monotheism (Tawheed) and promotes imitation of non-Muslim and pagan traditions.

Therefore, Muslims across the world are advised to abstain from Halloween and uphold their Islamic identity. We are reminded to protect our beliefs and practices from being influenced by customs that are rooted in un-Islamic traditions.

And Allah knows best.