As our neighbors begin to prepare for the annual Halloween celebration, Muslims throughout the nation try to see how they fit into this strange holiday. Growing up, I can remember being in class the weeks leading up to Halloween and participating in the arts and craft projects that have become the norm in public schools throughout the country. I was told over and over by my parents that we didn’t celebrate Halloween. They gave me a few general reasons but it still didn’t keep me from feeling left out and sometimes even embarrassed not to be celebrating with the rest of the class. The teachers would look at me with pity and my classmates couldn’t believe my parents would not allow me to participate. It was only until I was a bit older and more mature that I really began to appreciate my parent’s guidance. I began to respond to classmates by asking if they even knew what they were celebrating and why it was so important. To this day I still haven’t gotten a clear answer for any of the holidays most of my non Muslim friends celebrate.

I had always thought Halloween was simply a celebration of evil, akin to devil worship, just another pagan tradition absorbed into early Christianity. This understanding wasn’t entirely true. Halloween is a celebration with pagan roots but it wasn’t necessarily intended to celebrate evil. It was actually originated in what is today Ireland and has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is sometimes regarded as the "Celtic New Year". Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the alive and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them.

Ironically, Halloween was intended to calm or subdue evil spirits in hopes of protecting crops and live stock. Today with our modern means of subsistence, Halloween has just become an opportunity to celebrate horror and honor the same evil spirits that were originally guarded against.

As Muslims we have to agree that there is nothing in the history or present observance of Halloween that we should find appealing. The greatest triumph of Islam is that it is able to stand alone on its own God given principles without the need of pagan rituals or popular culture to enhance its attraction. When the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) entered Mecca in triumph he destroyed all pagan symbols thereby nullifying the validity of the customs associated with them. We therefore have to be careful not to bring life back to these dead idols through the rituals that celebrate them. As we refuse to participate in such rituals we are actually reaffirming the Oneness of God and the Perfection of His Teachings.

It is also important to use these instances as opportunities to reflect the Grace of Allah by respecting the viewpoints of other faiths. As Muslims we must firmly adhere to “No compulsion in religion”. Allah has surely made truth distinct from falsehood. Therefore when a Muslim is asked his view in regards to Halloween or any other un-Islamic Tradition he should clearly express his view but do it in a way that breaks down the barriers between him and the enquirer. He should speak kindly with an attractive manner so the message isn’t lost in a heated discussion. Allah the All Knowing has injected us into society as a doctor injects a cure into a patient. The delivery mechanism that makes the whole process work is righteousness. We have to reflect God’s Righteousness for the cure to penetrate the patient’s body and bring life to his soul.

Halloween like all other worldly celebrations are nothing more than an opportunity for Allah’s Grace to be made manifest. It is our obligation as those charged with the responsibility of expressing Allah’s Grace, to make sure we don’t miss this opportunity to strive in His Cause.
May Allah the Almighty enable us to recognize the gifts He places before us and May He give us the courage to strive for His Rewards.  Amen