Pagan Origins of Halloween

Halloween originated as the Eve of Samhain, a celebration marking the beginning of winter and the first day of the New Year among ancient pagans of the British Isles. On this occasion, it was believed that supernatural forces gathered together, that the barriers between the supernatural and human worlds were broken. They believed that spirits from other worlds (such as the souls of the dead) were able to visit earth during this time and roam about. At this time, they celebrated a joint festival for the sun god and the lord of the dead. The sun was thanked for the harvest and given moral support for the upcoming "battle" with winter. In ancient times, the pagans made sacrifices of animals and crops in order to please the gods.

They also believed that on October 31st, the lord of the dead gathered all the souls of the people who had died that year. The souls upon death would dwell in the body of an animal, then on this day the lord would announce what form they were to take for the next year.

Christian Influence

When Christianity came to the British Isles, the church tried to take attention away from these pagan rituals by placing a Christian holiday on the same day. The Christian festival, the Feast of All Saints, acknowledges the saints of the Christian faith in much the same way that Samhain had paid tribute to the pagan gods. The customs of Samhain survived anyway, and eventually became intertwined with the Christian holiday. These traditions were brought to the United States by immigrants from Ireland and Scotland.

Islamic Teachings

Virtually all Halloween traditions are based either in ancient pagan culture, or in Christianity. From an Islamic point of view, they all are forms of idolatry (shirk). As Muslims, our celebrations should be ones that honor and uphold our faith and beliefs. How can we worship only Allah, the Creator, if we participate in activities that are based in pagan rituals, divination, and the spirit world? Many people participate in these celebrations without even understanding the history and the pagan connections, just because their friends are doing it, their parents did it ("it's a tradition!"), and because "it's fun!"

So what can we do, when our children see others dressed up, eating candy, and going to parties? While it may be tempting to join in, we must be careful to preserve our own traditions and not allow our children to be corrupted by this seemingly "innocent" fun. When tempted, remember the pagan origins of these traditions, and ask Allah to give you strength. Save the celebration, the fun and games, for our 'Eid festivals. Children can still have their fun, and most importantly, should learn that we only acknowledge holidays that have a religious significance to us as Muslims. Holidays are not just excuses to binge and be reckless. In Islam, our holidays retain their religious importance, while allowing proper time for rejoicing, fun and games.

http://islam.about.com/od/otherdays/a/halloween.htm

Origins of the Hallow’een Festival

The ancient Celtic (Irish/Scottish/Welsh) festival called Samhain is
considered by most historians and scholars to be the predecessor of what
is now Hallow’een. Samhain was the New Year’s day of the pagan Celts. It
was also the Day of the Dead, a time when it was believed that the souls
of those who had died during the year were allowed access into the “land
of the dead”. Many traditional beliefs and customs associated with
Samhain continue to be practiced today on the 31st of October. Most
notable of these customs are the practice of leaving offerings of food
and drink (now candy) to masked and costumed revelers, and the lighting
of bonfires. Elements of this festival were incorporated into the
Christian festival of All Hallow’s Eve, or Hallow-Even, the night
preceding All Saint’s (Hallows’) Day. It is the glossing of the name
Hallow- Even that has given us the name of Hallow’een. Until recent
times in some parts of Europe, it was believed that on this night the
dead walked amongst them, and that witches and warlocks flew in their
midst. In preparation for this, bonfires were built to ward off these
malevolent spirits.
By the 19th century, witches’ pranks were replaced by children’s tricks.
The spirits of Samhain, once believed to be wild and powerful, were now
recognized as being evil. Devout Christians began rejecting this
festival. They had discovered that the so-called gods, goddesses, and
other spiritual beings of the pagan religions, were diabolical
deceptions. The spiritual forces that people experienced during this
festival were indeed real, but they were manifestations of the devil who
misled people toward the worship of false idols. Thus, they rejected the
customs associated with Hallow’een, including all representations of
ghosts, vampires, and human skeletons – symbols of the dead – and of the
devil and other malevolent and evil creatures. It must also be noted
that, to this day, many Satan-worshippers consider the evening of
October 31st to be their most sacred. And many devout Christians today
continue to distance themselves from this pagan festival.

The Islamic Perspective

Iman (faith) is the foundation of Islamic society, and tauheed (the
belief in the existence and Oneness of Allah) is the essence of this
faith and the very core of Islam. The safeguarding of this iman, and of
this pure tauheed, is the primary objective of all Islamic teachings and
legislation. In order to keep the Muslim society purified of all traces
of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and remnants of error, a
continuous war must be waged against all customs and practises which
originate from societies’ ignorance of divine guidance, and in the
errors of idol worship.
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) issued a stern warning: “Whoever
imitates a nation is one of them!” (Abu Da’oud). Muslims should heed
this warning and refrain from copying or imitating the kufar in their
celebrations. Islam has strongly forbidden Muslims to follow the
religious or social customs of the non-Muslims, and especially of the
idol-worshippers or those who worship the devil. The Prophet (s.a.s.)
said: “By Him in Whose hands is my life, you are ordered to enjoin good
and forbid evil, or else Allah will certainly afflict you with torments.
Thereafter, even your du’a (supplications) will not be accepted.”
(Tirmidhi). From an Islamic standpoint, Hallow’een is one of the worst
celebrations because of its origins and history. It is HARAM
(forbidden), even if there may be some seemingly good or harmless
elements in those practises, as evidenced by a statement from the
Prophet (s.a.s.) “Every innovation (in our religion) is misguidance,
even if the people regard it as something good” (ad-Daarimee.). Although
it may be argued that the celebration of Hallow’een today has nothing to
do with devil-worship, it is still forbidden for Muslims to participate
in it. If Muslims begin to take part in such customs, it is a sure sign
of weak iman and that we have either forgotten, or outrightly rejected
the mission of our Prophet (s.a.s.) who came to cleanse us from
jahiliyyah customs, superstitions and false practises.
Muslims are enjoined to neither imitate the behaviour and customs of the
non-Muslims, nor to commit their indecencies. Behaviour-imitation will
affect the attitude of a Muslim and may create a feeling of sympathy
towards the indecent modes of life. Islam seeks to cleanse the Muslim of
all immoral conducts and habits, and thus paving the way for the Qur’an
and Sunnah to be the correct and pure source for original Islamic
thought and behaviour. A Muslim should be a model for others in faith
and practice, behaviour and moral character, and not a blind imitator
dependant on other nations and cultures.
Even if one decides to go along with the outward practises of Hallow’een
without acknowledging the deeper significance or historical background
of this custom, he or she is still guilty of indulging in this pagan
festival. Undoubtedly, even after hearing the Truth, some Muslims will
still participate in Hallow’een, send their kids “trick-or-treating,”
and they will try to justify it by saying they are doing it merely to
make their children happy. But what is the duty of Muslim parents? Is it
to follow the wishes of their children without question, or to mould
them within the correct Islamic framework as outlined in the Qur’an and
Sunnah? Is it not the responsibility of Muslim parents to impart correct
Islamic training and instruction to their children? How can this duty be
performed if, instead of instructing the children in Islam, parents
allow and encourage their children to be taught the way of the
unbelievers? Allah exposes these types of people in the Qur’an: “We have
sent them the Truth, but they indeed practise falsehood” (23:10). Muslim
parents must teach their children to refrain from practising falsehood,
and not to imitate the non-Muslims in their customs and festivals. If
the children are taught to be proud of their Islamic heritage, they
themselves will, insha Allah, abstain from Hallow’een and other
non-Muslim celebrations, such as birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas,
Valentines Day, etc. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) said: The Final Hour
will not come until my followers copy the deeds of the previous nations
and follow them very closely, span by span, and cubit by cubit (inch by
inch). (Bukhari). Islam is a pure religion with no need to accomodate
any custom, practise or celebration that is not a part of it. Islam does
not distinguish between “secular and sacred;” the shari’ah must rule
every aspect of our lives.
“You must keep to my Sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly-guided
Caliphs; cling to it firmly. Beware of newly invented matters, for every
new matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misleading.”
(Bukhari)
“When the people see a person committing a wrong, but do not seize his
hand to restrain him or her from the deed, it is likely that Allah will
punish them both.” (Abu Da’oud, Nasa’i, Tirmidhi)
“Whoever imitates a nation is one of them.” (Abu Da’oud)
http://southernmuslimah.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/halloween-harmless-or-h...