Can Muslims celebrate Halloween?
What scholars say about the night itself, and how families handle the door, the school party and costumes.
It's October. The stores are full of costumes and candy. Your daughter comes home with a note about the class Halloween party. And on the 31st, kids from your street will knock on your door.
So can Muslims celebrate Halloween? Here is what scholars say, and how Muslim families handle it.
Can Muslims celebrate Halloween?
Most scholars say no. Islam has two Eids. When the Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah, the people there had two old festival days. He told them Allah had given them two better days instead: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
He also said that whoever copies a people is one of them.
Halloween started as a religious festival, and it is still about ghosts, witches and the dead. That is why fatwa bodies in Malaysia, the US and Canada say Muslims should not celebrate it.
Some people say it is just about candy now. These scholars still say no, because the night still celebrates the same things.
Islam has two Eids. Make them the biggest days of your children's year.
Can my kids go trick-or-treating?
The scholars say no. Give your kids treats at home that night, or take them somewhere fun instead.
What do I do when kids knock on my door?
No major fatwa covers this exact question. Muslim families usually do one of two things.
Some turn the porch light off and stay in. Kids walk past a dark house.
Others open the door and give a small sweet to a neighbor's child, without decorating or celebrating. They think of how much Islam asks us to be good to our neighbors.
If you are not sure, the Prophet ﷺ said: leave what makes you doubt for what does not.
What about the school party?
Talk to the teacher early, before your child is put on the spot in class. Many schools now call it a fall party.
Some families keep their child home that day. Others send them in normal clothes and ask that they skip the costume parade.
If your child does dress up for school, avoid devils, witches and the dead. Avoid dressing a boy as a girl or a girl as a boy. And avoid masks meant to scare people. Many scholars say to skip costumes altogether.
How do I explain it to my kids?
Give them a simple line they can say at school: "We have our own two Eids, and this isn't one of them."
Then make Eid exciting. New clothes, gifts, a bag of sweets, and treats they can hand out at the masjid.
What to do
- Make the two Eids the days your children look forward to most.
- Talk to your child's teacher before the school party.
- Decide before the 31st what your family does when someone knocks.
- Plan something fun for your own kids that evening.
What not to do
- Do not dress your children as devils, witches, ghosts or the dead.
- Do not dress a boy as a girl or a girl as a boy, even for fun.
- Do not shame your neighbors or your children's friends over their holiday.
- Do not make your kids feel punished. Give them something to look forward to.
One last thing
Halloween is coming up. This week, sit down with your spouse and agree on two things: what you do when someone knocks, and what you tell the school. Then tell your kids the plan.
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud 1134; Sunan Abi Dawud 4031; Sahih al-Bukhari 6014; Quran 60:8; Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2518; Quran 2:102; Sahih al-Bukhari 5885; Sunan Abi Dawud 5004; Mufti of Wilayah Persekutuan (Malaysia), Irsyad al-Fatwa Series 91, The ruling of celebrating Halloween; Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America (Dr. Hatem al-Haj), fatwa 83012, Can I have my daughter experience Halloween as a part of my culture?; SeekersGuidance (Shaykh Faraz Rabbani), Sending kids out on Halloween; Mathabah (Shaykh Omar Subedar), Everything you wanted to know about Halloween and Islam
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The teaching in this post comes from the Quran and the hadith listed above. I only put it in plain words. The tips on what to do and what not to do are my own advice. If you want to talk about anything in this post, write to me at salam@sunnahdaily.com.
For a ruling on your own situation, please speak to a qualified local scholar. You are welcome to email me about it as well, and I will help if I can, or point you to someone who can.