HALLOWEEN Past & Present

Halloween actually is “Hallow” and “Evening” which slowly became “Hallow-even” and later “Hallow-een”

“Hallow” means to make or set apart as holy

The origins go back to the “Celts”, the ancient tribes of Europe.

They divided the calendar in a Light half and a Dark half. Samhain was a time that marked the beginning of the Dark half.

“Member of one of the ancient peoples of W. Europe called by the Greeks Keltoi and by the Romans Celtae; Gaul.”

[The Reader's Digest - Great Encyclopaedic Dictionary, Third Edition (1978), Page 150]

“Started settling in many areas of Europe from the 7th century BC ... Astronomical knowledge was formidable. Primarily they passed their teachings on to their students orally.”

[National Geographic - Essential Visual History of the World (2007), Page 90]

عَنْ صَفِيَّةَ ، عَنْ بَعْضِ أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ : مَنْ أَتَى عَرَّافًا فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ ، لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلاَةٌ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً

Narrated by Safiyyah that some of the wives of the Prophet (s.a.w) said, “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about anything, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days.”

[Sahih Muslim, Kitab-us-Salam (39), Hadith 5821]

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ ‏"‏ مَنْ أَتَى كَاهِنًا ... فَصَدَّقَهُ ... فَقَدْ بَرِئَ مِمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ"

Narrated by Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said, “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller ... and believes in whatever he said ... he will be cleared from what was revealed on Muhammad (s.a.w).”

[Sunan Abi Dawood, Book of Medicine (27), Hadith 3904] (Hasan)

American Civil War (1861 to 1865) Between 620,000 to 850,000 people died

عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:" مَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِقَوْمٍ فَهُوَ مِنْهُمْ "

Abdullah ibn Umar ؓ said: Allah’s Messenger ﷺ stated: “Whoever resembles a people (another nation) is one of them.”

[Abu Dawood, Book of Dressing (31), Hadith 4031] (Sahih)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كَافَّةً وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ

“O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.”

[Surah Al-Baqara (2), Ayat 208]

"... أَنَّ الْإِسْلَامَ يَهْدِمُ مَا كَانَ قَبْلَهُ وَأَنَّ الْهِجْرَةَ تَهْدِمُ مَا كَانَ قَبْلِهَا وَأَنَّ الْحَجَّ يَهْدِمُ مَا كَانَ قَبْلَهُ ..."

“... Islam nullifies whatever came before it, and that Hijrah nullifies whatever came before it, and that Hajj nullifies whatever came before it ...”

[Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith (1), Hadith 321]