The National Fatwa Council has issued an edict forbidding Malaysian Muslims from celebrating the upcoming Halloween festival on October 31.

On its official website, the council explained its decision to issue the fatwa (religious edict) by stating that Halloween is a Christian celebration which has its roots in All Hallow’s Eve, a night in which pagan Celtic communities in Ireland and Britain pay homage to their dead, and honour the souls of saints.

The council adds that Halloween in its modern form also places emphasis on images and depictions of the devil, sorcerers, ghosts and mythological creatures, all couched in lighthearted and humourous themes.

The edict further states that it defines Halloween as being celebrated by dressing up in costume, children going from house to house trick or treating, lighting bonfires, visiting haunted houses, playing pranks on friends and neighbours, and relating scary stories.

As a way of remembering the dead, the National Fatwa Council concludes that Halloween is incompatible with Muslim practices, and should not be celebrated by Muslims in Malaysia. In its stead, the council advises Muslims to commit remembrance of the dead loved ones through the recitation of doa (prayer) and reading the Qur’an.

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