A WOMAN was recently left speechless by a group of children who went up to her house one night and rang the doorbell, wanting to “trick or treat”.
Taking to social media to share her bewildering tale, she went on to relate how one of the children were still holding her iqra’ (Islamic studies textbook) while another was still wearing her telekung – clearly on their way home from religious studies class.
“I thought there was something wrong, but it turned out that they merely wanted to celebrate Halloween. One of them said to me, ‘Assalamualaikum, can we tik o tik (trick or treat)?’” she recalled.
“So, I asked, ‘What is this for?’ Nonchalantly they told me they wanted to celebrate Halloween. For a moment, I was speechless. They came straight from mengaji (religious studies class) and immediately came to collect treats. I cannot ‘brain’ until now.”
The woman’s post sparked myriad discussions among netizens, particularly among the Malay Muslim community who expressed their concern about how the younger generations are being influenced by Western cultures.
For context, Muslims are prohibited from celebrating Halloween, according to an edict released by the National Fatwa Council in Oct 2014.
Based on the fatwa released on its website, the council has categorised Halloween as a Christian celebration of the dead and against Islamic teachings and is urging Muslims to pray for their deceased instead.
According to the council, the Halloween celebration goes against the values of Shariah and cannot be celebrated by Muslims. – Oct 31, 2024
Main image: Better Homes & Gardens