Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allāh have mercy upon him) said in Al-Turuq Al-Ḥakīmah (1/406-408):1
…It is obligatory upon the ruler to prevent the mixing of men and women in the marketplaces, (public) areas and gatherings of men. (Imām) Mālik (may Allāh have mercy upon him and be pleased with him) said: “I hold that it is for the Imām to give priority to scrutinizing the goldsmiths (who are) sitting in the gatherings of women. And I hold that he should not leave the young woman to sit with the goldsmiths. As for the woman of high rank and the man who is a lowly servant, (the woman) having no (reason...
And from amongst mankind there are those who purchase idle talk in order to misguide people from the path of Allāh, without knowledge, and they take it as mockery. For these ones there shall be a humiliating punishment. And when Our āyāt are recited to such a one, he turns away in pride, as if he has not heard them, as if there was deafness in his ear. So give them news of a painful punishment.
Sūrah Luqmān, 31:6–7
Every year, on the evening of October 31st, millions of children across North America paint their faces, dress up in costumes, and go door to door collecting treats. The adults often decorate their houses with ghostly figures, carve scary faces on pumpkins, and put candles in them to create “Jack-O-Lanterns.” Unfortunately, among the millions of North Americans indulging in this custom, many are also Muslims. This article will shed some light on the significance and origins of Halloween, and why Muslims should not participate in it.
Even if one decides to go along with the...