Sydney Cleric Sheikh Youssef Hassan: The Hearts of Jews Are Harder Than Stones; Halloween is Haram

Australian Sheikh Youssef Hassan, asked by a child whether it was permitted to celebrate Halloween, said that Halloween is haram, but that children may hand out chocolate and collect donations for the mosque. Speaking at the Quakers Hill Mosque in Sydney, Australia, Sheikh Hassan also said: "The Jewish heart is very hard. They don't have mercy. They don't have anything in their hearts. They have got only envy and hatred." His statements were posted on the YouTube account of the Quakers Hill Mosque on October 28, 2016.

 

Youssef Hassan: "Allah mentioned this heart for the Jews. [The Quran says]: 'Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder.' The Israelites - the Jews - their hearts become very hard, and Allah said that they become like a stone, but actually harder than a stone. Because Allah said in Surat Al-Baqarah: '...for indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth.' Some of the rocks - water comes out of these rocks. The water can get a way through the rocks. The rocks can be soft, so they can make a way for the water. But the Jewish heart is very hard. They don't have mercy. They don't have anything in their hearts. They have only envy and hatred."

 

 

[...]

 

 

"Allah mentioned the Jews in the Quran: 'So for their breaking of the covenant, we cursed them.' The Jews - Allah orders them to do things, but they never do it. So Allah cursed them: 'We cursed them and made their hearts hard.'"

 

 

[...]

 

 

Audience member 1: "Is it permitted to celebrate Halloween?"

 

 

Youssef Hassan: "Halloween?"

 

 

Audience member 1: "Yeah.

 

 

Audience member 2: "Can we go trick-or-treating, not celebrate it...?"

 

 

Youssef Hassan: "Can somebody take these two and throw them outside?"

 

 

Audience member 1: "What?!"

 

 

[...]

 

 

Youssef Hassan: "You asked the question about Halloween?"

 

 

Audience member 1: "Yeah."

 

 

Audience member 3: "Satan."

 

 

Youssef Hassan: "Sorry?"

 

 

Audience member 3: "It is the devil's work."

 

 

Youssef Hassan: "Does Halloween follow the sunna of the Prophet?"

 

 

Audience member 1: "No."

 

 

Youssef Hassan: "Does it follow the Quran of Allah?"

 

 

Audience member 1: "No."

 

 

Youssef Hassan: "Is it against the sunna of the Prophet, the way of the Prophet?"

 

 

Audience member 1: "Yes."

 

 

Youssef Hassan: "So you are giving the fatwa now, not me. You see?"

 

 

Audience member 2: "How about trick-or-treating?"

 

 

Youssef Hassan: "Sorry?"

 

 

Audience member 2: "Trick-or-treating..."

 

 

Youssef Hassan: "I wish I could understand what you are saying. That's another game, or another what...?"

 

 

Audience member 2: "Trick-or-treating - you go up to other peoples' houses, and you ask for..."

 

 

Audience member 3: "It is part of Halloween."

 

 

Youssef Hassan: "Alright, it is part of the same thing. You cannot do it. But you can go and ask them for a donation for the mosque. That is a different story. Yes, take the chocolate for the mosque. So we can use you guys to go to the non-Muslims, with chocolate and the Quran and give it to them. 'Assalaam Alaykum, take this from us.' With a good smile from kids like you, maybe, Allah willing, they will accept [Islam]. Yes, Islamic Halloween, that's correct."