#506: Ruling on Gathering and Eating at Burial Ceremonies

QUESTION

“Salam alaekun bro. How was your night? Please I have two questions bordering my mind and I need urgent reply sir”
1. Eating of food at burial ceremonies. Is it halal or haram. Kindly provide me with evidence that will suffice for me to explain to a third party.…

ANSWER

Wa alaykum Salām Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh.

Brother, apologies for the delay in your question.

It is a consensus of the Salaf (Predecessors) that whenever the Family of the Dead establish a gathering where people come together for other than the burial and where food is served, such an act is considered a form of Lamentation and impermissible mourning.

Imām Ahmad recorded in the Musnad that Jarīr Ibn ‘Abdillah Al-Bajalī – radiyallāhu ‘anhu – said:

كنا نعد الاجتماع إلى أهل الميت وصنعة الطعام بعد دفنه من النياحة
“We used to consider gathering around the Family of the dead and (their) cooking after his burial a form of lamentation that is Harām”

This Hadīth has been graded Sahih by more than one of the Muhaddithīn.

Imām Al-Hattāb Al-Mālikī – rahimahullāh – said in Al-Mawāhibu Al-Jalīl:

“As for the People of the Dead cooking and the gathering of people around it, then a Congregation (of the Ulamā) have disliked it and considered it as Bid’a because its like has not been reported and such a situation does not call for celebrations.”

Ibn Al-Humām Al-Hanafī – rahimahullāh – said in Fat’hu Al-Qadīr:

“And it is forbidden to take meal like guests do at the home of the People of the Dead. This is because such is recommended at times of joy and not times of misfortunes. And it is an ugly Bid’a”

There are other statements similar that the Ulamā have made.

We ask Allāh for guidance.

Therefore, such gatherings are not legal in Islām and must be avoided, it meals must also be avoided.

However, if the People of the dead were to prepare food for the poor and the needy and to give it out as Sadaqah without invoking a gathering, this would be permissible Allāh willing.

This is because of the Hadīth that was recorded by both Imām Al-Bukhārī and Imām Muslim that Ā’isha – radiyallāhu ‘anha – said:

“A man once said to the Prophet – salallāhu alayhi wasallam –

“My mother’ soul has departed and I see that had she been alive at the moment, she would have give our Sadaqah. Would she then be rewarded if I were to give out Sadaqah on her behalf?

“He answered: Yes”

Imām Ash-Shawkānī – rahimahullāh – said regarding this Hadīth:

“The Hadīth shows that the Sadaqah of the child given for the Parents counts for them after their deaths and the reward reaches them. It therefore restricts the generality of the verse:

وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَى.
“And Man is not recompensed but by that which he worked for”

This is the position of the Jamhūr (Majority).

We ask Allāh for guidance and Steadfastness on the Path of His Dīn.
Āmīn.

Bārakallāhu Fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran.

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