The ruling on coming from distant places for the purpose of condolence, as well as preparing food and designating it for specific days

Question:
A message was sent from Zarqa, Jordan, by the listener 'Abd al-Karim Druwish Muhammad, asking and saying: What is the ruling of the pure Shari'ah regarding one who comes from distant places to offer condolences, and the family of the deceased prepares food for them, and they designate this food for the third day, the fortieth day, or the first festival that coincides after his death? Please inform us, may Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
Preparing food on the occasion of a death, going to excess in that, and coming from far away to attend the condolence gathering, all these matters are not prescribed, and they are expensive and burdensome costs for people. And religion, praise be to Allah, is a religion of ease. Offering condolences is prescribed if it is facilitated without cost and without hardship. It is prescribed that you offer condolences to your afflicted brother, or to the one who has suffered a loss due to a death, in his home, or in the mosque, or in his shop, or on the road, without attachments, without arrangements, and without holding parties or preparing food. All of this is among the burdens and among the newly invented innovations (bid'ah), and it may fall into the forbidden mourning rituals. So it is obligatory to leave them. And what was reported in the Sunnah is that food is prepared for the family of the deceased by their neighbors or by their relatives, to the extent of their need, on the day of the calamity, and it is delivered to them; because they are occupied with their calamity and unable to prepare food for themselves. So this is an act of cooperation and of consolation.