Everyone who comes to offer condolences brings cooked slaughtered animals with them
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The first question of Fatwa number ( 18455 )
Q 1: A custom has taken root in our hearts, which is that when a person dies, people come to his family to offer condolences, and the condolence-givers bring with them cooked, ready-to-eat slaughtered animals, such that each group brings one slaughtered animal, and sometimes six or fewer or more are gathered. Most of this food is then thrown away because there is no one to eat it, since those gathered around the slaughtered animal are only its owners and the deceased's family. What is your opinion, may Allah reward you with good, regarding this practice? We ask for a piece of advice that Allah may make beneficial for the Muslims, and we also ask for an explanation of the hadith:Sunan Abi Dawud 3132Hasan (Al-Albani) where some people heard it and understood it in their own way, and they expanded upon the preparation of
food as clarified in the question.
A: It is recommended to prepare food for the family of the deceased and send it to them to assist them and comfort their hearts, for they may be preoccupied with their calamity and with those who come to them, and thus unable to prepare food for themselves. This is based on what was narrated by Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah with a sound chain, from 'Abdullah ibn Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: When the news of the death of Ja'far came, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan ad-Daraqutni 8:37 . As for what you mentioned in the question, that everyone who comes to offer condolences brings a cooked slaughtered animal, such that on a single day there is more food than is needed—this excess beyond need is outside the limit of the practice recommended by the Shari'ah, to which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) directed people in his saying: Sunan Abi Dawud 3132Hasan (Al-Albani) the hadith. It falls under extravagance and waste, which are prohibited by the Shari'ah. Allah the Exalted said: [Al-A'raf 7:31] , and He the Exalted said: [Al-Isra 17:26-27] , and Ibn 'Abbas said: (Eat and drink and wear clothes without extravagance or arrogance), narrated by al-Bukhari
as a comment. And it was narrated by Imam Ahmad and al-Nasa'i from the hadith of 'Amr ibn Shu'ayb from his father from his grandfather, traced up to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: . The relatives, friends, and neighbors should agree among themselves to provide food for the family of the deceased according to need and in rotation, so that they do not fall into what is prohibited, and so that what they provide has an impact on the hearts of the deceased's family and is benefited from by eating it rather than throwing it away. This is because bringing a large amount of prepared food to the family of the deceased changes the situation from being a form of consolation and meeting their need during their grief over their deceased to being a place of boasting and showing off, and a distraction for the family of the deceased in dealing with this food and looking for people to eat it. As for the family of the deceased preparing food for people, whether that is from the wealth of the heirs, or from one-third of the deceased's estate, or from people who come to them, this is not permissible; because it is contrary to the Sunnah and is a practice of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, and because it adds to their toil in their calamity and adds to their preoccupation. And it was narrated by Imam Ahmad and Ibn Majah with a good chain from Jarir ibn 'Abdullah al-Bajali
(may Allah be pleased with him), who said: (We used to consider gathering at the house of the deceased and preparing food after the burial to be part of wailing). And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Q 1: A custom has taken root in our hearts, which is that when a person dies, people come to his family to offer condolences, and the condolence-givers bring with them cooked, ready-to-eat slaughtered animals, such that each group brings one slaughtered animal, and sometimes six or fewer or more are gathered. Most of this food is then thrown away because there is no one to eat it, since those gathered around the slaughtered animal are only its owners and the deceased's family. What is your opinion, may Allah reward you with good, regarding this practice? We ask for a piece of advice that Allah may make beneficial for the Muslims, and we also ask for an explanation of the hadith:
Prepare food for the family of Ja'far
اصنعوا لآل جعفر طعاما...food as clarified in the question.
A: It is recommended to prepare food for the family of the deceased and send it to them to assist them and comfort their hearts, for they may be preoccupied with their calamity and with those who come to them, and thus unable to prepare food for themselves. This is based on what was narrated by Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah with a sound chain, from 'Abdullah ibn Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: When the news of the death of Ja'far came, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Prepare food for the family of Ja'far, for something has come to them that occupies them.
اصنعوا لآل جعفر طعامًا فإنه قد أتاهم ما يشغلهمPrepare food for the family of Ja'far
اصنعوا لآل جعفر طعامًاO children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.
يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا وَلاَ تُسْرِفُوا إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَand do not spend wastefully. (27) Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful.
وَلاَ تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا (26) إِنَّ الْمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوا إِخْوَانَ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَكَانَ الشَّيْطَانُ لِرَبِّهِ كَفُورًاas a comment. And it was narrated by Imam Ahmad and al-Nasa'i from the hadith of 'Amr ibn Shu'ayb from his father from his grandfather, traced up to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said:
Eat and drink and wear clothes and give charity without arrogance or extravagance, for Allah loves to see the effect of His blessing upon His servant.
كلوا واشربوا والبسوا وتصدقوا من غير مخيلة ولا سرف، فإن الله يحب أن يرى أثر نعمته على عبده(may Allah be pleased with him), who said: (We used to consider gathering at the house of the deceased and preparing food after the burial to be part of wailing). And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.