Responding to the invitation of non-Muslims to a graduation feast
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
We have a group of non-Muslims with us at work who teach us. As graduation approached, they invited us to a dinner in celebration of the graduation. Is it permissible to accept their invitation to the dinner? We have a group of non-Muslims with us at work who teach us. As graduation approached, they invited us to a dinner in celebration of the graduation. Is it permissible to accept their invitation to the dinner? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
There is no harm. A Muslim may accept the invitation of a disbeliever to food and eat from his food, especially if doing so helps to endear him and encourage him toward Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ate from the food of the Jews, and this indicates that there is no harm in eating food, unless the food contains something forbidden, such as pork, or slaughtered animals that are not lawful, such as the slaughter of an idolater or a Zoroastrian. If it contains forbidden items or wrongs, then it is not permissible to attend, even if the inviters are Muslims. If it contains wrongs and forbidden things, it is not permissible to accept the invitation, even if the inviter is a Muslim. How much more so if he is a disbeliever?
As for when it is free from prohibitions, consisting merely of eating food and responding to the invitation, there is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with holding a feast at your place. Graduation is an occasion for celebration. It falls under the category of customs, not acts of worship; it is a matter of joy and happiness. There is no objection to that. If Allah wills, hold it, but do not make claims about it. Yes, is that clear? It is a matter of joy and happiness. And the completion of studies and returning home for the sake of joy and happiness and celebration, there is nothing wrong with that, whether it is a matter of customs or acts of worship. Yes.
No. Slaughtering at the door threshold, or slaughtering for the sake of a specific type of animal, is shirk (associating partners with Allah) of that kind. It is major shirk and is not permissible. What is permissible is slaughtering for a feast and inviting people for the sake of gathering, joy, and happiness on the occasion; this is among the noble morals and permissible customs. However, if it is done to ward off a jinn or to ward off illness, that is not permissible. Holding that belief is shirk. Yes.
We have a group of non-Muslims with us at work who teach us. As graduation approached, they invited us to a dinner in celebration of the graduation. Is it permissible to accept their invitation to the dinner? We have a group of non-Muslims with us at work who teach us. As graduation approached, they invited us to a dinner in celebration of the graduation. Is it permissible to accept their invitation to the dinner? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
There is no harm. A Muslim may accept the invitation of a disbeliever to food and eat from his food, especially if doing so helps to endear him and encourage him toward Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ate from the food of the Jews, and this indicates that there is no harm in eating food, unless the food contains something forbidden, such as pork, or slaughtered animals that are not lawful, such as the slaughter of an idolater or a Zoroastrian. If it contains forbidden items or wrongs, then it is not permissible to attend, even if the inviters are Muslims. If it contains wrongs and forbidden things, it is not permissible to accept the invitation, even if the inviter is a Muslim. How much more so if he is a disbeliever?
As for when it is free from prohibitions, consisting merely of eating food and responding to the invitation, there is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with holding a feast at your place. Graduation is an occasion for celebration. It falls under the category of customs, not acts of worship; it is a matter of joy and happiness. There is no objection to that. If Allah wills, hold it, but do not make claims about it. Yes, is that clear? It is a matter of joy and happiness. And the completion of studies and returning home for the sake of joy and happiness and celebration, there is nothing wrong with that, whether it is a matter of customs or acts of worship. Yes.
No. Slaughtering at the door threshold, or slaughtering for the sake of a specific type of animal, is shirk (associating partners with Allah) of that kind. It is major shirk and is not permissible. What is permissible is slaughtering for a feast and inviting people for the sake of gathering, joy, and happiness on the occasion; this is among the noble morals and permissible customs. However, if it is done to ward off a jinn or to ward off illness, that is not permissible. Holding that belief is shirk. Yes.
Source
الفوزان -أشرطة- أسئلة وأجوبة من دروس التوحيد - الفوزان - أسئلة التوحيد - ٠١ — archive.org (31:51)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.