Expanding on Condolence Practices and Their Impact on People

Question:
May Allah reward you. This person says that in the matter of condolences, people go to extremes. You find that when someone dies among the people, they prepare food for them and bring slaughtered animals. If we object to this, they say, "People are visiting, so we cannot leave them without breakfast or dinner." Likewise, when we spoke to them about sitting for condolences, they asked, "Where else would we receive the people?"

Answer:
All of this is an excess in condolences. Condolences do not require sitting and suspending work, sitting in the houses, or requiring food and expenses. Condolences are comforting with words, or if they are too busy to prepare food for themselves, food is prepared for them to the extent of their need—the need of the household and the family of the deceased. As for expanding the feasts and gatherings, suspending work, and sitting in the house, these are burdens and shackles for which Allah has sent no authority. People have become accustomed to this now, and they are always in a state of condolence, because death is constant; this one dies and that one dies. So the doors are always open for condolences; if one door is closed, the second door is opened, and so on, until people become occupied with condolences. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you,