Is it permissible to prepare food for the family of the deceased?

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good and do you well, and may He benefit you with your knowledge: Your brother, Husayn ibn Harthi, from the Qur'an Memorization Society in al-Qasim.

The Shaykh : May Allah greet you.

The questioner : May Allah keep you safe and grant you well-being. We attended the circle yesterday, may Allah reward you with good. In any case, I have a question based on a question from one of the brothers regarding the condolence gathering. This is practiced in our region, may Allah help us, and the gathering lasts for three days. But the question is: should we prepare food for them, especially if the deceased is a relative or a neighbor? Is it obligatory to prepare food as assistance or to maintain family ties? Should we prepare this food for them and eat with them?

The Shaykh : No, by Allah, do not prepare it.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : If you do this, you are adopting their practice. The saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is: The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) explained the cause. There is no evidence for these people who are gathering. Nothing has come to them that would occupy them; rather, they occupied themselves with arranging the chairs, setting up the lights, and the like. So how can we apply the wording to its general meaning when its cause has been specified: ? Therefore, it was not the way of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that everyone who lost a relative would prepare food for them. Rather, food is prepared for the one who is occupied with his grief and unable to prepare his own food.
The Shaykh: Yes, that is enough, so that we can return to the one who has a remaining question.