What is the ruling on responding to an invitation other than a wedding feast?
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The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : O Shaykh, regarding food other than a wedding feast?
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : Food other than a wedding feast, such as the sacrifice for a newborn and others?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Do we respond to it?
The Shaykh : Responding to it?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Responding to it is a recommended practice (sunnah) according to the majority of scholars, and obligatory according to the Zahiriyyah.
The questioner : What is the stronger position, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : What? Huh?
The questioner : The stronger position.
The Shaykh : The stronger opinion?
What appears to me is that it is a recommended practice (sunnah) and not obligatory, because it entails hardship for people. If we made it obligatory for everyone who is invited to respond, all their time would be spent on invitations.
The questioner : O Shaykh!
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : The saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): How do you respond to this?
The Shaykh : Yes, we say: Because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said in another hadith regarding the invitation to a wedding feast:Sunan Ibn Majah 1913Sahih (Darussalam) So we may say: This is a specification, even though according to the opinion of the majority it is not a specification, because mentioning some individuals of a general ruling with a ruling shared by the general does not indicate specification. In any case, the majority is closer to the truth in my view, due to the hardship involved.
The questioner : O Shaykh, regarding food other than a wedding feast?
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : Food other than a wedding feast, such as the sacrifice for a newborn and others?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Do we respond to it?
The Shaykh : Responding to it?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Responding to it is a recommended practice (sunnah) according to the majority of scholars, and obligatory according to the Zahiriyyah.
The questioner : What is the stronger position, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : What? Huh?
The questioner : The stronger position.
The Shaykh : The stronger opinion?
What appears to me is that it is a recommended practice (sunnah) and not obligatory, because it entails hardship for people. If we made it obligatory for everyone who is invited to respond, all their time would be spent on invitations.
The questioner : O Shaykh!
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : The saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
If he invites you, respond to him
إذا دعاك فأجبهThe Shaykh : Yes, we say: Because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said in another hadith regarding the invitation to a wedding feast: