Are invitation cards that are distributed like an oral invitation?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Like these cards that are distributed, the host of the feast might not... one person takes them and distributes them... it is obligatory.
The Shaykh : Yes, what do you say about these? Now cards are sent to people, and perhaps, as the brother said, one does not know who they went to. So do we say that it is obligatory for everyone who receives a card to respond, or do we distinguish between someone who has a relationship of kinship or friendship with the card's owner, which would be evidence that he intended him specifically, and the general public? Yes, the apparent view is the latter, that we distinguish, because sometimes it is not possible for him to come to you, and sometimes it is difficult for him to contact you by phone or the like. The result is that if there is a relationship between you and him such that you know the man intended you specifically, then respond. But if it is just cards being distributed, the apparent view is that it is not obligatory, not obligatory, yes.
But there is a problem if we say it is not obligatory. This man prepared the feast according to the number of cards he sent, yes. So if I, the second person, and the third person do not come, what remains? They will have a lot of food, right?
The student: He brought it upon himself.
The Shaykh : He brought it upon himself! He did not bring it upon himself. He sent invitations to people expecting them to come, right?
The student: It is not an invitation... it is his invitation.
The Shaykh : How?
The student: ... acted on his behalf. No one sends to someone he does not know.
The Shaykh : No, no, no. Sometimes courtesies occur. He sends ten cards to one of his friends and says, "Take them and invite whoever you want. Send them to whoever you want." This is a reality now.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, no, it is not wastefulness. He invites people he may not know, and even if he knows about them, if he told them not to come, yes.
It is upon the husband, not upon the woman's family, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, addressing him as the husband:. For this reason, the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) said that the wedding feast is a recommended practice (sunnah) for the husband, whereas for the family, the woman's family, it is from the category of permissible invitations that are not prescribed. Yes.
What Allah willed, it appears that you... regarding responding to a wedding invitation.
Allah made it obligatory to give it to him, meaning it became his right, so it is given to him.[At-Tawbah 9:6] Good, how?
The Shaykh : Yes, what do you say about these? Now cards are sent to people, and perhaps, as the brother said, one does not know who they went to. So do we say that it is obligatory for everyone who receives a card to respond, or do we distinguish between someone who has a relationship of kinship or friendship with the card's owner, which would be evidence that he intended him specifically, and the general public? Yes, the apparent view is the latter, that we distinguish, because sometimes it is not possible for him to come to you, and sometimes it is difficult for him to contact you by phone or the like. The result is that if there is a relationship between you and him such that you know the man intended you specifically, then respond. But if it is just cards being distributed, the apparent view is that it is not obligatory, not obligatory, yes.
But there is a problem if we say it is not obligatory. This man prepared the feast according to the number of cards he sent, yes. So if I, the second person, and the third person do not come, what remains? They will have a lot of food, right?
The student: He brought it upon himself.
The Shaykh : He brought it upon himself! He did not bring it upon himself. He sent invitations to people expecting them to come, right?
The student: It is not an invitation... it is his invitation.
The Shaykh : How?
The student: ... acted on his behalf. No one sends to someone he does not know.
The Shaykh : No, no, no. Sometimes courtesies occur. He sends ten cards to one of his friends and says, "Take them and invite whoever you want. Send them to whoever you want." This is a reality now.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, no, it is not wastefulness. He invites people he may not know, and even if he knows about them, if he told them not to come, yes.
It is upon the husband, not upon the woman's family, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, addressing him as the husband:
Hold a wedding feast
أولمWhat Allah willed, it appears that you... regarding responding to a wedding invitation.
Allah made it obligatory to give it to him, meaning it became his right, so it is given to him.