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Food from Bride’s Family in Gathering for Nikah

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by ShariahBoard.org

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu

We want to understand if it is permissible for the brider’s family to arrange for food for the gathering of Nikah from a Islamic standpoint?

Walaikumassalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu

الجواب وباللہ التوفیق

If in the gathering of Nikah, the bride’s family arranges food, without showing off, without extravagance, free of the csutoms and reservations, with observing and keeping all Shar‘ai boundaries intact, with strict Shar‘ai purdah (separation between men and women), without any pressure or burden and with one’s own pleasure and will, then it will not be considered impermissible. Its proof comes from a few weak ahadith of Rasulullah Sallallaho Alyhi Wasallam, however due to weakness it cannot be considered as a Sunnah of Rasulullah Sallallaho Alyhi Wasallam.

(al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer, 411/22, Raqam: 1022, Musannaf Abdul-Razzaq, 487/5, Raqam: 9782)

However, these days, the manner in which huge numbers of men and women are brought by the groom’s family on the day of Nikah (usually known as baraat) and there is burden on the bride’s family and pressure from the groom’s family to provide for their food, and even without the means to afford it, the bride’s family unwillingly, due to the pressure, and sometimes by even taking loans, serve the food, which is obviously against the ahadith of Rasulullah Sallallaho Alyhi Wasallam where it has been instructed to not eat from someone who is unwilling (and unable) to feed. Since serving of food is not a Sunnah of Rasulullah Sallallaho Alyhi Wasallam and it was not a prevalent practice during the era of the Sahaba Kiram either, therefore from that perspective, it is better to refrain from it.

(مستفاد: کتاب النوازل،فتاویٰ قاسمیہ،انوار نبوت ۶۷۵۔

دینی مسائل اور ان کا حل ۲۱۹، کفایت المفتی ۹؍۸۶ زکریا،

آپ کے مسائل اور ان کاحل ۶؍۴۰۸، فتاویٰ محمودیہ ۱۱؍۲۳۱ ڈابھیل)

وفي حدیث أنس رضي اللّٰہ عنہ خطبہا علی بعد أن خطبہا أبو بکر – إلی قولہ – فقال:

أدع لي أبا بکر وعمر وعثمان وعبد الرحمن بن عوف وعدۃ من الأنصار فلما اجتمعوا وأخذوا مجالسہم۔

(شرح الزرقاني مع المواہب اللدنیۃ ۲؍۲-۳ بیروت، بحوالہ: فتاویٰ محمودیہ ۱۷؍۳۸۹ میرٹھ)

عن نافع عن عبد اللّٰہ بن عمر رضي اللّٰہ عنہ قال: قال رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللّٰہ علیہ وسلم: من دعی إلی عرس أو نحوہ فلیجب۔

(صحیح مسلم ۱؍۴۶۲)

عن جابر بن عبد اللّٰہ رضي اللّٰہ عنہ قال: قال رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللّٰہ علیہ وسلم: إذا دُعِيَ أحدکم إلی طعام فلیجب، فإن شاء طعم وإن شاء ترک۔

(صحیح مسلم ۱؍۴۶۲)

عن نافع عن عبد اللّٰہ بن عمر رضي اللّٰہ عنہ قال: قال رسول اللّٰہ صلی اللّٰہ علیہ وسلم: إئتوا الدعوۃ إذا دعیتم۔

(صحیح مسلم ۱؍۴۶۲)

لو دُعِي إلی دعوۃ فالواجب أن یجیبہ إن لم یکن ہناک معصیۃ ولا بدعۃ إن لم یجب کان عاصیاً والامتناع أسلم في زماننا إلا إذا علم یقینا بأنہ لیس فیہا بدعۃ ولا معصیۃ، کذا في الینابیع۔

(الفتاویٰ الہندیۃ ۵؍۳۴۳، الموسوعۃ الفقہیۃ ۲؍۲۳۷)

فقط واللہ اعلم بالصواب

This answer was collected from Shariahboard.org. It was established under the supervision of the eminent faqih of our era, Hazrat Shah Mufti Mohammed Navalur Rahman damat barakatuhum.

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