❀ Prohibition of Gathering for Condolence Ceremonies and the Bereaved Family Preparing Food ❀
Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
❖ Introduction
While offering taʿziyah (condolence) is Sunnah, certain practices that have become common — such as gathering in one place specifically for condolence and the bereaved family preparing food for guests — are not from the Sunnah and are discouraged or prohibited in Islam.
✿ Authentic Narration on the Matter
Narrated by Jarīr ibn ʿAbdillāh رضي الله عنه:
“We used to consider gathering at the house of the deceased and preparing food after burial to be a form of wailing (niyāḥah).”
(كُنَّا نَعُدُّ الِاجْتِمَاعَ إِلَى أَهْلِ الْمَيِّتِ وَصَنْعَةَ الطَّعَامِ بَعْدَ دَفْنِهِ مِنَ النِّيَاحَةِ)
References:
✔ Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Mājah: 1612 (Kitāb al-Janāʾiz: Bāb Mā Jāʾa fī al-Nahy ʿan al-Ijtimāʿ ilā Ahl al-Mayyit)
✔ Musnad Aḥmad: 2/204
✔ Aḥkām al-Janāʾiz by al-Albānī: p. 210
✔ Ḥāfiẓ al-Būṣīrī رحمه الله graded it ṣaḥīḥ (Al-Zawāʾid: 1/535)
✿ Scholarly Explanation
◉ In the time of the Sahabah, gathering at the house of the deceased — especially after burial — and the bereaved family preparing food for visitors was viewed as a type of lamentation (niyāḥah) — a practice discouraged in Islam.
◉ Islam encourages supporting the family of the deceased, not burdening them. Therefore, hosting guests and preparing meals during their time of grief is considered an added hardship and a cultural innovation (bidʿah).
❖ Key Rulings
✅ It is not permissible to arrange formal gatherings at the deceased’s house, mosque, or cemetery for the purpose of taʿziyah.
✅ It is impermissible for the grieving family to prepare food for those who come to offer condolences.
✅ Rather, it is the community’s responsibility to send food to them — as proven by the Sunnah.
❖ Conclusion
✔ Gathering in designated places (homes, mosques, graveyards) specifically for condolences or recitations has no basis in the Sunnah.
✔ The bereaved family should not host or cook for others — it burdens them during a time meant for patience and reflection.
✔ These practices have been classified by the Companions as a form of mourning (niyāḥah) — which is discouraged in Islam.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
