❀ Timing of Walīmah: Before or After Consummation? Sharʿī Evidences ❀
Source: Fatāwā Rāshidiyyah, Page 436
Question
Is the walīmah (marriage feast) to be held before consummation or after consummation?
✔ Answer
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
The holding of walīmah both before and after consummation is established from the practice of the Noble Prophet ﷺ.
➊ Evidence of Walīmah
One proof is the narration regarding the marriage of the Prophet ﷺ with Ḥaḍrat Zaynab bint Jaḥsh رضي الله عنها.
- The Messenger of Allah ﷺ invited his Companions to a walīmah of meat and bread.
- After eating, they sat and continued conversing.
- The Prophet ﷺ went out and returned to find them still sitting.
- He went out again and returned, but they remained.
- This happened two or three times.
- Out of modesty, the Prophet ﷺ did not directly tell them to leave.
- Finally, when they departed, Anas رضي الله عنه informed the Prophet ﷺ.
- By that time, the verse of ḥijāb in Sūrat al-Aḥzāb had been revealed.
- Then the Prophet ﷺ went to his family and placed a veil between himself and Anas رضي الله عنه.
This event indicates that the walīmah was before consummation.
➋ Evidence of Walīmah
The walīmah after consummation is proven from the incident of the Prophet’s ﷺ marriage to Ḥaḍrat Ṣafiyyah رضي الله عنها during the Battle of Khaybar.
- The Prophet ﷺ first went to his wife.
- Then he held a walīmah of dates, sattu, and ghee.
This shows that holding walīmah after consummation is also valid.
Conclusion
From these evidences, it is clear that there is flexibility in the timing of walīmah.
- A person may hold it whenever convenient.
- There is no fixed requirement for it to be either before or after consummation.
Hadhā mā ʿindī, wallāhu aʿlam bis-ṣawāb.
