[Q 192] Ruling on Eating the Food at a Funeral & khatms?

Question

I have heard that eating the food at a funeral and a khatm of a deceased is makruh tahrimi as mentioned in fatawa Razawiya. Is this true and does this apply to all types of khatams?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

The food served during the mourning period, specifically as an invitation and not for the conveyance of reward (Eesal-e-Sawab), is prohibited. This is considered food of the deceased, which is forbidden, because invitations(دعوت) and hospitality are not appropriate at the time of death.

It should be noted that it is permissible to feed this food to poor and needy Muslims.

And the food prepared after the mourning period, like on the tenth, twentieth, fortieth day, or on yearly commemorations, intended for Eesal-e-Sawab, is permissible. There is no harm in it, and it is indeed a rewardable act. Both the wealthy and the poor can eat this food, though it is better for the wealthy not to.

Hazrat Sayyiduna Jareer bin Abdullah (رضي اللہ تعالى عنه) says:

كنا نعد الاجتماع إلى أهل الميت وصنعة الطعام من النياحة

“We (the group of Sahabah, may Allah be pleased with them) used to consider gathering at the house of the deceased and them preparing the food as part of Noha (نوحہ), (and noha is not permissible in Islam).”

(Sunan Ibn Majah, page 117, published in Karachi)

Imam Ahmad Raza Khan (رحمۃ اللہ علیہ) says: “This feast for the deceased is itself impermissible and a detestable innovation.”

(Fatawa Razawiya, Volume 9, Page 662, Raza Foundation, Lahore)

Answered by: Tabaruk Madani (Askmufti Scholar)

Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari

Translated by: Usman Attari