Wedding Feast (Walimah)

**Definition:** Al-Walimah is the wedding food to which people are invited and gathered. **Ruling:** It is Sunnah to hold a wedding feast. **Evidence:** - Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf رضي الله عنه got married and the Prophet ﷺ said to him: "Give a wedding feast even if with one sheep" [Bukhari & Muslim] - "The Prophet ﷺ held a wedding feast for Zaynab رضي الله عنها with bread and meat" [Bukhari & Muslim] - "The Prophet ﷺ held a wedding feast for some of his wives with two mudds of barley" [Bukhari] --- **Ruling on Answering the Invitation:** Whoever is invited to a wedding feast must attend. **Evidence:** - Ibn Umar رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "When one of you is invited to a wedding feast, let him attend" [Bukhari & Muslim] - Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever does not answer the invitation has disobeyed Allah and His Messenger" [Muslim] --- **Five Conditions for Obligatory Attendance:** **1. First Feast Only:** If the host holds feasts over multiple days, attendance is recommended on the second day and disliked on the third. - **Evidence:** Ibn Mas'ud رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The food of the first day is obligatory, the food of the second day is Sunnah, and the food of the third day is for reputation. Whoever shows off, Allah exposes him" [Tirmidhi - has supporting narrations] **2. Muslim Inviter:** Answering the invitation of a disbeliever is not obligatory. **3. Not an Open Sinner:** The inviter should not be an open sinner, oppressor, or one with unlawful income. **4. Sincere Intention:** The invitation should be for the purpose of showing affection and drawing closer. If invited out of fear or seeking his influence, attendance is not obligatory. **5. No Forbidden Activities:** There should be no munkar (forbidden things) at the feast like alcohol, music, musical instruments, or mixing of men and women. - **Evidence:** Jabir رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not sit at a table where wine is passed around" [Ahmad - sahih] **Exception:** If the invited person can remove the forbidden activity by attending, he must attend and remove it. - **Evidence:** Abu Sa'id al-Khudri رضي الله عنه reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever sees an evil, let him change it with his hand. If he cannot, then with his tongue. If he cannot, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith" [Muslim]