Q: Some people hold banquets upon the death of a relative and the cost of these gatherings is taken from the estate of the deceased. What is the ruling in this regard? If the deceased requested in a will to hold these banquets after their death, is it obligatory on the inheritors to carry out this will?
A: Requesting in a will to hold banquets after one's death is Bid'ah (innovated matter in religion) and one of the practices of Jahiliyyah (preIslamic time of ignorance), and so is holding them without the deceased's prior consent. It is an act disapproved of by Islamic law and is impermissible to do based on what is authentically reported on the authority of Jarir ibn ' Abdullah AlBajali (may Allah be pleased with him) who said, "We used to consider gathering with the bereaved family and their preparing food (for those who come for condolence) after burying the dead as a kind of wailing." (Related by Imam Ahmad with a good Isnad [chain of narrators]) Moreover, this goes against the Islamic teachings prescribed by Allah that urge to help the bereaved family by preparing food for them, as they are preoccupied with their distress. It is authentically reported that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) received the news of the martyrdom of Ja' far ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Battle of Mu'tah, he (peace be upon him) said to his wives, "Make food for the family of Ja'far, for there has come to them that which will preoccupy them."