is feast on occasion of nikah considered walimah

Question:

Is it permissible to have a feast on the occasion of nikah? Will such a feast be regarded as walimah? If not, will it be permissible to attend such a feast?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

There are various views among the scholars regarding the time of walimah:

at the time of nikah
after the nikah
when the bride and bridegroom meet in privacy
after the couple have met in privacy
from the time of nikah till after the couple have met in privacy

The preferred view is that the walimah should take place after the bride and bridegroom have met in privacy (i.e. up to two days after the couple have met in privacy. After that, it will be an ordinary feast, not walimah).

Hence, if there is a feast at the time of nikah, it will be regarded as walimah according to the view of some scholars, although according to the preferred view, it will not be regarded as walimah (instead it will be regarded as an ordinary feast).

In any case, a feast at the time of nikah will be permissible, provided that the gathering is free from haram and sinful elements. [1]

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Faizal Riza
14/6/2012
Darul Ifta Australia
www.mufti-online.net
_______________________________________

Answer approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Sherwood, South Africa
www.askimam.org
www.daruliftaa.net

Name

[1] ووليمة العرس سنة ، وفيها مثوبة عظيمة وهي إذا بنى الرجل بامرأته ينبغي أن يدعو الجيران والأقرباء والأصدقاء ويذبح لهم ويصنع لهم طعاما ، وإذا اتخذ ينبغي لهم أن يجيبوا ، فإن لم يفعلوا أثموا قال عليه السلام : { من لم يجب الدعوة ، فقد عصى الله ورسوله ، فإن كان صائما أجاب ودعا ، وإن لم يكن صائما أكل ودعا ، وإن لم يأكل أثم وجفا } ، كذا في خزانة المفتين ، ولا بأس بأن يدعو يومئذ من الغد وبعد الغد ، ثم ينقطع العرس والوليمة ، كذا في الظهيرية ( الفتاوى الهندية: 5/422 ط دار الكتب العلمية )

واختلف السلف في وقتها ( أي الوليمة ) هل هو عند العقد أو عقبه أو عند الدخول أو عقبه أو يوسع من ابتداء العقد إلى انتهاء الدخول على أقوال، قال السبكي المنقول من فعل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنها بعد الدخول إلخ ( بذل المجهود: 3/240 ط مكتبة الشيخ )

قيل إنها ( اي الوليمة ) تكون بعد الدخول وقيل عند العقد وقيل عندهما ( مرقاة المفاتيح: 6/366 ط مكتبة رشيدية )

( وانظر: فتاوى رحيمية: 8/239 ط دار الإشاعت )

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