Chapter on the Wedding Feast

His statement, “The wedding feast”: this is an instance of attributing a thing to its cause, for ʿurs means marriage. The word walīmah is derived from completion and gathering, and in fact it encompasses both meanings: it involves a gathering and a completion. Yet it has been transferred from that meaning to another: namely, the food that is prepared, rather than the gathering for it or the completion of the marriage contract—although its original meaning is gathering and completion. Hence people nowadays say, “This thing is mulāʾim,” meaning complete; and iltaʾama al-qawm means that the people gathered. However, by customary and technical usage, it has come to refer to the food itself that is prepared during the days of the wedding.

There are other feasts at which people gather besides the wedding feast. Some are permissible, some disliked, and some prohibited. Among the prohibited feasts is when people gather at the home of the deceased’s family to offer condolences, and the deceased’s family prepares food for those gathered. This is prohibited, based on the statement of Jarīr ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Bajalī, may Allah be pleased with him: “We used to regard gathering at the deceased’s family and their preparing food as part of lamentation.” (1) Lamentation is one of the major sins, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, cursed the woman who laments. (2)

Another such feast is one held with instrumental music, singing, and dancing,