Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (32/206)

Chapter on the Wedding Feast

He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—was asked about wedding meals, meals served at gatherings of condolence, circumcision meals, and meals celebrating a birth.

Answer

He replied:

The wedding feast is a sunnah, and accepting an invitation to it is enjoined. As for a feast held on the occasion of a death, it is an innovation; both holding it and accepting an invitation to it are disliked. A circumcision feast is permissible: whoever wishes may hold one, and whoever wishes may refrain. The same applies to a feast celebrating a birth, unless an ʿaqīqah (birth sacrifice) has been offered for the child, for offering this sacrifice on the child’s behalf is a sunnah. And Allah knows best.

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

Is a circumcision meal disliked? Is a distinction drawn between it and a wedding feast?

He replied:

Praise be to Allah. The wedding feast is an enjoined sunnah by scholarly consensus; indeed, some scholars regard it as obligatory. It publicizes the marriage and makes it known, thereby distinguishing it from fornication and taking secret lovers. For this reason, scholars hold that accepting an invitation to it is obligatory when the relevant conditions are fulfilled and no impediments exist. As for the circumcision feast, it was not

بَابُ وَلِيمَةِ الْعُرْسِ وَسُئِلَ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى -: عَنْ طَعَامِ الزَّوَاجِ؟ وَطَعَامِ الْعَزَاءِ؟ وَطَعَامِ الْخِتَانِ؟ وَطَعَامِ الْوِلَادَةِ؟ . الْجَوَابُ فَأَجَابَ: أَمَّا " وَلِيمَةُ الْعُرْسِ " فَهِيَ سُنَّةٌ وَالْإِجَابَةُ إلَيْهَا مَأْمُورٌ بِهَا وَأَمَّا " وَلِيمَةُ الْمَوْتِ " فَبِدْعَةٌ مَكْرُوهٌ فِعْلُهَا وَالْإِجَابَةُ إلَيْهَا. وَأَمَّا " وَلِيمَةُ الْخِتَانِ " فَهِيَ جَائِزَةٌ: مَنْ شَاءَ فَعَلَهَا وَمَنْ شَاءَ تَرَكَهَا. وَكَذَلِكَ " وَلِيمَةُ الْوِلَادَةِ " إلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ قَدْ عَقَّ عَنْ الْوَلَدِ؛ فَإِنَّ الْعَقِيقَةَ عَنْهُ سُنَّةٌ. وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. وَسُئِلَ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -: هَلْ يُكْرَهُ طَعَامُ الطَّهُورِ أَمْ لَا؟ وَهَلْ فُرِّقَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ وَلِيمَةِ الْعُرْسِ أَمْ لَا؟ فَأَجَابَ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، أَمَّا " وَلِيمَةُ الْعُرْسِ " فَسُنَّةٌ مَأْمُورٌ بِهَا بِاتِّفَاقِ الْعُلَمَاءِ؛ حَتَّى إنَّ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ أَوْجَبَهَا؛ فَإِنَّهَا تَتَضَمَّنُ إعْلَانَ النِّكَاحِ وَإِظْهَارِهِ وَذَلِكَ يَتَضَمَّنُ الْفَرْقَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ السِّفَاحِ وَاِتِّخَاذِ الْأَخْدَانِ؛ وَلِهَذَا كَانَتْ الْإِجَابَةُ إلَيْهَا وَاجِبَةً عِنْدَ الْعُلَمَاءِ عِنْدَ شُرُوطِ ذَلِكَ وَانْتِفَاءِ مَوَانِعِهِ. وَأَمَّا " دَعْوَةُ الْخِتَانِ " فَلَمْ