Feeding at the funeral home

Question and Answer:

Q. what is the ruling reguarding offering food to visitors during the first 3 days after the funeral?nb,some visitors are from out of town and some from the area,that have come to read Quran.is it permissable to offer them food or even a drink

(Query published as received)

A. The practice of providing meals at the funeral home for those who attend the funeral is permissible on condition that the expenses are not born by the estate of the deceased nor is any heir or relative coerced into providing the meals. If someone willingly takes the responsibility of providing meals without any coercion for those attending the funeral, there will be no sin in this.

The actual Sunnah is to provide meals for the bereaved family and not the other way around as practiced today.

In many instances, it has been discovered that money from the estate of the deceased had been utilized to feed those attending the funeral without the consent of all heirs. This is Haraam and constitutes usurpation of the wealth of the heirs.

And Allah Knows Best

Mufti Suhail Tarmahomed

Fatwa Department
Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)
Council of Muslim Theologians
223 Alpine Road, Overport, Durban
Tel : +27 (0) 31 2077099
Fax : +27(0) 31 2074163
Website : www.jamiat.org.za