The Ruling on Making a Bequest for Organizing a Banquet After Death

Question :

Some people organize banquets and slaughter animals when their relatives die and they pay the expenses of these banquets from the property of the deceased. What is the ruling on this? And if the deceased bequests that such banquets as these are organized after his death, does the Islamic Law require that this bequest be implemented?

Answer:

A bequest for organizing a banquet after death is an innovation and one of the deeds of the Jahiliyyah. Likewise, the family of the deceased organizing the aforemen- tioned banquets even without a bequest is detested and it is not permissible. This is according to the Hadith confirmed on the authority of Jarir bin 'Abdullah Al-Bajli, may Allah be pleased with him, in which he said: "We used to prepare a gathering for the family of the deceased and make food for them after the burial because of their lamenting (the dead)." (Narrated by Imam Ahmad with a Hasan chain of narration). Also because this contradicts what Allah has legislated for the support of the family of the deceased, which is that people should prepare food for them, as they are too busy with the calamity which has befallen them. This is according the Hadith which has been confirmed from the Prophet, that when he heard of the martyrdom of Ja'far bin Abu Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, at the Battle of Mu'tah he said to his family:
"Prepare food for the family of Ja'far, because something has come to them which makes them too preoccupied (to prepare food)."

Source:
Ibn Baz
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 5 Pages 74-75