(33) Chapter: Benevolent Treatment towards Orphans, Girls, the Weak, the Poor and the Humble Persons

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The worst food is the food of the marriage banquet from which those are left out who would like to come; and to which those are invited who refuse to come. He who rejects an invitation disobeys Allah and His Messenger".

[Muslim].

In another narration Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The worst food is the food of the marriage banquet to which the rich are invited and from which the poor are left out".

[Muslim].

Commentary: Our rich class has made Walimah (marriage banquet given by the bridegroom) a highly luxurious affair and a means of displaying wealth and richness. This excessive exaggeration of a simple feast has brought in its wake many religious, moral and social evils. In its present form, it is sheer extravagance and wastage which are satanic acts and those who do it are brothers of Satan. It is such a big loss and serious threat that if our rich class is left with any sense of religion, it should immediately abandon this extravagance which is escalating day by day. Its moral disadvantage is that one invites in this function only men of his own status and not the the poor, whereas the fact is that it is the latter who deserve to be invited because of their need, and not the former. Good manners also warrant that the needy should be given priority over the affluent. Its social disadvantage is that display of wealth on such occasions creates a sense of deprivation in the poor segments of society while what Islam teaches is the uplift, material and moral help, consolation and encouragement and respectable treatment of the poor. Instead of holding sumptuous feasts on Walimah, if the Muslims shift to one or two simple food items and invite the poor along with their friends and relatives, they not only save themselves from all the three evils mentioned above, but also prevent themselves from the accountability in the Hereafter; otherwise they will suffer loss in both the worlds.

This Hadith exhorts the Muslims to participate in the Walimah ceremony but it is the kind of feast which is simple and in accordance with the teachings of Islam.