Will one be sinful for eating food that his family prepared for the occasion of Ashura, intending it for the sake of Allah, with its reward dedicated to Al-Husayn? And is it permissible to eat from the sweets that the mother prepared for the occasion of Ashura and distributed to the poor and needy?

What some people do on the day of Ashura, such as beating themselves, wailing, distributing food, and the like, is a reprehensible innovation (bid'ah) and an ugly transgression. It is not permissible to hold an annual mourning ceremony for the death of anyone, nor to celebrate anyone's birthday. This falls under innovations and newly invented matters, and it is an imitation of the enemies of Allah. Participation in these innovations is forbidden in all its forms, including attending their banquets and eating from them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever innovates into this affair of ours that which is not from it will have it rejected," and "Whoever performs an action which is not in accordance with our matter will have it rejected." As for seeking help from the dead and the Ahl al-Bayt (household of the Prophet), it is major polytheism (shirk akbar) by the consensus of the scholars, due to the words of Allah Almighty: ﴿And whoever invokes another deity with Allah, for which he has no proof, then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed.﴾

As for one to whom food or sweets are gifted on this day, and who did not participate in the innovations, there is no harm in eating from it, provided it is not an animal slaughtered for other than Allah. The Companions accepted gifts from the Majus (Zoroastrians) on their festival, which indicates that innovation does not prevent the acceptance of a gift, if doing so does not aid the innovators in their innovation.