What is the ruling on communal feasts held in the name of a righteous saint, where there is intermingling and extravagance?
This type of banquet is considered a reprehensible innovation (bid'ah munkarah) which is impermissible to perform, attend, or participate in its preparation. Rather, it is obligatory to boycott it and warn against it due to the false beliefs it contains, which can reach the level of polytheism (shirk), because its proponents cling to the dead, believing they can bring benefit or harm. As Allah the Almighty said: "Say, [O Muhammad], 'I only invoke my Lord and do not associate with Him anyone.' Say, 'Indeed, I do not possess for you [the power of] harm or right direction.' Say, 'Indeed, no one can protect me from Allah, nor will I find in other than Him a refuge.'" And due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) warning against innovations and newly invented matters, as he said: "Whoever introduces into this affair of ours anything that does not belong to it will have it rejected," and "Beware of newly invented matters, for every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Hellfire." In addition, these banquets involve impermissible free mixing and extravagance, as Allah the Almighty said: "And do not squander uselessly. Indeed, squanderers are brothers of devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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