Is the gathering of female friends for fasting, funeral prayers, and visiting hospitals with the intention of visiting and feeding the sick considered an innovation (bidʿah), in light of the hadith: "They do not gather for a person..."?

Imam Muslim's hadith (definition) indicates the virtue of the mentioned deeds when they converge on a single day. The Companions did not agree to fast, feed the poor, or visit each other [on a specific day]. Sheikh Ibn 'Uthaymeen holds that agreeing to fast on a specific day is not from the guidance of the Companions, and it is feared that this might develop into something more severe, and that a person might accustom himself to not fasting except with others. It is preferable to abandon this agreement and scheduling, and for each individual to strive to do good deeds and conceal them, seeking sincerity. Sheikh Abd al-Rahman al-Barrak stated that conspiring to perform such deeds is an innovation (bid'ah), and that a Muslim should perform these supererogatory acts by himself without being tied to anyone. He added that such conspiracy leads to mere courtesy, and that it is better to enjoin one another to do good without being tied to a specific arrangement.