Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

ASSALAM ALAIKUM BROTHER, MAY ALLAH SUBAHABVTHA'LA ACCEPT GOOD DEES OF YOU, ME AND ALL MUSLIM UMMA-AMEEN.  MY QUESTION IS ABOUT IFTRAR PARTY. IN UAE , EXPATS OF CERTAIN PART OF INDIA MADE IT  CUSTOM TO HAVE IFTAR PARTY ON EVERY SECOND FRIDAY OF RAMADAN IN A SCHOOL. OVER 500 PEROPLE GATHER THERE FOR  IFTAR. AFTER IFTRAR  SOME GUEST GATHER AROUNBD AND CHAT AND MOSTLY TIME IS WASTED . IS SUCH IFTAR PARTY   ALLOWED IN ISLAM?. IS IT A CUSTOM IN ISLAM  TO INVITATE  ONE FAMILY BY ANOTHER FAMILY FOR IFTAR ?. IT IS NOT NECESSARY THAT  INVITED FAMILY IS POOR !. -JAZAKALLAH

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Iftar party

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: IS SUCH IFTAR PARTY   ALLOWED IN ISLAM?. IS IT A CUSTOM IN ISLAM  TO INVITATE  ONE FAMILY BY ANOTHER FAMILY FOR IFTAR ?.

Respected brother, Islam neither restricts nor discourages a believer from breaking his fast alone, or with his family, or his friends, or his guests. As long as all the conditions of holding a feast are honored (segregation of sexes, no excess spending, no ‘fahisha’ (indecency), etc.), there is absolutely no harm if one amongst the believers wishes to invite his loved ones or friends to break their fast with them. The blessed month of Ramadan is a month of sharing, and if one shares or provides from ones sustenance with another amongst his believing brethren during this blessed month, he shall have his due reward with his Lord Most Gracious.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1965 Narrated by Salman al-Farisi

Allah's Messenger (saws) said in a sermon which he delivered to them on the last day of Sha'ban: "(Ramadan) A great month, a blessed month, a month containing a night which is better than a thousand months has approached you people. Allah has appointed the observance of fasting during it as an obligatory duty, and the passing of its night in prayer as a voluntary practice. If someone draws near to Allah during it with some good act he will be like one who fulfils an obligatory duty in another month, and he who fulfils an obligatory duty in it will be like one who fulfils seventy obligatory duties in another month. It is the month of endurance and the reward of endurance is Paradise. It is the month of sharing with others, and a month in which the believer's provision is increased. If someone gives one who has been fasting something with which to break his fast it will provide forgiveness of his sins and save him from Hell, and he will have a reward equal to his without his reward being diminished in any respect." We remarked to Allah's Messenger (saws) that not all of us have the means to give one who had been fasting something with which to break his fast. He (saws) replied, "Allah gives this reward to him who gives one who has been fasting some milk mixed with water, or a date, or (even) a drink of water with which to break his fast. Anyone who gives a full meal to one who has been fasting will be given a drink from my ‘Hawd’ by Allah, and he will not thirst till he enters Paradise.”

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1992 Narrated by Zayd ibn Khalid

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, 'He who gives one who has been fasting something with which to break his fast, or who equips a fighter (to fight in Allah’s Cause), will have a reward equivalent to his."

Your Question: IT IS NOT NECESSARY THAT  INVITED FAMILY IS POOR

Although time and time again Allah and His Messenger (saws) have encouraged the believers to strive to feed the poor and the needy, it is not at all necessary that one provide to break the fasts of the poor amongst them alone!

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said that one who provides his believing brethren with some food or drink to break his fast, regardless of whether the recipient is rich or poor, the one who provides will not only earn the reward for his own fast, but also for the fast of the person he provided ‘iftaar’ for…without the reward of that person being diminished in the least.

But if ‘iftaar’ is only used as an excuse to hold a casual and unlawful ‘party’…where the laws and guidance of Islam are abused, where non-mehram men and women casually mingle amongst each other, where one indulges in vain, frivolous, or evil talk, where time is utterly wasted, where prayer times come and go unnoticed, etc….such gatherings have absolutely no merit in the Sight of Allah Subhanah and should be avoided by believers who sincerely fear Allah and the Last Day and understand the real ‘value’ of the precious moments of the blessed month of Ramadan.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan