Holding a Wedding Party More Than Once

3-12-2018 | IslamWeb

Question:

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته I read that a wedding party for more than three days is haram or something like that. In my land, people have so many parties on different days when they get married. (Sometimes even before they make the contract!) .Can you explain?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

You did not mentioned to us in which book you read this statement. If what you mean is just organizing a ceremony, then in principle it is permissible to do so even if it is in various days and for a multiple of times. It is not forbidden unless the ceremony includes Islamic violations, such as mixing, music and so on.

If what you mean is arranging many marriage banquets, then it is not from the Sunnah to organize a Waleemah (marriage banquet) more than one day. However, if one organizes it for more than one day, then there is no harm on him provided it does not involve wastefulness or extravagance.

Ibn Qudaamah said:

"Chapter: if the Waleemah is organized more than one day, then it is permissible. Al-Khallal narrated with his chain of narration from Ubayy that he got married and invited (i.e. to the Waleemah) the Ansaar for eight days. If a person is invited on the first day, he is obliged to honor the invitation [and attend]; on the second day, it is desirable to attend; on the third day, it is not desirable. Ahmed said: "It is an obligation to attend the first day; the second day, he may attend if he so wishes; but the third day, no. This is also the view of Ash-Shaafi'i." [End of quote]

Some scholars are of the view that it is desirable to attend it up to seven days; Al-Bukhaari favors this view, as he said: Chapter: Honoring the invitation to a Waleemah, and the permissibility of organizing a Waleemah for seven days, as the Prophet did not set a limit of one day or two days.” [End of quote]

However, some scholars are of the view that one should not repeat the invitation to those whom he invited the first day; rather, he should invite (the second or subsequent days) those whom he did not invite previously. So, he invites some of them on the first day; some others on the second day, and so on.

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 128221 and 181505.

Allah knows best.