Preparation of Food for a Ceremony, like Wedding and so forth

أَوْلَمَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع وَلِيمَةً عَلَى بَعْضِ وُلْدِهِ فَأَطْعَمَ أَهْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ الْفَالُوذَجَاتِ فِي الْجِفَانِ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ وَ الْأَزِقَّةِ فَعَابَهُ بِذَلِكَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ فَبَلَغَهُ ع ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ مَا آتَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ نَبِيّاً مِنْ أَنْبِيَائِهِ شَيْئاً إِلَّا وَ قَدْ آتَى مُحَمَّداً ص مِثْلَهُ وَ زَادَهُ مَا لَمْ يُؤْتِهِمْ قَالَ لِسُلَيْمَانَ ع- ه

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from certain persons of our people who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan, Musa (a.s.), ordered to prepare food for the ceremony of a certain one of his children and fed people of al-Madinah with Faludhat (a certain kind of sweet) in l

لَا تَجِبُ الدَّعْوَةُ إِلَّا فِي أَرْبَعٍ الْعُرْسِ وَ الْخُرْسِ وَ الْإِيَابِ وَ الْإِعْذَارِ[3].

“Inviting (people for food) is not obligatory except for four occasions. Such occasions are: weddings, the birth of a child, circumcisions, and returning from a journey.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ الْوَلِيمَةُ فِي أَرْبَعٍ الْعُرْسِ وَ الْخُرْسِ وَ هُوَ الْمَوْلُودُ يُعَقُّ عَنْهُ وَ يُطْعَمُ وَ الْإِعْذَارِ وَ هُوَ خِتَانُ الْغُلَامِ وَ الْإِيَابِ وَ هُوَ الرَّجُلُ يَدْعُو إِخْوَانَهُ إِذَا آبَ مِنْ غَيْبَتِهِ. - وَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى‌ أَوْ تَوْكِيرٍ[1] وَ هُوَ بِنَاءُ الدَّارِ أَوْ غَيْرُهُ.

’Food can be prepared for four kinds of ceremonies. It is for a wedding, birth of a child for whom ‘Aqiqah is offered and fed to deserving people, circumcision of a male child, and returning of a man from a journey, for which he invites his brothers (in belief) after his absence.’ In another Hadith it is said that it i

نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَنْ طَعَامِ وَلِيمَةٍ يُخَصُّ بِهَا الْأَغْنِيَاءُ وَ يُتْرَكُ الْفُقَرَاءُ.

“Abu Ibrahim (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, prohibited feeding during a ceremony, only the rich and not the poor.’”

قَالَ رَجُلٌ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّا نَجِدُ لِطَعَامِ الْعُرْسِ رَائِحَةً لَيْسَتْ بِرَائِحَةِ غَيْرِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَا مِنْ عُرْسٍ يَكُونُ يُنْحَرُ فِيهِ جَزُورٌ أَوْ تُذْبَحُ بَقَرَةٌ أَوْ شَاةٌ إِلَّا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى مَلَكاً مَعَهُ قِيرَاطٌ مِنْ مِسْكِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى يُدِيفَهُ فِي طَعَامِهِمْ‌[2] فَتِلْكَ الرَّائِحَةُ الَّتِي تُشَمُّ لِذَلِكَ.

“A man once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Why do we find the aroma in a food for wedding which is not found in other food?’ He (the Imam) said, ’In every wedding for which a camel or sheep or a cow is slaughtered Allah, most Blessed, most High, sends an angel with a carat (carafe) of musk from paradise which he soaks

قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّا نَتَّخِذُ الطَّعَامَ وَ نَسْتَجِيدُهُ وَ نَتَنَوَّقُ فِيهِ وَ لَا نَجِدُ لَهُ رَائِحَةَ طَعَامِ الْعُرْسِ فَقَالَ ذَلِكَ لِأَنَّ طَعَامَ الْعُرْسِ فِيهِ تَهُبُّ رَائِحَةٌ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ لِأَنَّهُ طَعَامٌ اتُّخِذَ لِلْحَلَالِ.

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Why is it that we prepare good food and make it unique but we do not find the fragrance like that of the food for wedding in it?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is because in the food for wedding, air from paradise blows; it is a food that is prepared for a lawful matter (marriage).’ ”