Holding a big banquet on behalf of a deceased from a joint fund

All praise is due to God, Lord of The Worlds. And peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and Companions.

Offering food to the family of the deceased is from the Sunnah. Abdullah Ibn Jafar narrated that when news of Jafar`s death was delivered, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Prepare food for the family of Jafar as they are now occupied with the death of their son” [recorded by Imam Ahmad and others].The family of the deceased are the members of his household. Imam Al-Nawawi said, “It is recommended for the deceased`s neighbors and next of kin to prepare food for his family, and urge them to eat”(1/534).

It is worth noting that offering food to the household of the deceased was originally permitted; it is a kind of consolation since they are experiencing a tragic event, and this is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) refers to in the above hadith. However, at present, people tend to hold big and expensive banquets on behalf of the deceased by way of ostentation and this contradicts the objective of the Prophet`s recommendation.