The Juridical Ruling on Preparing Food by the Deceased’s Family During the Days of Condolence in the Light of Hanafi Jurisprudence

Abstract

This research provides a jurisprudential and Maqāṣid-based analysis of the ruling on preparing food by the family of the deceased during the days of mourning from the perspective of Ḥanafī jurisprudence. The primary objective is to clarify the status of this social practice within the framework of the Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah and to evaluate its conformity with the principles of mercy, solidarity, and the removal of hardship. The study employs a descriptive–analytical method, drawing upon authentic jurisprudential and Hadith sources. The findings indicate that, according to Ḥanafī fiqh, preparing food by the bereaved family for others is considered makrūh taḥrīmī (prohibitively disliked) and may reach the level of prohibition if it imposes financial or social burdens on them. Conversely, it is recommended that neighbors and relatives prepare food for the bereaved as an act of consolation, in accordance with the Prophetic Sunnah. The study concludes that adherence to Sharīʿah principles in mourning practices helps to cultivate genuine empathy, prevent social innovations (bid‘ah), and preserve the ethical and moral objectives of Islam.