What Are Some Permissible Forms of Entertainment during a Wedding Banquet (Walima)?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

A wedding in Islam is an important event connected to the completion of our religion. While expressions of joy and entertainment are permitted, try to make it an event that demonstrates your thankfulness to Allah for all His blessings by not forgetting the poor and giving some form of sadaqa on that day for them and sharing your joy.

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet, (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The most evil food is the food of a wedding banquet, in which those who want to come are left out and those who are invited refuse. Whoever does not answer an invitation has disobeyed Allah and his messenger.”

Abu Huraira said, “The worst food is the food of a wedding banquet, in which the rich are invited and the poor are left out.” [Muslim}

‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) was among some ladies of the Ansar who gave a lady away to her husband on her wedding night. When she told the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), he asked, “Didn’t you have any entertainment? The Ansar enjoy entertainment.” [Bukhari]

The permissible is plenty and many avenues, as long it is not musical, dancing, free mixing of the opposite, everyone in their own space doing and holding some form of entertainment, like the ones below:

Bouncy castle for children
Games
Live Nashid singers
Nashid Singing Using a Duff
Variety of Snack and Dessert Tables

Find ways to entertain everyone and be engaged and joyous. This allows people to enjoy their time, as no one is turning away from the obedience of Allah in the meantime, facilitating a space to express joy and a prayer space for all, too.

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I pray this helps with your question.

Wassalam,

[Mawlana]Ilyas Patel

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey.

He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and Alimiyyah sciences. He then travelled to Karachi, Pakistan.

He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Qur’an, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences.

He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His personal interest is the love of books and gardening.