16/16. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1432b — Understanding the Worst Feast
The command to accept invitations
Understanding the Worst Wedding Feast Hadith
Sahih Muslim : 1432b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1432b
وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلزُّهْرِيِّ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ كَيْفَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ شَرُّ الطَّعَامِ طَعَامُ الأَغْنِيَاءِ فَضَحِكَ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ هُوَ شَرُّ الطَّعَامِ طَعَامُ الأَغْنِيَاءِ . قَالَ سُفْيَانُ وَكَانَ أَبِي غَنِيًّا فَأَفْزَعَنِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ حِينَ سَمِعْتُ بِهِ فَسَأَلْتُ عَنْهُ الزُّهْرِيَّ فَقَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ الأَعْرَجُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ شَرُّ الطَّعَامِ طَعَامُ الْوَلِيمَةِ . ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ مَالِكٍ.
Sufyan Narrated from:
I said to Zuhri: Abu Bakr, what does this hadith mean:" The worst kind of food is at a wedding feast of the rich"? He laughed and said: The food served in the feast given by the rich is not worst (in itself). Sufyan said: My father was rich, so I felt disturbed when I heard this hadith, so I asked Zuhri who said: I heard from 'Abd al-Rahman al-Alraj that he heard Abu Huraira (Allah he pleased with him) say: The worst kind of food is that served at the wedding feast. The rest of the hadith is the same.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1432bIn-book reference : Book 16, Hadith 125USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 8, Hadith 3350
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1432b
This Hadith helps explain the statement about the worst wedding feast. Sufyan asked Zuhri about the meaning because he was troubled by hearing the phrase linked with the rich. Zuhri laughed and clarified that the food served by the rich is not worst in itself. Then he narrated the report from Abu Huraira about the worst food being the wedding feast, with the rest of the Hadith like the earlier narration. This explanation keeps the meaning fair and clear. The issue is not wealth by itself or rich people serving food. The warning is about a wedding feast that reflects unfair social treatment, especially when the poor are left out.
What we learn from this hadith
- The food of rich people is not condemned in itself.
- The warning is about unfair wedding feast practices.
- Asking scholars can clear confusion about a Hadith.
- The poor should not be ignored in social invitations.
