Q: Is it permissible to keep or attend a small dawat on the 40th day of someone's funeral if you or they intend to keep it for esaale thawaab?
A: Really, when you trace these types of functions, they trace back to Hinduism. It has got no basis in Islam. Esaale thawaab is a gift being passed on to the deceased. What is the need to delay a gift. Secondly, when you subject it to a function then the consideration is made for the person hosting the function and not out of respect and appreciation for the deceased. Hence, how can there be thawaab when the consideration is for the host. Therefore, the best is to do the esaale thawaab in your own space and time with all your heart and soul, and with ikhlaas.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
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