BENEFIT: Ruling on Holding Banquets in the Masjid

Question: Is there any objection to holding a wedding banquet in the masjid, given that the intention is to honour the students of knowledge? Is there any sharʿi prohibition in this? Sheikh Yahya ḥafidhahullāh: The Prophet ﷺ and his Companions ate in the masjid, as mentioned in the ḥadīth of ʿAbdullāh ibn Buṣr, in which they remained remembering Allāh until sunrise, then prayed the ḍuḥā prayer. He said: “A large bowl, called al-gharrā’, filled with tharīd, was brought and placed before them. The Prophet ﷺ knelt on his knees to eat.” A bedouin man asked, “What is this sitting posture?” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “I am only a servant; I sit as a servant sits, and I eat as a servant eats.” The point of evidence here is that the food was placed in the masjid and they ate there. Thus, in principle, there is no prohibition against eating in the masjid. However, large quantities of food placed in the masjid, or holding banquets therein, may lead to the masjid becoming soiled with traces of food if eating becomes frequent. The masjid may become contaminated with food remnants, odours may arise from the various dishes, and worshippers may be present while others are eating—this goes against the sanctity with which Allāh commanded that the mosques be honoured. It is from the nature of masjids that they be perfumed and kept clean, so it is not appropriate to hold banquets in masjids in such a manner. Doing so exposes the masjid to being soiled, its scent altered, and worshippers disturbed. Furthermore, the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions did not make a practice of holding such gatherings in the masjid unrestrictedly; rather, it was only small, simple amounts of food, as indicated in the aforementioned evidence. Source: https://t.me/masjidsahabah/1422