Chapter I: Etiquette of Eating
(3) Don't refuse invitation owing to fast and attend feast and break fast so as to incur the pleasure of the host, as it brings greater rewards than that of optional fast. The Prophet said :
Your brother has taken trouble and you say: I am fasting. Hazrat Ibn Abbas said : The best virtue is to eat with friends after breaking (optional) fast. There are signs of entertainment of guest-to give antimony and scents or scented oils.
(4) Don't accept invitation where you know or doubt that food unlawful^ earned will be served or irreligious acts will be performed such as unlawful food and wine will be placed, gold and silver cups and plates will be used or immoral songs will be sung. Acceptance of invitation is not lawful if the host is a tyrant, transgressor or innovator.
(5) Don't accept invitation for satisfaction of belly, but intend to gain strength for acquiring merits in the next world. Be careful of disobeying God. The Prophet said : He who does not accept invitation , disobeys God and His Apostle , According to this Hadis, intend to honour your brother believer. Intend to incur pleasure in the minds of the Muslim according to this Hadis : He who incures the pleasure of a believer incur the pleasure of God ; Intend to meet a believer in order that you may love him as the Prophet imposed this condition for it. Therein there is meeting with each other and expense for the sake of God. Intend to be free from defamation, so that 'it may not be said that he did not attend
16 The Book of Wordly Usages Vol-II
owing to pride. Don't take pride in it and don't show bad conduct and don't hold in contempt your brother Muslim. If one of the above intentions is observed, it will bring one to the nearness of God. A certain sage said : I wish to have niyyat or intention in all my actions, even in food and drink. The Prophet said : All actions are judged by intention . Every man gets what he intends. Whose emigrates for the sake of God and His apostle, his emigration is for God and His Apostle , he who emigrates for worldly gain or for marrying a woman will get that for which he emigrates. There is no effect of intention in unlawful things. So don't intend to do an unlawful thing.
RULES OF JOINING IN FEASTS