At an invitation, eating should begin with permission

Question

Question: When several people sit down to eat, is it necessary for all to begin together and for all to rise together, or may the one before whom (the food) comes eat without waiting and so on, and after eating get up and leave without waiting?

Answer

If someone has issued an invitation, one should begin with his permission; otherwise the arrangements are disrupted and he is put to trouble.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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