“The Food of the Deceased Deadens the Heart” Is Not a Hadith

Question

Question: The sweets that are prepared for isal al-thawab [for the deceased] are, according to the local custom here, eaten by everyone — both the poor and the rich. Then what does [the phrase] “ta‘am al-mayyit yumit al-qalb” (“the food of the deceased deadens the heart”) mean? And what food is that? And is this a hadith? And is it permissible for absolutely everyone to eat the aforementioned sweets?

Answer

If isal al-thawab is being made for the deceased, then food and the like should be given to the poor; a wealthy person is not entitled to it. “Ta‘am al-mayyit yumit al-qalb” is not a hadith. The meaning of these words is this: if the food [intended] for isal al-thawab is eaten by someone not entitled to it, his heart dies — he loses the ability to distinguish good from evil.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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