Death is a recurring event that a Muslim should take lessons from. It should remind him of the oft-forgotten reality that most people believe in, but seldom prepare for. Some people have invented practices that turned into customs accompanying or following the funeral rites that mostly involve false beliefs and ostentatious expenditure.
speaking on this issue, Dr. Waleed ibn Khaled Basyouni, stated:
The Sunnah in mourning rites is for the people to limit themselves to offering condolences to the family of the deceased when they see them while the funeral is taking place. One may also go to visit the family of the deceased with the aim of consoling them and taking their minds off what has befallen them, and this should be done without wailing.
It is also the Sunnah for people to prepare food for the family of the deceased, and not the opposite. This is based on what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said when Ja`far ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred, “Make food for the family of Ja`far, for there has come to them today that which keeps them busy.” (Musnad Ahmad)
There is nothing in the sharia that would prevent the family of the deceased from preparing food for their guests; however, this is the opposite of what is more appropriate and preferable.
Getting men to recite Qur’an for the deceased in tents is an innovation that violates the sharia, as it is a form of extravagance and boasting by setting up the tents.
The violation is even greater when it is paid for out of the inheritance left by the deceased, as his orphaned heirs would bear the burden. In this case, the infringement would fall into the category of “consuming the money of orphans unjustly.”