Is incumbent on me to have a feast/reception/valima after the nikaah?

The religion of Islam accommodates and facilitates the nature of man to express his happiness during happy achievements and developments. A person who intends to marry endeavours to choose a compatible partner for life. A partner who will be like the heart of the body sharing every happy and glad occasion with him. In fact the wife's attitude towards her husband, her services and-her level of sincerity will actually determine his happiness or misery. Therefore the choice of a partner in reality is his choice of happiness and misery. After much efforts in searching he chooses his partner and proposes. The suspense of a positive or negative answer is in itself a painful situation. After undergoing this painful situation, he at last gets a favourable reply. What a happy achievement! %0D%0A%0D%0AHowever his anticipation continues since the day of the Nikah is still far away and anything can happen. Finally after the long and arduous process the day of the Nikah has arrived and he takes a major step towards determining his future happiness or sadness. He has taken on a partner for life. The same applies to his wife also who is also making a major commitment. The Shariat has created a mode of expressing and celebrating this great achievement and this is the Waleema. %0D%0A1. Waleema is to express ones happiness for the happy and important development of Nikah in ones life. Since Walima in essence is an expression of happiness at being married therefore it may take place before or after consummation. %0D%0A2. Walima is a sunnat of Rasulullah and accepting a walima invitation is also a sunnat. %0D%0A%0D%0AConditions for acceptance of a Walima invitation %0D%0A* The invited person must not fear any harm or disgrace in religious matters.%0D%0A* There is nothing unIslamic in the invitation.%0D%0A* There are no photographers or cameras at the gathering.%0D%0A* There is no mixed gathering between males and females. %0D%0A%0D%0ASome other pertinent Masaail regarding to Walima%0D%0ATo delay and procrastinate the walima is against the sunnat. Rasulullah (SAW) had his Walima even on journey with whoever was present. The walima should be done according to the financial position of the husband and extravagance etc. should not be found. It is against the sunnat to take loans and put oneself into a fancily constraint in order to perform this sunnat. Rasulullah (SAW) mentioned that the worst walima is wherein only the rich are invited and the poor are left out. (Mishkaat)%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd Allah knows best%0D%0A%0D%0AMufti Ebrahim Desai