It is permissible for the husband to receive well-wishers when he is junub

 

People in our country visit the bride and bride groom at the wedding night to congratulate them and sit with them for some time, women with the bride, and men with the groom. Thus they meet the guests before ghusl (bath) of janaba (impurity after an intercourse). Is this permissible? Or should they firstly have ghusl then receive the guests? This will take them a long time to get ready, specially the bride. What is the opinion on this?.

Praise be to Allaah.

There is nothing wrong with one who is junub coming to
receive well-wishers and to greet them and sit with them, because of the
report narrated by al-Bukhaari (238) and Muslim (372) from Abu Hurayrah,
that he met the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in
one of the streets of Madeenah when he was junub. He slipped away and went
to do ghusl, and the Prophet (S) noticed he was gone. When he came to him,
he said: “Where were you, O Abu Hurayrah?” He said: O Messenger of Allaah,
you met me when I was junub, and I did not like to sit with you until I had
done ghusl. The Messenger of Allaah (S) said: “Subhaan-Allaah, the believer
does not become naajis.” 

But it is better for him to do wudoo’, because of the report
narrated by Muslim (305) from ‘Aaishah who said: When the Messenger of
Allaah (S) was junub and wanted to eat or sleep, he would do wudoo’ as for
prayer. 

And because the angels do not come close to one who is junub,
as it says in the hadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him): “There are three whom the angels do not approach: the
dead body of a kaafir, the one who is perfumed with khalooq and the one who
is junub, until he does wudoo’.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (4180); classed as
hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood (3522). 

“The one who is perfumed with khalooq” refers to a man who is
wearing perfume containing saffron, because that involves frivolity and
imitation of women. Fayd al-Qadeer (3/325). 

See also question no. 6533.

As for these bad customs, people should be made aware and warned against
them, because such gatherings are embarrassing for the newly-weds, and may
cause them psychological distress that they do not need in these
circumstances, i.e., when the man and his wife feel that his relatives and
friends are waiting for them to finish what they are doing, so that they can
congratulate them after that! 

The time for offering congratulations is not limited to this
embarrassing time. These congratulations can be offered during the wedding,
or after that night, or at any other time. There is no point in singling out
that time for congratulating the couple, apart from ancient foolish customs
that have no basis in sharee’ah and serve no purpose according to common
sense, and are not good manners. 

And Allaah knows best.