Throwing Away Food

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question: Kindly could you elaborate on the issue of throwing away food? For example, if one has cooked food that is edible in itself but distasteful, what should one do about it? Can one throw it away? What about bread crums and crums of biscuits? Can one throw them in the garden i.e the crums and left over small bits of food?

Lastly, is one responsible in anyway in picking up food seen thrown away in one’s path? Please correct me if im wrong, was there Prophetic Sunna related to picking up own’s own food that falls to the ground and eating it after one says Bismillah? Insh Allah look forward to your response.

Answer: 1. The sunna is to only take the amount of food one is sure they can eat. Taking more than this is improper. Not finishing one’s food simply because it doesn’t taste good is disliked. Not doing so because one is genuinely full is excusable, though one should take heed and be more careful the next time.

Crumbs and left over bits of food should be eaten. As the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, that is where the baraka may well be, and this is an expression of one’s recognition of the blessing of food.

2. If one sees food on the ground, it is recommended, if possible without preponderating secondary considerations, to pick it up.

And Allah alone gives success.

Faraz Rabbani