Food For Thought Friday: Fatawa - Throwing Away Food

As-Salamu Alaykum Sisters, Greetings Readers,

I know it's been a while since i did a food for thought friday post, hope i can make it more of a regular thing.

We all throw food away it's an everyday thing in most homes especially if the food is not to ones liking or you cooked too much and don't refrigerate/freeze straightaway.

Today I'd like to share with you a couple of fatwa / Islamic rulings on this topic.

The first is from AlBaseerah.org and the second is from Alifta

Question: Is it permissible to throw away food in some instances like if it has gone bad or if it was burnt or it is not to your liking and you don't know anyone who will eat it. What about if too much was cooked and you don't know anyone to take to the excessive food?

Answer: The Shaykh حفظه الله said if a person has too much food and is unable to finish it, then it is permissible for him to put it in a pure plate, not in an impure plate in order for animals to eat from it or insects or birds. It is not incumbent upon him to eat everything as onions were presented to the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه و سلم and he did not eat from them and he permitted others to eat from the onions. A lizard as well was presented to the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه و سلم to eat from and he refrained from eating from it but he صلى الله عليه و سلم allowed others to eat from it. What is not permissible is that you put food that could be made use of, in an impure plate. Rather one should put the food in a purified plate in order for insects, animals, or birds, to eat from it

Answered by: Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan Al-Ajlaan

Ruling on throwing leftover food in the garbage and spreading newspapers to eat on

Q 1: Is it permissible to spread newspapers and put food on them. If it is not allowed, what should we do after reading them?

Q 2: As for leftover food, some people put it in boxes, etc., and then put it out on the street for animals to eat; however, trash collectors put it in garbage cans with other trash. The question is: Is it permissible to throw out the food with other trash?

A 1:It is not allowed to spread the newspapers and eat on them or wrap things in them or humiliating them by any means if they contain some Ayahs (Qur'anic verse) or any mention of Allah (Exalted be He). If the case is as mentioned, then it is obligatory to keep them in a proper place, burn them, or bury them in clean earth.

 

A 2:If there are poor people who are in need of this food, then one must give it to them; otherwise, it should be put in a place far away from abuse so that animals can eat it. If this is not possible, then it should be kept in boxes or plastic bags or other containers and the municipalities should obligate the trash collectors to put it in clean places so that animals will eat it or some people will take it for their animals. This is done in order to keep the food away from being abused and wasted.

Source: Fatwas of Ibn Baz