Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I would like to know of some references from the Quran and Hadith about the responsibilty of a muslim towards wastage of food specifically and wastage in general? Jazakallahkhairkum 

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Answer:

Wastage israaf in food

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 31: O children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 5050 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘When any one of you eats food he should lick his fingers, for he does not know in what part of the food sticking to his fingers the blessing lies.’

Islam guides the believers to live their lives in moderation, regardless of whatever they intend to do. If Allah Subhanah has blessed someone with abundance, the guidance of Islam states that neither should one live in a miserly state, nor should one live in excess as a spendthrift; but be conscious and grateful for the favors of Allah, and take the moderate path between the two.

Islam absolutely prohibits wastage in every aspect of one’s lives, whether it be with one’s time, one’s energy, one’s celebrations, one’s wealth, or even one’s food. If Allah Subhanah has blessed one amongst His believing slaves with more than his needs, then one must be grateful to his Lord and as a sign of his gratefulness and appreciation he must strive to share and distribute the excess amongst the poor and needy of society.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Bani Israel verses 26-27:

26 And render to the kindred their due rights, as (also) to those in want, and to the wayfarer: but squander not (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift.

27 Verily spendthrifts are brothers of the Shaytaan; and the Shaytaan is to his Lord, ungrateful.

Such is the abhorrence and hatred of wastage in the sight of Allah Subhanah, that He has declared the wasters and the spendthrifts as the ‘brothers’ of the Shaytaan, who is ever ungrateful to the Lord!

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan