Back to search

Is it permissible to take leftover food from a restaurant owned by a non-Muslim without his knowledge if it is going to be thrown in the trash and if its price is requested should one wish to take it?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is forbidden to throw edible food into the trash if there is a way to benefit from it. If the shop owner orders it to be thrown away, it is permissible for whoever takes it to keep it for themselves or give it to the needy, because the shop owner's order means he no longer desires the food, and giving it to the needy is better than wasting it. It is stipulated that it should not be harmful or mixed with forbidden things like alcohol or pork, while also being careful not to aid in anything forbidden.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy