Are there things unworthy of being eaten?

Question

The tag food has a description of "Anything that is worthy of being eaten.". Is there a concept in Islam of something being unworthy of being eaten?

For some people, there'd be things that are unsafe to eat, or where it'd be disrespectful to eat (eating a species that'd be considered friends, not food), but I haven't considered anything unworthy of being eaten.

Related question: Are there gods unworthy of worship?

Answer 1

Yes there are halal foods and haram foods. Halal foods are worthy of being eaten while it is forbidden to eat haram foods and so they are unworthy of being eaten.

وكلوا مما رزقكم الله حلالا طيبا

And eat of what Allah has provided for you [which is] lawful and good.

^{— Quran 5:88}

ويحل لهم الطيبات ويحرم عليهم الخبائث

Makes lawful for them good things, and makes unlawful for them impure things

^{— Quran 7:157}

There are various things that Muslims are forbidden to eat and drink, such as:

حرمت عليكم الميتة والدم ولحم الخنزير وما أهل لغير الله به

Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah

^{— Quran 5:3}

ميتة أو دما مسفوحا أو لحم خنزير فإنه رجس

a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine - for indeed, it is impure

^{— Quran 6:145 Also see Quran 2:173}

ولا تأكلوا مما لم يذكر اسم الله عليه

And do not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned

^{— Quran 6:121}

يا أيها الذين آمنوا إنما الخمر والميسر والأنصاب والأزلام رجس من عمل الشيطان فاجتنبوه لعلكم تفلحون

O you who believe! Wine, gambling, altars and divining arrows are filth, made up by Satan. Therefore, refrain from it, so that you may be successful.

^{— Quran 5:90 Also see Quran 2:219}

Haram foods have been called خبائث and رجس (impure, evil, filthy, abhorent) and the act of eating haram foods has been called or implied to be فسق , بَاغٍ , إثم , عَادٍ (grave disobedience, transgression and sin).

Answer 2

I think saying Unworthy to eat directs me to foods those are makruh.

1. [God's right] Foods those are makruh in Islam.
2. [Self's right] Foods those I eat when I don't need them and those are harmful to me, like eating foods those have sausage when I know eating sausage is harmful to me.
3. [People's right] In my society eating foods those are not good among them -A cause of making others upset-.