If One Does Not Like Food, Is It Permissible to Criticize?
Question:
If one does not like the food, is it permissible to criticize it? Is it a sin to find faults in the food presented in an invitation?
Answer:
To find faults in food should not be done even in one's own home.
It is Makruh and contrary to the Sunnah. It was the gracious custom of the glorious Prophet ﷺ that if he liked something, he ate it otherwise refrained.
If food is criticized in someone else's home, it will cause embarrassment to a Muslim which is proof of bad manners and this is grossly unethical. If any type of food effects one's health, one may excuse oneself from eating it. This is not an insult to the food as it is injurious to one's health. Some people cannot eat hot food with lots of chillies. They may not part-take in it. If the host inquires the reason for not eating that food, one may inform him that it is solely for health reasons. If one dish was prepared and the guest does not eat it, then it will a problem for the host to prepare another dish or he will not be able to afford it. In such a situation, one should not express one's hinderance and adopt patience (sabr) and eat a little to pacify the host. And Almighty Allah Knows best.
References:
Fatawa Ridawiyyah Vol. 21, page 652; Imam Ahmad Rida Khan Qadri Hanafi Maturidi.
[ English Translation ]
Mawlana Abdul Hadi Qadri Ridawi Noori.