Is it obligatory to cover food containers due to the possibility of a plague descending on one night of the year? If the food is left uncovered, must it be discarded, and is there no sin in doing so? Does this ruling apply to drinks? Is it permissible to consume it out of necessity after reciting "In the Name of Allah, with Whose Name nothing on earth or in the heavens can cause harm, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing"?
There is no harm in eating food and drinking beverages that were uncovered for part of the night and covered for the other part, as the command to tie the mouths of waterskins has been reported. A Muslim can regularly recite: "In the Name of Allah, with Whose Name nothing on earth or in the heavens can cause harm, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing," three times in the morning and evening to ward off harm.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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