Chapter: The prohibition of hunting game for the one who has entered Ihram for Hajj or for Umrah or for both

Al-Sa'b bin Jaththama al-Laithi reported that he presented a wild ass to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) when he was at al-Abwa', or Waddan, and he refused to accept it. He (the narrator) said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) looked into my face (which had the mark of dejection as my present had been rejected by him) he (in order to console me) said: We have refused it only because we are in a state of Ihram.

A hadith (pertaining to this topic), has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri (and the words are): "I presented to him (the Holy Prophet) a wild ass."

It is narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters (the narrator having) said this: "I presented to him the flesh of a wild ass."

Ibn 'Abbas (RA) reported that al-Sa'b bin Jaththama presented to the Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) a wild ass as he was in a state of Ihram, and he returned it to him saying: If we were not in a state of Ihram, we would have accepted it from you.

The narration transmitted by Hakam (the words are): Al-Sa'b bin Jaththama presented to the Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) the leg of a wild ass. And in the narration transmitted by Shu'bah (the words are): (He presented to him) the rump of a wild ass as the blood was trickling from it. In the narration transmitted by Shu'bah on the authority of Habib (the words are): A part of a wild ass was presented to the Apostle (ﷺ) (may peace he upon him) and he returned it to him (who presented it).

Tawus reported on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (RA) that one day Zaid bin Arqam went to him (Ibn 'Abbas) and said: Narrate how you informed me about the meat of the game presented to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as he was in the state of Ihram. Thereupon he said: He was presented with a slice of the meat of game, but he returned it to him (who presented it) saying: We are not going to eat it, as we are in the state of Ihram.

Abu Qatadah (RA) reported: We went with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) till we reached al-Qaha (a place three stages away from Madinah). Some of us were in the state of Ihram and some of us were not. I saw my companions looking towards something, and as I saw I found it to be a wild ass. I saddled my horse and took up my spear and then mounted upon (the horse) and my whip fell down. I said to my companions as they were in the state of Ihram to pick up the whip for me but they said: By Allah, we cannot help you in any (such) thing (i. e. hunting). So i dismounted (the horse) and picked it (whip) up and mounted again and caught the wild ass after chasing it. It was behind a hillock and I attacked it with my spear and killed it. Then I brought it to my companions. Some of them said: Eat it, while others said: Do not eat it. The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) was in front of us. I moved my horse and came to him (and asked him), whereupon he said: It is permissible, so eat it.

Abu Qatadah (RA) (RA) reported that while he was with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on one of the highways of Makkah, he lagged behind him (the Holy Prophet) along with companions who were in the state of Ihram, whereas he was himself not Muhrim. He saw a wild ass. As he was mounting his horse he asked his companions to pick up for him his whip (which had dropped) but they refused to do so. He asked them to hand him over the spear, but they refused. He then himself took hold of it and chased the wild ass and killed it. Some of the Companions of the Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) ate (its meat), but some of them refused to do so. They overtook the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and asked him about it, and he said: It is a food which Allah provided you (so eat it).

This hadith pertaining to the wild ass is reported on the authority of Abu Qatadah (RA). The rest of the hadith is the same but with this (variation of words) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Is there with you some of its flesh?"

'Abdullah bin Abu Qatadah (RA) reported: My father went with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the year of Hudaibiya. His Companions entered upon the state of Ihram whereas he did not, for it was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that the enemy (was hiding at) Ghaiqa. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went forward. He (Abu Qatadah (RA)) said: Meanwhile I was along with his Companions, some of them smiled (to one another) as I cast a glance I saw a wild ass. I attacked it with a spear and held it, and begged for their (i. e. of his companions) assistance, but they refused to help me and we ate its meat. But we were afraid lest we should be separated (from the Messenger of Allah) (ﷺ) . So I proceeded on (with a view to) seeking the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) . Sometimes I dashed my horse and sometimes I made it run at a leisurely pace (keeping pace with others). (In the meanwhile) I met a person from Banu Ghifar in the middle of the night. I said to him: Where did you meet the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ? He said: I left him at Ta'bin and he intended to halt at Suqya to spend the afternoon. I met him and said: Messenger of Allah. your Companions convey salutations and benedictions of Allah to you and they fear that they may not be separated from you (and the enemy may do harm to you), so wait for them, and he (the Holy Prophet) waited for them. I said: Messenger of Allah, I killed a game and there is left with me (some of the meat). The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) said to his people: Eat it. And they were in the state of Ihram.

'Abdullah bin Abu Qatadah (RA) reported on the authority of his father (RA) : The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) set out for Pilgrimage and we also set out along with him. He (Abu Qatadah (RA)) said: There proceeded on some of his Companions and Abu Qatadah (RA) was (one of them). He, (the Holy Prophet) said: You proceed along the coastline till you meet me. He (Abu Qatadah (RA)) said: So they proceeded ahead of the Prophet (ﷺ) of God (ﷺ) , all of them had entered upon the state of Ihram, except Abu Qatadah (RA); he had not put on Ihram. As they went on they saw a wild ass, and Abu Qatadah (RA) attacked it and cut off its hind legs. They got down and ate its meat. They said: We ate meat in the state of Ihram. They carried the meat that was left of it. As they came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) they said: Messenger of Allah, we were in the state of Ihram where as Abu Qatadah (RA) was not. We saw a wild ass and Abu Qatadah (RA) attacked it and cut off its hind legs. We got down and ate its meat and we thus ate the meat of a game while we were in the state of Ihram. We have (carried to you) what was left out of its meat. Thereupon he (the holy Prophet) said: Did anyone among you command him (to hunt) or point to him with anything (to do so)? They said: No. Thereupon he said: Then eat what is left out of its meat.

This hadith is narrated on the authority of 'Uthman bin 'Abdullah bin Mauhab with the same chain of transmitters. And in the narration transmitted on the authority of Shaiban (the words are): "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Did any one of you command him to attack it or point towards it?" And in the narration transmitted by Shu'bah (the words are): "Did you point out or did you help or did you hunt?" Shu'bah said: I do not know whether he said: "Did you help or did you hunt?"

Abdullah bin Abu Qatadah (RA) narrated on the authority of his father (RA) that they went with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on an expedition to Hudaibiya. He (further) said: They had entered upon the state of Ihram except I for 'Umrah. He (again) said: I (Abu Qatadah (RA)) hunted a wild ass and fed my companions in the state of their being Muhrim. I then came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and informed him that we had with us the meat that was left out of it. Thereupon he said: Eat it while they were in the state of Ihram.

'Abdullah bin Abu Qatadah (RA) reported on the authority of his father (RA) that they went out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and they were Muhrim except Abu Qatadah (RA). The rest of the hadith is the same (but with the exception of these words): "He (the Holy Prophet) said: Is there anything out of it? They said: We have its leg with us. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took it and ate it."

Abdullah bin Abi Qatada reported that Abu Qatadah (RA) was among the party of those who had entered upon the state of Ihram whereas he was not. The rest of the hadith is the same (and herein it is also narrated): "He (the Holy Prophet) said: Did any person among you point to him (to hunt) or command him (in any form)? They said: Messenger of Allah, not at all. Thereupon he said: Then eat it."

Abdul Rahman bin 'Uthman Taimi reported on the authority of his father; While we were with Talha bin 'Ubaidullah (RA) and were in the state of Ihram we were presented a (cooked) bird. Talha was sleeping. Some of us ate it and some of us refrained from (eating) it. When Talha awoke he agreed with him who ate it, and said: We ate it along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) .