Musnad Imam Shafi'i

It is narrated from Abu Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said regarding the egg of an ostrich: "Whoever in the state of Ihram picks it up, then there is a compensation of fasting for one day or feeding one needy person upon him."

It is also narrated in a similar manner from Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) through another chain of transmission.

It is narrated from Yusuf bin Mahak that Abdullah bin Abi Ammar told him that he came with Mu'adh bin Jabal and Ka'b al-Ahbar (may Allah be pleased with them both) among the people in the state of ihram for 'Umrah from Bayt al-Maqdis. When we were on the way and Ka'b was warming himself by a fire, a swarm of locusts passed by him, so he caught two locusts and roasted them, forgetting that he was in ihram. Then, when he remembered that he was in ihram, he threw them away. When we came to Madinah, the people went to 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and I also went. Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) related the incident of the locusts to 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: "Who is that? Perhaps, O Ka'b, it is you?" Ka'b said: "Yes." 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Indeed, Himyar (an ancient tribe of Yemen) likes locusts." 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "How much fidyah (compensation) have you calculated for yourself?" He replied: "Two dirhams." 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Wow! Two dirhams are better than a hundred locusts, so keep what you have calculated for yourself."

Ata says that Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) was asked about hunting locusts in the Haram, so he replied: "No," and forbade it. Ata said: I said to him, or a man from the people said to him, "Your people sit in the mosque tied up with their clothes, and they catch them?" So Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "They do not have knowledge."

It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) through another chain in the same manner, but in this narration, the narrator has mentioned the words «منحنون» (that they are bent) instead of «محتبون». And the memorizers have narrated from Ibn Jurayj that «منحنون» is more eloquent than «محتبون».

Qasim narrates that I was sitting with Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) when a man asked him about the ruling of killing a locust while in the state of Ihram. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) replied: "For this, a handful of food (as compensation) is required, and he should definitely catch a handful of locusts." Imam Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas’s statement that he should catch a handful of locusts means that only the value will be considered, and his saying «ولو» means that caution will be exercised in paying that value, and he will give more than what is obligatory upon him, after I have informed you that it is more than what is obligatory upon you.

Bukair bin Abdullah narrates from Qasim that a man asked Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) about a muhrim (person in the state of ihram) who hunts locusts. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he should give a handful of grain as charity. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) also said that he should take a handful of locusts, but this is an opinion (i.e., there is no Shari' evidence for it).