Sahih al-Bukhari 5490

We were in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) at a place called Al-Qaha (which is at a distance of three stages of journey from Medina). Abu Qatada narrated through another group of narrators: We were in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) at a place called Al-Qaha and some of us had assumed Ihram while the others had not. I noticed that some of my companions were watching something, so I looked up and saw an onager. (I rode my horse and took the spear and whip) but my whip fell down (and I asked them to pick it up for me) but they said, "We will not help you by any means as we are in a state of Ihram." So, I picked up the whip myself and attacked the onager from behind a hillock and slaughtered it and brought it to my companions. Some of them said, "Eat it." While some others said, "Do not eat it." So, I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) who was ahead of us and asked him about it, He replied, "Eat it as it is Halal (i.e. it is legal to eat it).

That his father had told him that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) set out for Hajj and so did his companions. He sent a batch of his companions by another route and Abu Qatada was one of them. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to them, "Proceed along the seashore till we meet all together." So, they took the route of the seashore, and when they started all of them assumed Ihram except Abu Qatada. While they were proceeding on, his companions saw a group of onagers. Abu Qatada chased the onagers and attacked and wounded a sheonager. They got down and ate some of its meat and said to each other: "How do we eat the meat of the game while we are in a state of Ihram?" So, we (they) carried the rest of the she-onager's meat, and when they met Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) they asked, saying, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ! We assumed Ihram with the exception of Abu Qatada and we saw (a group) of onagers. Abu Qatada attacked them and wounded a she-onager from them. Then we got down and ate from its meat. Later, we said, (to each other), 'How do we eat the meat of the game and we are in a state of Ihram?' So, we carried the rest of its meat. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, "Did anyone of you order Abu Qatada to attack it or point at it?" They replied in the negative. He said, "Then eat what is left of its meat."

That his father said, "One day I was sitting with some of the Prophet's companions on the way to Mecca. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was ahead of us. All of my companions were in the state of Ihram while I was a non-Muhrim. They saw an onager while I was busy repairing my shoes, so they did not tell me about it but they wished I had seen it. By chance I looked up and saw it. So, I turned to the horse, saddled it and rode on it, forgetting to take the spear and the whip. I asked them if they could hand over to me the whip and the spear but they said, 'No, by Allah, we shall not help you in that in any way.' I became angry and got down from the horse, picked up both the things and rode the horse again. I attacked the onager and slaughtered it, and brought it (after it had been dead). They took it (cooked some of it) and started eating it, but they doubted whether it was allowed for them to eat it or not, as they were in the state of Ihram. So, we proceeded and I hid with me one of its fore-legs. When we met Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and asked him about the case, he asked, 'Do you have a portion of it with you?' I replied in the affirmative and gave him that fleshy foreleg which he ate completely while he was in the state of Ihram .

Once, while I was sitting with the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) at a station on the road to Mecca and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was stationing ahead of us and all the people were assuming Ihram while I was not. My companion, saw an onager while I was busy Mending my shoes. They did not Inform me of the onager but they wished that I would see it Suddenly I looked and saw the onager Then I headed towards my horse, saddled it and rode, but I forgot to take the lash and the spear. So I said to them my companions), "Give me the lash and the spear." But they said, "No, by Allah we will not help you in any way to hunt it ' I got angry, dismounted, took it the spear and the lash), rode (the horse chased the onager and wounded it Then I brought it when it had dyed. My companions started eating of its (cooked) meat, but they suspected that it might be unlawful to eat of its meat while they were in a state of Ihram Then I proceeded further and I kept one of its forelegs with me. When we met Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) we asked him about that. He said, "Have you some of its meat with you?" I gave him that foreleg and he ate the meat till he stripped the bone of its flesh although he was in a state of Ihram.

That he was in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and when they had covered a portion of the road to Mecca, he and some of the companions lagged behind. The latter were in a state of Ihram, while he was not. He saw an onager and rode his horse and requested his companions to give him his lash but they refused. Then he asked them to give him his spear but they refused, so he took it himself, attacked the onager, and killed it. Some of the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) ate of it while some others refused to eat. When they caught up with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) they asked him about that, and he said, "That was a meal Allah fed you with." (It is also said that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked, "Have you got something of its meat?")

It is a food which Allah provided you (so eat it).