(My father) al-Harith was the governor of at-Ta'if under the caliph Uthman. He prepared food for Uthman which contained birds and the flesh of wild ass. He sent it to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). When the Messenger came to him he was beating leaves for camels and shaking them off with his hand. He said to him: Eat it. He replied: Give it to the people who are not in sacred state; we are wearing ihram. I adjure the people of Ashja' who are present here. Do you know that a man presented a wild ass to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was in ihram? But he refused to eat from it. They said: Yes.  

عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَكَانَ الْحَارِثُ خَلِيفَةَ عُثْمَانَ عَلَى الطَّائِفِ فَصَنَعَ لِعُثْمَانَ طَعَامًا فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَجَلِ وَالْبَعَاقِيبِ وَلَحْمِ الْوَحْشِ قَالَ فَبَعَثَ إِلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ فَجَاءَهُ الرَّسُولُ وَهُوَ يَخْبِطُ لأَبَاعِرَ لَهُ فَجَاءَهُ وَهُوَ يَنْفُضُ الْخَبَطَ عَنْ يَدِهِ فَقَالُوا لَهُ كُلْ فَقَالَ أَطْعِمُوهُ قَوْمًا حَلاَلاً فَإِنَّا حُرُمٌ فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ ؓ أَنْشُدُ اللَّهَ مَنْ كَانَ هَا هُنَا مِنْ أَشْجَعَ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَهْدَى إِلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ حِمَارَ وَحْشٍ وَهُوَ مُحْرِمٌ فَأَبَى أَنْ يَأْكُلَهُ قَالُوا نَعَمْ  

Ibn ‘Abbas said Zaid bin ‘Arqam do you know that the limb of a game was presented to the Apostle of Allaah ﷺ but he did not accept it. He said “We are wearing ihram”. He replied, Yes.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أُهْدِيَ إِلَيْهِ عُضْوُ صَيْدٍ فَلَمْ يَقْبَلْهُ وَقَالَ إِنَّا حُرُمٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ  

I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: The game of the land is lawful for you (when you are wearing ihram) as long as you do not hunt it or have it hunted on your behalf. Abu Dawud said: When two traditions from the Prophet ﷺ conflict, one should see which of them was followed by his Companions.  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ صَيْدُ الْبَرِّ لَكُمْ حَلاَلٌ مَا لَمْ تَصِيدُوهُ أَوْ يُصَدْ لَكُمْ  

Abu Qatadah said that he accompanied the Apostle of Allaah ﷺ and he stayed behind on the way to Makkah with some of his companions who were wearing ihram, although he was not. When he saw a wild ass he mounted his horse and asked them to hand him his whip, but they refused. He then asked them to hand him his lance. When they refused, he took it, chased the while ass and killed it. Some of the Companions of the Apostle of Allaah ﷺ ate it and some refused (to eat). When they met the Apostle of Allaah ﷺ they asked him about it. He said that was the food that Allaah provided you for eating.  

أَنَّهُ كَانَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ بِبَعْضِ طَرِيقِ مَكَّةَ تَخَلَّفَ مَعَ أَصْحَابٍ لَهُ مُحْرِمِينَ وَهُوَ غَيْرُ مُحْرِمٍ فَرَأَى حِمَارًا وَحْشِيًّا فَاسْتَوَى عَلَى فَرَسِهِ قَالَ فَسَأَلَ أَصْحَابَهُ أَنْ يُنَاوِلُوهُ سَوْطَهُ فَأَبَوْا فَسَأَلَهُمْ رُمْحَهُ فَأَبَوْا فَأَخَذَهُ ثُمَّ شَدَّ عَلَى الْحِمَارِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَأَكَلَ مِنْهُ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَبَى بَعْضُهُمْ فَلَمَّا أَدْرَكُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ سَأَلُوهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا هِيَ طُعْمَةٌ أَطْعَمَكُمُوهَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى