That his father had told him that Messenger of Allah 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 Messenger of Allah ﷺ they asked, saying, "O Messenger of Allah 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 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."  

أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَرَجَ حَاجًّا فَخَرَجُوا مَعَهُ فَصَرَفَ طَائِفَةً مِنْهُمْ فِيهِمْ أَبُو قَتَادَةَ فَقَالَ خُذُوا سَاحِلَ الْبَحْرِ حَتَّى نَلْتَقِيَ فَأَخَذُوا سَاحِلَ الْبَحْرِ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفُوا أَحْرَمُوا كُلُّهُمْ إِلاَّ أَبُو قَتَادَةَ لَمْ يُحْرِمْ فَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ يَسِيرُونَ إِذْ رَأَوْا حُمُرَ وَحْشٍ فَحَمَلَ أَبُو قَتَادَةَ عَلَى الْحُمُرِ فَعَقَرَ مِنْهَا أَتَانًا فَنَزَلُوا فَأَكَلُوا مِنْ لَحْمِهَا وَقَالُوا أَنَأْكُلُ لَحْمَ صَيْدٍ وَنَحْنُ مُحْرِمُونَ فَحَمَلْنَا مَا بَقِيَ مِنْ لَحْمِ الأَتَانِ فَلَمَّا أَتَوْا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا كُنَّا أَحْرَمْنَا وَقَدْ كَانَ أَبُو قَتَادَةَ لَمْ يُحْرِمْ فَرَأَيْنَا حُمُرَ وَحْشٍ فَحَمَلَ عَلَيْهَا أَبُو قَتَادَةَ فَعَقَرَ مِنْهَا أَتَانًا فَنَزَلْنَا فَأَكَلْنَا مِنْ لَحْمِهَا ثُمَّ قُلْنَا أَنَأْكُلُ لَحْمَ صَيْدٍ وَنَحْنُ مُحْرِمُونَ فَحَمَلْنَا مَا بَقِيَ مِنْ لَحْمِهَا قَالَ مِنْكُمْ أَحَدٌ أَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَحْمِلَ عَلَيْهَا أَوْ أَشَارَ إِلَيْهَا قَالُوا لاَ قَالَ فَكُلُوا مَا بَقِيَ مِنْ لَحْمِهَا  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ set out for Pilgrimage and we also set out along with him. He (Abu Qatada) said: There proceeded on some of his Companions and Abu Qatada was (one of them). He (the Prophet) said: You proceed along the coastline till you meet me. He (Abu Qatada) said: So they proceeded ahead of the Prophet of Allah ﷺ, all of them had entered upon the state of Ihram, except Abu Qatada; he had not put on ihram. As they went on they saw a wild ass, and Abu Qatada 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 (way peace be upon him) they said: Messenger of Allah, we were in the state of Ihram whereas Abu Qatada was not. We saw a wild ass and Abu Qatada 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.  

خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَاجًّا وَخَرَجْنَا مَعَهُ قَالَ فَصَرَفَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فِيهِمْ أَبُو قَتَادَةَ فَقَالَ خُذُوا سَاحِلَ الْبَحْرِ حَتَّى تَلْقَوْنِي قَالَ فَأَخَذُوا سَاحِلَ الْبَحْرِ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفُوا قِبَلَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحْرَمُوا كُلُّهُمْ إِلاَّ أَبَا قَتَادَةَ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يُحْرِمْ فَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ يَسِيرُونَ إِذْ رَأَوْا حُمُرَ وَحْشٍ فَحَمَلَ عَلَيْهَا أَبُو قَتَادَةَ فَعَقَرَ مِنْهَا أَتَانًا فَنَزَلُوا فَأَكَلُوا مِنْ لَحْمِهَا قَالَ فَقَالُوا أَكَلْنَا لَحْمًا وَنَحْنُ مُحْرِمُونَ قَالَ فَحَمَلُوا مَا بَقِيَ مِنْ لَحْمِ الأَتَانِ فَلَمَّا أَتَوْا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا كُنَّا أَحْرَمْنَا وَكَانَ أَبُو قَتَادَةَ لَمْ يُحْرِمْ فَرَأَيْنَا حُمُرَ وَحْشٍ فَحَمَلَ عَلَيْهَا أَبُو قَتَادَةَ فَعَقَرَ مِنْهَا أَتَانًا فَنَزَلْنَا فَأَكَلْنَا مِنْ لَحْمِهَا فَقُلْنَا نَأْكُلُ لَحْمَ صَيْدٍ وَنَحْنُ مُحْرِمُونَ فَحَمَلْنَا مَا بَقِيَ مِنْ لَحْمِهَا فَقَالَ هَلْ مِنْكُمْ أَحَدٌ أَمَرَهُ أَوْ أَشَارَ إِلَيْهِ بِشَىْءٍ قَالَ قَالُوا لاَ قَالَ فَكُلُوا مَا بَقِيَ مِنْ لَحْمِهَا