Abul-Harith was in charge of some of the affairs of Makkah at the time of ʿUthman. ʿUthman ؓ came to Makkah and ʿAbdullah bin Al-Harith said: I welcomed ‘Uthman in the camp at Qudaid. The people of the oasis caught a partridge and cooked it in water and salt, then they cut it into pieces to make thareed, and we offered it to ʿUthman and his companions, but they refused to eat it. ʿUthman ؓ said: It is game that I did not catch and I did not order it to be caught; it was caught by people who are not in ihram, and they have offered it to us, so there is nothing wrong with it. ʿUthman said, Who can say something about this issue? They said: ʿAli. So he sent for ʿAli ؓ , who came to him. ʿAbdullah bin Al-Harith said: It is as if I can see ‘Ali when he came, brushing some leaves off his hands. ʿUthman ؓ said to him: Game that we did not catch and we did not order it to be caught; it was caught by people who are not in ihram and they offered it to us, so there is nothing wrong with it. ‘Ali got angry and said: I adjure any man who was present with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when the meat of an onager was brought and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “We are people who are in ihram; give it to people who are not in ihram.” Twelve of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ bore witness to that. Then ʿAli ؓ said: I adjure by Allah, any man who was present with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when some ostrich eggs were brought and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ʿWe are people who are in ihram; give them to people who are not in ihram.ʿ Fewer than twelve men bore witness. Then ʿUthman turned away from the food and entered his tent, and that food was eaten by the people of the oasis.

كَانَ أَبِي الْحَارِثُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ مِنْ أُمُورِ مَكَّةَ فِي زَمَنِ عُثْمَانَ فَأَقْبَلَ عُثْمَانُ إِلَى مَكَّةَ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ فَاسْتَقْبَلْتُ عُثْمَانَ بِالنُّزُلِ بِقُدَيْدٍ فَاصْطَادَ أَهْلُ الْمَاءِ حَجَلًا فَطَبَخْنَاهُ بِمَاءٍ وَمِلْحٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ عُرَاقًا لِلثَّرِيدِ فَقَدَّمْنَاهُ إِلَى عُثْمَانَ وَأَصْحَابِهِ فَأَمْسَكُوا فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ صَيْدٌ لَمْ أَصْطَدْهُ وَلَمْ نَأْمُرْ بِصَيْدِهِ اصْطَادَهُ قَوْمٌ حِلٌّ فَأَطْعَمُونَاهُ فَمَا بَأْسٌ؟ فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ مَنْ يَقُولُ فِي هَذَا؟ فَقَالُوا عَلِيٌّ فَبَعَثَ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ فَجَاءَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ فَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَىعَلِيٍّ حِينَ جَاءَ وَهُوَ يَحُتُّ الْخَبَطَ عَنْ كَفَّيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُثْمَانُ صَيْدٌ لَمْ نَصْطَدْهُ وَلَمْ نَأْمُرْ بِصَيْدِهِ اصْطَادَهُ قَوْمٌ حِلٌّ فَأَطْعَمُونَاهُ فَمَا بَأْسٌ؟ قَالَ فَغَضِبَ عَلِيٌّ وَقَالَ أَنْشُدُ اللهَ رَجُلًا شَهِدَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ حِينَ أُتِيَ بِقَائِمَةِ حِمَارِ وَحْشٍ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّا قَوْمٌ حُرُمٌ فَأَطْعِمُوهُ أَهْلَ الْحِلِّ قَالَ فَشَهِدَ اثْنَا عَشَرَ رَجُلًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ ثُمَّ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ أُنْشِدُ اللهَ رَجُلًا شَهِدَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ حِينَ أُتِيَ بِبَيْضِ النَّعَامِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّا قَوْمٌ حُرُمٌ أَطْعِمُوهُ أَهْلَ الْحِلِّ قَالَ فَشَهِدَ دُونَهُمْ مِنَ الْعِدَّةِ مِنَ الِاثْنَيْ عَشَرَ قَالَ فَثَنَى عُثْمَانُ وَرِكَهُ عَنِ الطَّعَامِ فَدَخَلَ رَحْلَهُ وَأَكَلَ ذَلِكَ الطَّعَامَ أَهْلُ الْمَاءِ