What is the ruling regarding receiving a gift of hunted game while in the state of Ihram?
Chapter on What the Muhrim Must Avoid and What is Permissible for Him
Al-Mughni
Book of Hajj
Primary text
The Hadith narrated from Al-Sa'b ibn Judama al-Laythi states that he presented a wild donkey as a gift to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while the Prophet was in Ihram, and the Prophet returned it, stating the reason was his state of Ihram. Similarly, Ali refused to eat game meat prepared for him when he was in Ihram, affirming that the Prophet refused to eat a wild donkey gifted to him. This establishes that game hunted for or gifted to a person in Ihram is forbidden for them. The primary evidence supports this: "The game of the land is permissible for you unless you hunt it or it is hunted for you" (Hadith narrated by Jabir, graded as the best in the chapter by Al-Tirmidhi). This Hadith reconciles differing reports by establishing the condition that the animal was hunted specifically for the pilgrim.
Supporting text
Some instances where the Prophet accepted or shared game, such as the crippled wild ass divided by Abu Bakr, or the bird eaten by Talha's companions, are reconciled by applying the specific condition derived from Jabir’s Hadith—that if the circumstances do not explicitly mention that the game was hunted *for* them, the primary prohibition, strengthened by the case of Al-Sa'b ibn Judama, applies.