What amount of carrion or prohibited food may a person eat when in dire necessity (ikhtirar)?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Hunting and Slaughter
Primary text
By consensus, the afflicted person is permitted to eat enough to sustain life and avoid death. By consensus, eating beyond satiety (shaba') is forbidden. The preferred of two narrations concerning satiety is that it is not permissible, which is the view of Abu Hanifa, one narration from Malik, and one opinion of Al-Shafi'i. The reasoning is that the exception granted by the verse only applies where necessity exists; once necessity is averted by sustaining life, eating further is prohibited, just as it was prohibited initially. After sustaining life, the person is no longer considered compelled by necessity.
Supporting text
The second narration permits eating until satiety. This view was preferred by Abu Bakr, based on the narration of Jabir ibn Samurah where the Prophet (peace be upon him) permitted eating the necessitated animal after asking if the man had any abundance to suffice him, and upon his negative reply, the Prophet did not differentiate between sustaining life and eating to fullness. Furthermore, what is permissible for sustaining life should also be permissible for satiety, similar to permissible items.