Compiled by Imam Muhammad al-Bukhari
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ، مَوْلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ نَافِعٍ، مَوْلَى أَبِي قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ بِبَعْضِ طَرِيقِ مَكَّةَ تَخَلَّفَ مَعَ أَصْحَابٍ لَهُ مُحْرِمِينَ، وَهْوَ غَيْرُ مُحْرِمٍ، فَرَأَى حِمَارًا وَحْشِيًّا، فَاسْتَوَى عَلَى فَرَسِهِ، ثُمَّ سَأَلَ أَصْحَابَهُ أَنْ يُنَاوِلُوهُ سَوْطًا، فَأَبَوْا فَسَأَلَهُمْ رُمْحَهُ فَأَبَوْا فَأَخَذَهُ ثُمَّ شَدَّ عَلَى الْحِمَارِ، فَقَتَلَهُ فَأَكَلَ مِنْهُ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَبَى بَعْضُهُمْ، فَلَمَّا أَدْرَكُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَأَلُوهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ " إِنَّمَا هِيَ طُعْمَةٌ أَطْعَمَكُمُوهَا اللَّهُ ".
that once he was with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (on the way to Mecca). When he had covered some of the way to Mecca, he and some companions of his, who were in the state of lhram. remained behind the Prophet while Abu Qatada himself was not in the state of Ihram. Abu Qatada, seeing an onager rode his horse and asked his companions to hand him a whip, but they refused. He then asked them to hand him his spear, but they refused. Then he took it himself and attacked the onager and killed it. Some of the Companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ate of it, but some others refused to eat. When they met Allah's Apostle they asked him about that. He said, "It was meal given to you by Allah."