“A man from among Ahlus-Suffah called the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he had finished the prayer, saying: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Our land is a land infested with mastigures. What do you think of (eating) mastigures?’ He said: ‘I have heard that a nation was transformed.’ He did not tell us to eat them, and he did not forbid that.”
“O Messenger of Allah, it is the flesh of a mastigure.” He took his hand away, and Khalid said to him: “O Messenger of Allah, is a mastigure unlawful?” He said: “No, but it is not found in my land and I find it distasteful.” He said: “Then Khalid bent over the mastigure and ate some of it, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was looking at him.”
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ مَرَرْنَا بِمَرِّ الظَّهْرَانِ فَأَنْفَجْنَا أَرْنَبًا فَسَعَوْا عَلَيْهَا فَلَغَبُوا فَسَعَيْتُ حَتَّى أَدْرَكْتُهَا فَأَتَيْتُ بِهَا أَبَا طَلْحَةَ فَذَبَحَهَا فَبَعَثَ بِعَجُزِهَا وَوَرِكِهَا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَبِلَهَا .
We passed by Marr Az-Zahran and startled a rabbit. They chased it but got tired, so I chased it and caught it. I brought it to Abu Talhah who slaughtered it and sent its rump and thigh to the Prophet (ﷺ), who accepted it.
“O Messenger of Allah, I caught these two rabbits but I cannot find any iron* with which to slaughter them with Marwah** and eat them?” He said: “Eat.”
“I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have come to you to ask you about the vermin of the earth. What do you say about mastigures?’ He said: ‘I do not eat them and I do not forbid them.’ I said: ‘I will eat of that which you have not forbidden. But why (do you not eat them), O Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘One of the nations was turned into beasts and I looked at this creature and was uncertain.’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, what do you say about rabbits?’ He said: ‘I do not eat them and I do not forbid them.’ I said: ‘I will eat of that which you have not forbidden. But why (do you not eat them), O Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘I have been told that it menstruates.’”