Hunting Domestic Birds

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ يَصِيدُ الطَّيْرَ يُسَاوِي دَرَاهِمَ كَثِيرَةً وَ هُوَ مُسْتَوِي الْجَنَاحَيْنِ وَ يَعْرِفُ صَاحِبَهُ أَوْ يَجِيئُهُ فَيَطْلُبُهُ مَنْ لَا يَتَّهِمُهُ قَالَ لَا يَحِلُّ لَهُ إِمْسَاكُهُ يَرُدُّهُ عَلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ فَإِنْ هُوَ صَادَ مَا هُوَ مَالِكٌ بِجَنَاحَيْهِ لَا يَعْرِفُ لَهُ طَالِباً قَالَ هُوَ لَهُ.

“I once asked al-Rida 5 (a.s.), about the case of a man who hunts a bird which is worth a large amount of dirham and it has leveled wings. He knows the owner of the bird or that he comes to ask about the bird but does not accuse him. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not lawful for him to keep. He must return it to him.’ I th

إِذَا مَلَكَ الطَّائِرُ جَنَاحَهُ فَهُوَ لِمَنْ أَخَذَهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If a bird has full control over its wings (is able to fly) it then belongs to whoever catches it . 555

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع عَنْ صَيْدِ الْحَمَامَةِ تُسَاوِي نِصْفَ دِرْهَمٍ أَوْ دِرْهَماً فَقَالَ إِذَا عَرَفْتَ صَاحِبَهُ فَرُدَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَعْرِفْ صَاحِبَهُ وَ كَانَ مُسْتَوِيَ الْجَنَاحَيْنِ يَطِيرُ بِهِمَا فَهُوَ لَكَ.

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about hunting pigeons worth one-half of a dirham or one dirham. He (the Imam) said, ‘If you know its owner return it to him; but if you do not know its owner and its wings are complete with both of which it can fly then it is yours . 555

قُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ الطَّيْرُ يَقَعُ عَلَى الدَّارِ فَيُؤْخَذُ أَ حَلَالٌ هُوَ أَمْ حَرَامٌ لِمَنْ أَخَذَهُ فَقَالَ يَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ عَافٍ أَمْ غَيْرُ عَافٍ‌[1] قَالَ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ وَ مَا الْعَافِي قَالَ الْمُسْتَوِي جَنَاحَاهُ الْمَالِكُ جَنَاحَيْهِ يَذْهَبُ حَيْثُ شَاءَ قَالَ هُوَ لِمَنْ أَخَذَهُ حَلَالٌ.

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, if a bird is trapped in the house and it is taken, is taking it lawful or unlawful. He (the Imam) asked, ‘O ’Isma‘il is it healthy or it is not healthy and free ? 5 I then asked, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ إِنَّ الطَّيْرَ إِذَا مَلَكَ جَنَاحَيْهِ فَهُوَ صَيْدٌ وَ هُوَ حَلَالٌ لِمَنْ أَخَذَهُ.

The birds which have full control over their wings, belong to whoever catches them and they are lawful for them . 555

فِي رَجُلٍ أَبْصَرَ طَائِراً فَتَبِعَهُ حَتَّى سَقَطَ[2] عَلَى شَجَرَةٍ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَأَخَذَهُ فَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع لِلْعَيْنِ مَا رَأَتْ وَ لِلْيَدِ مَا أَخَذَتْ.

“About a man who sees a bird and follows it until it sits on a tree and another man comes and takes it, ’Amir al-Mu 5 minin (a.s.), has said, ‘For an eye is what it has seen and for hands is what they catch 5 ”