Tirmidhi Book 9, Hadith 847

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي قَتَادَةَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ بِبَعْضِ طَرِيقِ مَكَّةَ تَخَلَّفَ مَعَ أَصْحَابٍ لَهُ مُحْرِمِينَ وَهُوَ غَيْرُ مُحْرِمٍ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَرَأَى حِمَارًا وَحْشِيًّا فَاسْتَوَى عَلَى فَرَسِهِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَسَأَلَ أَصْحَابَهُ أَنْ يُنَاوِلُوهُ سَوْطَهُ فَأَبَوْا، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَسَأَلَهُمْ رُمْحَهُ فَأَبَوْا عَلَيْهِ فَأَخَذَهُ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏ثُمَّ شَدَّ عَلَى الْحِمَارِ فَقَتَلَهُ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَأَكَلَ مِنْهُ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَبَى بَعْضُهُمْ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَأَدْرَكُوا النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَسَأَلُوهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالَ:‏‏‏‏ إِنَّمَا هِيَ طُعْمَةٌ أَطْعَمَكُمُوهَا اللَّهُ .

Abu Qatadah narrated that: He was with the Prophet and when he got to one of the roads of Makkah some of the companions were Muhrim and he (Abu Qatadah) was not a Muhrim. So he saw a wild donkey, so he mounted his horse, asked his companions to give him his whip but they refused, so he asked them to give him his spear and they refused. So he (himself) took it and struck the donkey killing it. Some of the Companions of the Prophet ate it and some of them refused. When they caught up to the Prophet they asked him about that and he said: It is only food which Allah fed you.