578 - Issue: He [Ibn Qudama] said: "He shall not kill game, nor hunt it, nor point to it, nor direct others to it, whether one is in a state of ihram or not (1)."

There is no disagreement among scholars regarding the prohibition of killing game and hunting it for one in a state of ihram. Allah the Exalted explicitly mentioned this (2) in His Book, saying, the Almighty: "O you who believe, do not kill game while you are in the state of ihram" (3). He also said: "Game of the sea and its food are permitted for you... but prohibited for you is game of the land as long as you are in the state of ihram" (4). Pointing toward game and directing others to it are also prohibited for him. In the hadith of Abu Qatadah (5), when he hunted a wild ass while his companions were in a state of ihram, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to his companions: "Did any of you order him to attack it, or point toward it?" In a version agreed upon: "They saw a wild ass, and I was busy patching my sandal, so they did not alert me, though they loved for me to have seen it." This indicates that they believed pointing to it was prohibited. The Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) question to them: "Did any of you order him to attack it, or point toward it?" indicates that the prohibition would attach to such an act had it occurred from them. This is because it is a cause leading to an act prohibited for him, so it was prohibited, just like setting a trap.

Section: It is not permissible for him to assist in hunting in any way. In the agreed-upon hadith of Abu Qatadah: "Then I rode and forgot my whip and spear, so I said to them, 'Hand me the whip and the spear.'"