Hunting During the Night

“I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), about hunting birds at night in their nests. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not unlawful.’” Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa has narrated from Ahmad ibn ‘Ushaym from Safwan ibn Yahya from abu al-Hassan al-Rida; ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has narrated a similar Hadith.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘Do not go to the baby birds in their nests at night or to the birds during their sleep [until the morning].’ A man then asked, ‘What is during their sleep, O Messenger of Allah?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘Night is their sleep, so do not enter in its sleep until the morning. Do not go to the baby birds in their nests until its feathers grow to fly. When it flies then aim your bow at it and fix for it your net.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, prohibited hunting birds during the night, saying that the night is sanctuary for them.’”