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 ‏.‏

It wasnarrated that Khuzaimah bin Jaz’ said

“I said: ‘O MessengerofAllah, 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 themand Ido not forbid them.’ I said: ‘I will eat of that which youhave notforbidden. But why (do you not eat them), O Messenger ofAllah?’ Hesaid: ‘One of the nations was turned into beasts and Ilooked at thiscreature and was uncertain.’ I said: ‘O Messengerof Allah, what doyou say about rabbits?’ He said: ‘I do not eatthem and I do notforbid them.’ I said: ‘I will eat of that whichyou have notforbidden. But why (do you not eat them), O Messenger ofAllah?’ Hesaid: ‘I have been told that it menstruates.’”