Expiation for Harming Birds and Eggs in the State of al-’Ihram

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one in the state of Ihram kills a pigeon, the ransom for it is one sheep, if he kill its chick its ransom is one lamb, and if he steps on its egg its ransom is one dirham.’”

“Abu Abdillah (as), has said, ‘For killing pigeons and its like in the state of Ihram, the ransom is one sheep, and for chicks it is one lamb for each.’ He (the Imam) was asked about a man who steps on the eggs of ostrich and breaks it, the Imam said, ‘Ali (as), issued a judgment that said, “He must send male camel on a female camel (i.e. to breed) to make an equal number of eggs affected and the mature offspring is sent as an offering for the Ka'aba."

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one in the state of Ihram kills a sandgrouse, he owes one lamb which is weaned and grazes shrubs.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who in the state of Ihram steps on the egg of a sandgrouse and shatters it. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must send rams on ewes equal to the number of eggs affected, as in the case of the eggs of an ostrich in which male camel are sent on female camels.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is in the book of Ali (a.s.), that the ransom for breaking the egg of a sandgrouse is one young ewe, just as for the egg of an ostrich the ransom is one young she camel.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who in the state of Ihram kills a chick in non-al-Haram (the sacred area). He (the Imam) said, ‘He owes one lamb and he does not have to pay its cost because it is not in al-Haram (the sacred area).”’

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the cost of turtledove, al-Dubsiy, (a certain bird), quail, sparrow and nightingale. He (the Imam) said, ‘He owes the cost. If he, however, has killed it in the state of Ihram in al-Haram (the sacred area), he owes double of the cost, but there is no offering of animal life.”’

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who in the state of Ihram kills a lark, sparrow or al-Sa‘wah (small sparrow). He (the Imam) said, ‘He owes one mud (a certain measurement) of food for each one of them.’”

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘It is in the book of Ali (a.s.), ‘If one in the state of Ihram kills a sandgrouse, partridge or francolin or a similar bird he owes an offering animal.”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who has harmed two birds. One is of the pigeons of al-Haram (the sacred area) and the other is from non-al-Haram (the sacred area). He (the Imam) said, ‘He must buy an amount of wheat which is of equal value to the pigeon of al-Haram and feed it to the pigeons of al-Haram, and give charity as penalty for the other.’”