Chapter: The Ruling on Carrion
The flesh of any land animal that dies without lawful slaughter is forbidden to eat, except when one is driven by urgent necessity and fears for his life. In Mālik’s view, the person in such straits may eat until he is full and may even take from the carrion as provisions, so long as the need continues, until he finds properly-slaughtered meat or any other lawful food. Once that food is available, whatever carrion remains in his possession becomes forbidden to him. Other jurists allow him only the amount that will stave off hunger and keep him alive, maintaining that his initial condition did not entitle him to more. If a traveler is on a journey of disobedience and then faces necessity, he may not eat carrion until he abandons the sin for which he set out—though some have said he may eat if he genuinely fears for his life.

Mālik also rules that carrion is lawful for a person in dire need who is in iḥrām (ritual consecration), even though hunting or eating game in the Sacred Precinct would ordinarily be prohibited. The concession stands unless the carrion has become putrid and poses a danger; in that case he may hunt inside the ḥaram and eat only what will keep him alive, following the same limits that govern carrion as already mentioned.

If someone in need comes upon both carrion and another person’s property, he may not resort to the carrion unless he fears that his hand would be cut off for taking the other’s wealth. If he does not fear that, he should take from the owner’s property, and he must reimburse it when able. Some have said there is no liability for what necessity compels, but the sounder opinion is that he is indeed liable, just as when a person is forced to consume a found article in his possession before a full year has passed.