✅ Answer: The ostrich, referred to as "na'ameh" in the Arabic language, and the male of it called "al-zulm" or "al-hayq," while the female is called "al-qalwas," is a bird belonging to the dryland birds. It is not considered a domesticated animal and is usually hunted for consumption due to its wild nature.

✅ The Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) have provided principles for their followers to determine the permissibility of consuming the meat of animals and birds. The following criteria are presented:

عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِی حَدِیثٍ قَالَ کُلِ الْآنَ مِنْ طَیْرِ الْبَرِّ مَا کَانَتْ لَهُ حَوْصَلَةٌ وَ مِنْ طَیْرِ الْمَاءِ مَا کَانَتْ لَهُ قَانِصَةٌ کَقَانِصَةِ الْحَمَامِ لَا مَعِدَةٌ کَمَعِدَةِ الْإِنْسَانِ إِلَی أَنْ قَالَ وَ الْقَانِصَةُ وَ الْحَوْصَلَةُ یُمْتَحَنُ بِهِمَا مِنَ الطَّیْرِ مَا لَا یُعْرَفُ طَیَرَانُهُ وَ کُلُّ طَیْرٍ مَجْهُولٍ

📚 Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 247

Translation: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said in a narration: "Now, eat the dryland birds that have gizzards (crops) and the aquatic birds that have craws, like the craw of a dove, which is similar to the human stomach. As far as the birds with craws and gizzards whose flight is not known and every unknown bird are concerned, they are examined."

عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ کُلْ مِنَ الطَّیْرِ مَا کَانَتْ لَهُ قَانِصَةٌ أَوْ صِیصِیَةٌ أَوْ حَوْصَلَةٌ

📚 Kafi, Vol. 6, p. 248

Translation: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "Eat any bird that has a craw, a spur on its leg, or a gizzard."

✅ It is now established that the ostrich, which has a gizzard (called "hayq" in Arabic), meets the criterion mentioned in the narrations. Therefore, it is a reliable criterion for the permissibility of consuming the meat of this animal.

✅ According to narrations, hunting and consuming the ostrich, as a wild bird, are forbidden for a pilgrim during the pilgrimage. If a pilgrim commits such an act, the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) have stipulated expiations for them. Refraining from eating ostrich meat and eggs is explicitly mentioned in multiple narrations due to the sanctity of the pilgrimage and the sacred precincts. Some examples include:

عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ تَغْلِبَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ مُحْرِمِینَ أَصَابُوا فِرَاخَ نَعَامٍ فَذَبَحُوهَا وَ أَکَلُوهَا فَقَالَ عَلَیْهِمْ مَکَانَ کُلِّ فَرْخٍ أَصَابُوهُ وَ أَکَلُوهُ بَدَنَةٌ یَشْتَرِکُونَ فِیهِنَّ..

📚 Tahdhib, Vol. 5, p. 353

Translation: Aban reports, "I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about some individuals who, while in the state of pilgrimage, hunt and slaughter some ostrich chicks and eat them. The Imam said, 'It is incumbent upon them to sacrifice one camel jointly for every ostrich chick they hunted and ate.'"

عَنْ سَعِیدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْأَعْرَجِ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ بَیْضَةِ نَعَامٍ أُکِلَتْ فِی الْحَرَمِ فَقَالَ تَصَدَّقَ بِثَمَنِهَا

📚 Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Vol. 2, p. 263

Translation: Saeed Araj asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about eating ostrich eggs within the precincts of the sanctuary, and the Imam replied, "Give its equivalent as charity."

✅ Pay attention to the following narration:

عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِی حَدِیثٍ قَالَ وَ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ الْمُسُوخَ جَمِیعاً

📚 Tahdhib, Vol. 9, p. 17

Translation: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said in a narration, "Allah and His Messenger have declared all animals that have undergone metamorphosis (masakh) as prohibited."

✅ Note: In the book "Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih," Sheikh Saduq, in the explanation of a narration, mentioned the ostrich as an animal that has undergone metamorphosis ("masakh"). However, this statement by Sheikh Saduq is not a hadith or narration, and no other narration mentions the ostrich as an animal that has undergone metamorphosis. Even Sheikh Saduq himself, in some of his books, narrates the hadiths of animals that have undergone metamorphosis from the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) without mentioning the ostrich. This statement by Sheikh Saduq, apart from not being attributed to the Imams and lacking any evidence, is likely to be a mistake by Sheikh Saduq or copyists of the book.