The Book of Horses, Races and Shooting

Ahmad bin 'Abd Al-Wahid narrated to us: Marwan—Ibn Muhammad—narrated to us; Khalid bin Yazid bin Salih bin Subaih Al-Murri narrated to us; Ibrahim bin Abi 'Ablah narrated to us, from Al-Walid bin 'Abdur-Rahman Al-Jurashi, from Jubair bin Nufair, from Salamah bin Nufail Al-Kindi, who said: 'I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah when a man said: Messenger of Allah, people have lost interest in horses and laid down their weapons. They say there is no more jihad and that war has laid down its burdens. The Messenger of Allah turned toward him and said: They are lying. Now, now the fighting has come. A group from my community will continue to fight for the truth; Allah will turn the hearts of some people in their favor and provide for them through those people, until the Hour comes and Allah's promise is fulfilled. Good remains tied to the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection. It has been revealed to me that I will soon be taken, and will not remain long; you will follow me in groups, some of you striking the necks of others. The heartland of the believers is al-Sham.'

'Amr bin Yahya bin Al-Harith narrated to us: Mahbub bin Musa narrated to us; Abu Ishaq—meaning Al-Fazari—narrated to us, from Suhail bin Abi Salih, from his father, from Abu Hurairah, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: 'Good remains tied to the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection. Horses are of three kinds: one is a reward for its owner, one is a protection for its owner, and one is a burden of sin for its owner. The horse that brings its owner reward is kept for the cause of Allah. Whatever it consumes is recorded for him as a reward, even when it grazes in a meadow.' The narrator went on to relate the rest of the hadith.

Muhammad bin Salamah and Al-Harith bin Miskin narrated to us; it was read to Al-Harith while I listened, and the wording is his: Ibn Al-Qasim narrated to me; Malik narrated to me, from Zaid bin Aslam, from Abu Salih As-Samman, from Abu Hurairah, that the Messenger of Allah said: 'Horses bring a man reward, serve as a protection for a man, or bring a man sin. The horse that brings reward belongs to a man who keeps it for the cause of Allah and lets it range on a long tether in a meadow or garden. Whatever it eats there is counted for him as good deeds. If it breaks its tether and gallops up one or two hills, its tracks are counted for him.' In Al-Harith's version, its dung is also counted as good deeds for him; if it passes by a river and drinks from it, though he had not intended to water it there, that too counts as good deeds. A man who keeps a horse to earn a living and preserve his independence, while remembering Allah's due concerning its neck and back, has a horse that serves as protection. But a man who keeps a horse out of pride, for show, and in enmity toward the Muslims has a horse that brings him sin.' The Prophet was asked about donkeys and said: 'Nothing has been revealed to me concerning them except this comprehensive, singular verse: Whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.'

Ahmad bin Hafs informed me: My father informed me; Ibrahim bin Tahman narrated to me, from Sa'id bin Abi 'Arubah, from Qatadah, from Anas, who said: 'After women, nothing was dearer to the Messenger of Allah than horses.'

Muhammad bin Rafi' narrated to us: Abu Ahmad Al-Bazzar—Hisham bin Sa'id At-Talqani—narrated to us; Muhammad bin Muhajir Al-Ansari narrated to us, from 'Aqil bin Shabib, from Abu Wahb, who was a Companion, that the Messenger of Allah said: 'Name yourselves after the Prophets. The names most beloved to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, are 'Abdullah and 'Abdur-Rahman. Keep horses, wipe their forelocks and backs, and place garlands around their necks, but do not garland them with bowstrings. Choose a kumayt (bay) horse with a white blaze and white socks, an ashqar (chestnut) with a white blaze and socks, or an adham (black) with a white blaze and socks.'

Ishaq bin Ibrahim narrated to us: Muhammad bin Ja'far narrated to us; Shu'bah narrated to us. Another chain: Isma'il bin Mas'ud narrated to us; Bishr narrated to us; Shu'bah narrated to us, from 'Abdullah bin Yazid, from Abu Zur'ah, from Abu Hurairah, who said: 'The Prophet disliked shikal among horses.' The wording is Isma'il's.

Muhammad bin Bashshar narrated to us: Yahya narrated to us; Sufyan narrated to us; Salm bin 'Abdur-Rahman narrated to me, from Abu Zur'ah, from Abu Hurairah, from the Prophet, that he disliked shikal among horses. Abu 'Abdur-Rahman said: 'Shikal among horses is when three legs have white socks and one is unmarked, or three are unmarked and one leg has a white sock. Shikal occurs only on a leg, not on a foreleg.'

Qutaibah bin Sa'id and Muhammad bin Mansur narrated to us—the wording is his: Sufyan narrated to us, from Az-Zuhri, from Salim, from his father, from the Prophet, who said: 'Bad omens are associated with three things: a woman, a horse, and a house.'

Harun bin 'Abdullah informed me: Ma'n narrated to us, saying Malik narrated to us; Al-Harith bin Miskin recited to him while I listened—the wording is his—from Ibn Al-Qasim, who said: Malik narrated to us, from Ibn Shihab, from Hamzah and Salim, the two sons of 'Abdullah bin 'Umar, from their father 'Abdullah bin 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, that the Messenger of Allah said: 'Bad omens are associated with a house, a woman, and a horse.'

It was narrated from Salim, from his father, that the Messenger of Allah said: 'If ill omens were found in anything, they would be in a house, a woman, and a horse.'

Ishaq bin Ibrahim narrated to us: An-Nadr informed us; Shu'bah narrated to us, from Abu At-Tayyah, who said: I heard Anas. Another chain: Muhammad bin Bashshar narrated to us; Yahya narrated to us; Shu'bah narrated to us, who said: Abu At-Tayyah narrated to me, from Anas bin Malik, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: 'Blessing is in the forelocks of horses.'

'Imran bin Musa narrated to us: 'Abdul-Warith narrated to us; Yunus narrated to us, from 'Amr bin Sa'id, from Abu Zur'ah bin 'Amr bin Jarir, from Jarir, who said: 'I saw the Messenger of Allah twist a horse's forelock between two of his fingers and say: Goodness is tied to the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection: reward and spoils.'

Qutaibah bin Sa'id narrated to us: Al-Laith narrated to us, from Nafi', from Ibn 'Umar, from the Messenger of Allah, who said: 'Good remains in the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection.'

Muhammad bin Al-'Ala', Abu Kuraib, narrated to us: Ibn Idris narrated to us, from Husain, from 'Amir, from 'Urwah Al-Bariqi, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: 'Goodness is tied to the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection.'

Muhammad bin Al-Muthanna and Muhammad bin Bashshar narrated to us: Ibn Abi 'Adi narrated to us, from Shu'bah, from Husain, from Ash-Sha'bi, from 'Urwah bin Abi Al-Ja'd, who heard the Prophet say: 'Goodness is tied to the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection: reward and spoils.'

'Amr bin 'Ali narrated to us: Muhammad bin Ja'far informed us; Shu'bah informed us, from 'Abdullah bin Abi As-Safar, from Ash-Sha'bi, from 'Urwah, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'Goodness is tied to the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection: reward and spoils.'

'Amr bin 'Ali narrated to us: 'Abdur-Rahman narrated to us; Shu'bah informed us; Husain and 'Abdullah bin Abi As-Safar informed me that they heard Ash-Sha'bi relate from 'Urwah bin Abi Al-Ja'd, from the Prophet, who said: 'Goodness is tied to the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection: reward and spoils.'

Al-Hasan bin Isma'il bin Mujalid narrated to us: 'Isa bin Yunus narrated to us; 'Abdur-Rahman bin Yazid bin Jabir narrated to us; Abu Sallam Ad-Dimashqi narrated to me, from Khalid bin Yazid Al-Juhani, who said: 'Uqbah bin 'Amir used to pass by me and say, Khalid, come out with me so we can shoot. One day I was late, and he said, Khalid, come here and I will tell you what the Messenger of Allah said.' I went to him, and he said: 'The Messenger of Allah said: Allah will admit three people to Paradise through a single arrow: its maker, if he seeks reward in making it; the person who shoots it; and the person who hands it to the shooter. Shoot and ride; shooting is dearer to me than riding. Recreation is only in three things: a man training his horse, playing with his wife, and shooting with his bow and arrows. Whoever abandons shooting after learning it, out of aversion to it, has rejected a blessing—or, he said, has been ungrateful for it.'

'Amr bin 'Ali narrated to us: Yahya informed us; 'Abdul-Hamid bin Ja'far narrated to us; Yazid bin Abi Habib narrated to me, from Suwaid bin Qais, from Mu'awiyah bin Hudaij, from Abu Dharr, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: 'Every Arabian horse is permitted to offer two supplications at each pre-dawn: O Allah, You have entrusted me to whomever You chose from among the children of Adam, and made me his possession. Make me the most beloved of his family and wealth to him—or among the most beloved of his family and possessions.'