ذِكْرُ تَفَضُّلِ اللَّهِ عَلَى مُرْتَبِطِ الْخَيْلِ وَمُحْبِسِهَا بِكَتْبِهِ مَا غَيَّبَتْ فِي بُطُونِهَا، وَأَرْوَاثِهَا، وَأَبْوَالِهَا حَسَنَاتٍ
"Horses may bring reward to a man, or they may be a means of protection, or they may be a burden (of sin). As for that which brings reward, it is a man who keeps it for the cause of Allah and ties it with a long rope in a pasture or a garden; whatever it eats or drinks in that pasture or garden will count as good deeds for him. If it breaks its rope and jumps over one or two hills, its footsteps" -and according to the Hadith of Al-Harith, "its dung will count as good deeds for him. If it passes by a river and drinks from it, even though (its owner) did not intend to give it water from that river, that will also bring him reward. If a man keeps a horse in order to earn an independent living and avoid asking others for help, and he does not forget his duty toward Allah with regard to their (the horses') necks and backs, then they will be a means of protection for him. If a man keeps horses out of pride, to show off before others and to fight the Muslims, then that will be a burden (of sin) for him." The Prophet was asked about donkeys and he said: "Nothing has been revealed to me concerning them except this Verse which is comprehensive in meaning: 'So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 3563)
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «الْخَيْلُ لِرَجُلٍ أَجْرٌ وَلِرَجُلٍ سِتْرٌ وَلِرَجُلٍ وِزْرٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِي هِيَ لَهُ أَجْرٌ فَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَأَطَالَ لَهَا فِي مَرْجٍ أَوْ رَوْضَةٍ فَمَا أَصَابَتْ فِي طِيَلِهَا ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْمَرْجِ أَوِ الرَّوْضَةِ كَانَتْ لَهُ حَسَنَاتٌ وَلَوْ أَنَّهَا قَطَعَتْ طِيَلَهَا فَاسْتَنَّتْ شَرَفًا أَوْ شَرَفَيْنِ كَانَتْ آثَارُهَا وَأَرْوَاثُهَا حَسَنَاتٌ لَهُ وَلَوْ أَنَّهَا مَرَّتْ بِنَهَرٍ فَشَرِبَتْ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يَرُدْ أَنْ يَسْقِيَهُ كَانَ لَهُ ذَلِكَ حَسَنَاتٌ فَهِيَ لِذَلِكَ أَجْرٌ وَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا تَغَنِّيًا وَتَعَفُّفًا وَلَمْ يَنْسَ حَقَّ اللَّهِ فِي رِقَابِهَا وَلَا ظُهُورِهَا فَهِيَ لِذَلِكَ سِتْرٌ وَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا فَخْرًا وَرِيَاءً وَنِوَاءً لِأَهْلِ الْإِسْلَامِ فَهِيَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وِزْرٍ» وَسُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنِ الْحُمُرِ فَقَالَ «مَا أَنْزِلَ عَلَيَّ فِيهَا شَيْءٌ إِلَّا بِهَذِهِ الْآيَةِ الْجَامِعَةِ الْفَاذَّةِ {فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ} »