28. Horses, Races and Shooting
٢٨۔ كتاب الخيل
"I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah when a man said: 'O Messenger of Allah! The people have lost interest in horses and put down their weapons, and they say there is no Jihad, and that war has ended.' The Messenger of Allah turned to face him and said: 'They are lying, now the fighting is to come. There will always be a group among my Ummah who will fight for the truth, for whom Allah will cause some people to deviate, and grant them provision from them, until the Hour begins and until the promise of Allah comes. Goodness is tied to the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection. It has been revealed to me that I am going to die and will not stay long, and you will follow me group after group, striking one another's necks. And the place of safety for the believers is Ash-Sham.'"
كُنْتُ جَالِسًا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَذَالَ النَّاسُ الْخَيْلَ وَوَضَعُوا السِّلاَحَ وَقَالُوا لاَ جِهَادَ قَدْ وَضَعَتِ الْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا فَأَقْبَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِوَجْهِهِ وَقَالَ كَذَبُوا الآنَ الآنَ جَاءَ الْقِتَالُ وَلاَ يَزَالُ مِنْ أُمَّتِي أُمَّةٌ يُقَاتِلُونَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ وَيُزِيغُ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ قُلُوبَ أَقْوَامٍ وَيَرْزُقُهُمْ مِنْهُمْ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ وَحَتَّى يَأْتِيَ وَعْدُ اللَّهِ وَالْخَيْلُ مَعْقُودٌ فِي نَوَاصِيهَا الْخَيْرُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَهُوَ يُوحَى إِلَىَّ أَنِّي مَقْبُوضٌ غَيْرَ مُلَبَّثٍ وَأَنْتُمْ تَتَّبِعُونِي أَفْنَادًا يَضْرِبُ بَعْضُكُمْ رِقَابَ بَعْضٍ وَعُقْرُ دَارِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الشَّامُ
"The Messenger of Allah said: 'There is goodness tied to the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection. And horses are of three types: Those that bring reward to man, those that are a means of protection for a man, and those that are a burden (of sin) for a man. As for those that bring reward, they are kept for the cause of Allah and for Jihad. No fodder enters their stomach but for everything that enters their stomachs, reward is written for him, even if he puts them out to pasture.'" And he quoted the Hadith.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْخَيْلُ مَعْقُودٌ فِي نَوَاصِيهَا الْخَيْرُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ الْخَيْلُ ثَلاَثَةٌ فَهِيَ لِرَجُلٍ أَجْرٌ وَهِيَ لِرَجُلٍ سَتْرٌ وَهِيَ عَلَى رَجُلٍ وِزْرٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِي هِيَ لَهُ أَجْرٌ فَالَّذِي يَحْتَبِسُهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَيَتَّخِذُهَا لَهُ وَلاَ تُغَيِّبُ فِي بُطُونِهَا شَيْئًا إِلاَّ كُتِبَ لَهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ غَيَّبَتْ فِي بُطُونِهَا أَجْرٌ وَلَوْ عَرَضَتْ لَهُ مَرْجٌ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ
"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.'"
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ الْخَيْلُ لِرَجُلٍ أَجْرٌ وَلِرَجُلٍ سَتْرٌ وَعَلَى رَجُلٍ وِزْرٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِي هِيَ لَهُ أَجْرٌ فَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَأَطَالَ لَهَا فِي مَرْجٍ أَوْ رَوْضَةٍ فَمَا أَصَابَتْ فِي طِيَلِهَا ذَلِكَ فِي الْمَرْجِ أَوِ الرَّوْضَةِ كَانَ لَهُ حَسَنَاتٌ وَلَوْ أَنَّهَا قَطَعَتْ طِيَلَهَا ذَلِكَ فَاسْتَنَّتْ شَرَفًا أَوْ شَرَفَيْنِ كَانَتْ آثَارُهَا وَفِي حَدِيثِ الْحَارِثِ وَأَرْوَاثُهَا حَسَنَاتٍ لَهُ وَلَوْ أَنَّهَا مَرَّتْ بِنَهَرٍ فَشَرِبَتْ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُرِدْ أَنْ تُسْقَى كَانَ ذَلِكَ حَسَنَاتٍ فَهِيَ لَهُ أَجْرٌ وَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا تَغَنِّيًا وَتَعَفُّفًا وَلَمْ يَنْسَ حَقَّ اللَّهِ ﷻ فِي رِقَابِهَا وَلاَ ظُهُورِهَا فَهِيَ لِذَلِكَ سَتْرٌ وَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا فَخْرًا وَرِيَاءً وَنِوَاءً لأَهْلِ الإِسْلاَمِ فَهِيَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وِزْرٌ وَسُئِلَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَنِ الْحَمِيرِ فَقَالَ لَمْ يَنْزِلْ عَلَىَّ فِيهَا شَىْءٌ إِلاَّ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ الْجَامِعَةُ الْفَاذَّةُ { فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ * وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ }