The Rare Ahadith about the Stumpers

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from af-Nawfafiy from af-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A stumper has six rights on its owner. He must not load more than its power. He must not take its back as a meeting place to keep talking from there. He must feed it as soon as he disembarks, must not mark it with burns, or hit it on its face because it says Tasbih (Allah is free of all defects) and offer it water whenever passing by water.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from Abu al-Mughira’ from Sulayman ibn Khalid as I recall, who has said the following from Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.): “Abu Dharr was seen offering water to a donkey at al-Rabadhah and certain people said to him, ‘O Abu Dharr do you not have someone who can offer water to your donkey?’ He said, ‘I once heard the Messenger of Allah (saww) saying, “Every stumper asks Allah every morning, ‘O Lord, grant me an owner who will feed me sufficiently of feed, offer me water, will not load me more than my power.’” For this reason I personally offer it water.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from al-Washsha’ from Tarkhan al-Nakhkhas who has said the following: “I once visited abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when he had disembarked in al-Hirah and asked me, ‘What do you do for a living?’ I replied, ‘I trade in animals.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Find for me a mule which is Fadha ’.’ I then asked saying, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, what is Fadha’?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is of one color except for its white belly, white thighs of the back legs and of white harness area.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘I said, by Allah I have not seen any mule as such.’ After (a while), I entered the ditch and saw a slave riding a mule of such description. I asked, ‘Whose mule is this?’ The slave said that it belongs to his master. I then asked, ‘Does he sell it?’ He said, ‘I do not know.’ I went to his master, bought it from him, and brought it to him (the Imam). He (the Imam) said, ‘This mule is of the qualities that I had asked for.’ I then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, pray for me before Allah.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘O Allah, grant him a great deal of assets and children.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘I then became the wealthiest of the people of al-Kufah as well in terms of children.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

4. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Qasim ibn Yahya from his grandfather al-Hassan ibn Rashid from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘You must not hit the stumpers on their faces; they say Tasbih (Allah is free of all defects) with Tahmid, (all praise belongs to Allah).’ He (the narrator) has said that in another Hadith it is said, ‘You must not make burn marks on their faces.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

5. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad ibn Yasar from ‘Ubayd Allah al-Dihqan from Durust who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘When a stumper stumbles and man riding it says, ‘May you be destroyed.’ The stumper says, ‘May the one of us who is most disobedient to the Lord be destroyed.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Ja‘fariy in a marfu‘ manner has said the following: “I once asked al-Sadiq (a.s.), ‘When can I hit my stumper?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You can do so when you are riding and it does not walk as it does when going to its manger, its feeding place.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

7. It is narrated from the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, who has said:‘You may hit your stumpers for running away in fright but not because of their stumbling.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

8. Humayd ibn Ziyad has narrated from al-Khashshab from ibn Baqqah from Mu‘adh al-Jawhariy from ‘Amr ibn Jumay‘ who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has stated this Hadith. ‘The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘You must not sit on the stumper with both legs hanging from one side (causing imbalance) or make its back a meeting place (talking to someone with the stumper halted and kept on hold).”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

9. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from abu Hamzah who has said the following: “Ali ibn al-Husayn, Alayhim al-Salam, would say, ‘Animals, no matter how unintelligent and dubious they may be, are not so in four issues: One is knowing the Lord, death, male and female, and what is a pasture and what is a barren land.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

10. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Everything has honor. The honor of animals is in their faces.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

11. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from al-Hajj al and ibn Faddal from Tha’labah, from Ya‘qub ibn Salim from a man who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘No matter how unintelligent the animals may be, they are not so about four issues. They know that they have a Creator, they know how to find sustenance, they know male and female and they are afraid of death.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

12. Sahl ibn Ziyad has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan ibn Shammun from al-Asamm from Misma‘ ibn ‘Abd al-Malik who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘You may hit your stumpers for their running away in fright, but do not do so for their stumbling.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

13. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Qasim ibn Yahya from his grandfather al-Hassan ibn Rashid from Ya’qub ibn Ja’far who has said the following: “I once heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ’In the nostrils of every stumper there is a Satan. When you want to harness them you must say, “In the name of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious.”’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

14. Ahmad ibn Muhammad has narrated from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from abu ‘Ubaydah from one of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘ Abd Allah) who has said the following: “If any stumper becomes difficult with the owner in harnessing or running away in fright, he must read in its ear or on it, ‘Do you want something other than the religion of Allah, when all who are in the skies and earth are submitted to Him voluntarily, or by force and to Him they all return.’ (3:83)”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

15. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is a matter of rights that a person riding say to the one walking, ‘the road ’ (meaning please open the road, to inform him of his presence).’ In another copy it is said that a rider saying to one walking ‘the road ’ is of injustice.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

16. Through the same chain of narrators as that of the previous Hadith the following is narrated: “Once ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), came out riding and people walked with him. He (the Imam) asked, ‘Do you need me for something?’ They replied, ‘No, but we love to walk with you.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You must go back; walking with a rider is harmful for the rider and humiliation for the walking people.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

17. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Dihqan from Durust from Ibrahim ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has stated this Hadith. ‘If one rides his stumper and mentions the name of Allah, an angel sits behind him to protect him until he disembarks; but if one rides his stumper without mentioning the name of Allah, a Satan sits behind him and says to him to sing. If he says, ‘I do not know singing.’ He says, ‘Wish that you could sing.’ He then continues wishing until he disembarks.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) has said, ‘If one says, “In the name of Allah, there is no means and power without Allah, all praise belongs to Allah who has guided us to this. . . .” (7:43) Then he reads, “Glory belongs to the One who has made this subservient to us when we could not bring it together,” (43:13) he and his stumper will be protected until he disembarks.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

18. Ali ibn Ibrahim and others in a marfu‘ manner has narrated the following: “Once ‘Abd al-Samad came out with a group of people and he saw abu al-Hassan, Musa ibn Ja‘far, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, coming from the opposite direction on a mule. He then said to those with him, ‘Wait until I will make you laugh at Musa ibn Ja‘far.’ When close nearby he said, ‘What good is this stumper with which one cannot achieve any compensation for his losses and it is not of any use in a warfare struggle?’ Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), said, ‘I have come down from the height of the horse and stepped up from lowliness of donkeys and the best of things is that which is of the middle and balanced status.’ ‘Abd al-Samad remained speechless and could not phrase any response.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.

19. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah A number of his people from Ali ibn Asbat from his uncle Ya’qub ibn Salim in a marfu‘ manner has said the following: “’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, Three people must not ride one stumper, one behind the other, because one of them is condemned.”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar·Thaqalayn link·The Arabic above is the original.