The Virtue of Maintaining Horses, Racing and Sharp Shooting Contests

إِنَّ الْخَيْلَ كَانَتْ وُحُوشاً فِي بِلَادِ الْعَرَبِ فَصَعِدَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ وَ إِسْمَاعِيلُ ع عَلَى جَبَلِ جِيَادٍ ثُمَّ صَاحَا أَلَا هَلَا أَلَا هَلْ قَالَ فَمَا بَقِيَ فَرَسٌ إِلَّا أَعْطَاهُمَا بِيَدِهِ وَ أَمْكَنَ مِنْ نَاصِيَتِهِ‌[3].

"The cavalry horses used to be wild in the Arab countries, so Ibrahim (a.s.) and Isma'il (a.s.) ascended upon mount Jiyad, then they both shouted: ‘Do not be loose, do not be loose!’" He said: "So there did not remain a horse except that it gave its hand (front leg) to both of them, and enabled its forelock (to be touc

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ الْخَيْلُ مَعْقُودٌ فِي نَوَاصِيهَا الْخَيْرُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ.

“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, ‘Goodness is written on the foreheads of the horses to remain up to the Day of Judgment.’”

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ الْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ مَعْقُودٌ فِي نَوَاصِي الْخَيْلِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ.

“I heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.), say the following: ‘All of goodness is written on the foreheads of the horses to remain up to the Day of Judgment.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَنْ رَبَطَ فَرَساً عَتِيقاً مُحِيَتْ عَنْهُ ثَلَاثُ سَيِّئَاتٍ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَ كُتِبَ لَهُ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ حَسَنَةً وَ مَنِ ارْتَبَطَ هَجِيناً- مُحِيَتْ عَنْهُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ سَيِّئَتَانِ وَ كُتِبَ لَهُ سَبْعُ حَسَنَاتٍ وَ مَنِ ارْتَبَطَ بِرْذَوْناً يُرِيدُ بِهِ جَمَالًا أَوْ قَضَاءَ حَوَائِجَ أَوْ دَفْعَ عَدُوٍّ عَنْهُ مُحِيَتْ عَنْهُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ سَيِّئَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ وَ كُ

“I heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.), saying, ‘If one maintains a horse of pure breed, three of his sins will be deleted every day and ten good deeds will be written in his favor. If one maintains a horse of mixed breed, two of his bad deeds will be deleted every day and seven good deeds will be written in his favor. If one m

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص أَجْرَى الْخَيْلَ الَّتِي أُضْمِرَتْ مِنَ الْحَفْيَاءِ إِلَى مَسْجِدِ بَنِي زُرَيْقٍ وَ سَبَّقَهَا مِنْ ثَلَاثِ نَخَلَاتٍ فَأَعْطَى السَّابِقَ عَذْقاً وَ أَعْطَى الْمُصَلِّيَ عَذْقاً وَ أَعْطَى الثَّالِثَ عَذْقاً[2]. - عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ طَلْحَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مِثْلَهُ سَوَاءً.

“The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, made certain horses that were kept on a special diet to race from al-Hafya’ to the Masjid of banu Zurayq and three of the selected ones came ahead of the others. He (the Messenger of Allah) rewarded o

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ لَا سَبَقَ إِلَّا فِي خُفٍّ أَوْ حَافِرٍ أَوْ نَصْلٍ يَعْنِي النِّضَالَ‌[1]

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Contest is permissible only in the case of animals with Khuf (feet of camels), Hafir, (feet of horses and the like) and in the case of sharp-shooting.’”

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص أَجْرَى الْخَيْلَ وَ جَعَلَ سَبَقَهَا أَوَاقِيَّ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ[3].

“The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, made the reward for horse to race for a contest in the form of Awaqiy (a certain weight) of silver.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِذَا حَرَنَتْ‌[4] عَلَى أَحَدِكُمْ دَابَّةٌ يَعْنِي أَقَامَتْ فِي أَرْضِ الْعَدُوِّ أَوْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَلْيَذْبَحْهَا وَ لَا يُعَرْقِبْهَا.[5]

“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, ‘If a horse, in enemy’s territory, or during Jihad in the way of Allah, refuses to move when led or driven, it should be slaughtered and one must not ins

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ لَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ مُؤْتَةَ كَانَ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ عَلَى فَرَسٍ فَلَمَّا الْتَقَوْا نَزَلَ عَنْ فَرَسِهِ فَعَرْقَبَهَا بِالسَّيْفِ فَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ عَرْقَبَ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that on the day of Mutah, Ja’far Ibn Abi Talib had a horse. When they came face to face with the enemy he disembarked from his horse and cut the legs of his horse with his sword, and it was the first such incident in al-Islam.”

لَيْسَ شَيْ‌ءٌ تَحْضُرُهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ إِلَّا الرِّهَانَ وَ مُلَاعَبَةَ الرَّجُلِ أَهْلَهُ‌[6].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the angels do not attend anything except (horse racing) contest and man’s playing with his wife.”

الرَّمْيُ سَهْمٌ مِنْ سِهَامِ الْإِسْلَامِ‌[7].

“Sharp shooting is an arrow of the arrows of al-Islam.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ أَعِدُّوا لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ‌ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ وَ مِنْ رِباطِ الْخَيْلِ‌[1] قَالَ الرَّمْيُ.

“About the words of Allah, ‘Prepare and maintain whatever power and horses you can. . . .’ (8:60) the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, “It is a reference to sharp-shooting.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ ارْكَبُوا وَ ارْمُوا وَ إِنْ تَرْمُوا أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ تَرْكَبُوا ثُمَّ قَالَ كُلُّ لَهْوِ الْمُؤْمِنِ بَاطِلٌ إِلَّا فِي ثَلَاثٍ فِي تَأْدِيبِهِ الْفَرَسَ وَ رَمْيِهِ عَنْ قَوْسِهِ وَ مُلَاعَبَتِهِ امْرَأَتَهُ فَإِنَّهُنَّ حَقٌّ أَلَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَيُدْخِلُ فِي السَّهْمِ الْوَاحِدِ الثَّلَاثَةَ الْجَنَّةَ عَامِلَ الْخَشَبَةِ وَ الْمُقَوِّيَ بِهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ

13. Muhammad has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad from Ali ibn ‘Isma’il in a marfu’ manner the following: “He (the Imam) (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 should learn horse riding and sharp-shootin

لَا سَبَقَ إِلَّا فِي خُفٍّ أَوْ حَافِرٍ أَوْ نَصْلٍ يَعْنِي النِّضَالَ‌[3].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Contest is permissible only in racing animals with Khuf (feet like camel) or Hafir (with feet like horses and the like) and in sharp-shooting.”

أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَحْضُرُ[4] الرَّمْيَ وَ الرِّهَانَ.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), would take part in horse racing contests and sharp-shooting.”

أَغَارَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ عَلَى سَرْحِ الْمَدِينَةِ[5] فَنَادَى فِيهَا مُنَادٍ يَا سُوءَ صَبَاحَاهْ‌[6] فَسَمِعَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص فِي الْخَيْلِ فَرَكِبَ فَرَسَهُ فِي طَلَبِ الْعَدُوِّ وَ كَانَ أَوَّلَ أَصْحَابِهِ لَحِقَهُ- أَبُو قَتَادَةَ عَلَى فَرَسٍ لَهُ وَ كَانَ تَحْتَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص سَرْجٌ دَفَّتَاهُ لِيفٌ لَيْسَ فِيهِ أَشَرٌ وَ لَا بَطَرٌ[7] فَطَلَبَ الْعَدُوَّ فَلَمْ يَلْقَوْا أَحَداً وَ تَتَابَعَتِ الْخَيْ

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the pagans attacked the pasture area of al-Madinah and an announcer announced, ‘How bad is this morning!’ The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, heard it when among people with horses. He rode his horse