The Rare Ahadith about the Stumpers

لِلدَّابَّةِ عَلَى صَاحِبِهَا سِتَّةُ حُقُوقٍ لَا يُحَمِّلُهَا فَوْقَ طَاقَتِهَا وَ لَا يَتَّخِذُ ظَهْرَهَا مَجَالِسَ يَتَحَدَّثُ عَلَيْهَا وَ يَبْدَأُ بِعَلْفِهَا إِذَا نَزَلَ وَ لَا يَسِمُهَا وَ لَا يَضْرِبُهَا فِي وَجْهِهَا[1] فَإِنَّهَا تُسَبِّحُ وَ يَعْرِضُ عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ إِذَا مَرَّ بِهِ.

“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

رُئِيَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يَسْقِي حِمَاراً بِالرَّبَذَةِ فَقَالَ لَهُ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ أَ مَا لَكَ يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ مَنْ يَكْفِيكَ سَقْيَ الْحِمَارِ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص يَقُولُ مَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ إِلَّا وَ هِيَ تَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ- اللَّهُمَّ ارْزُقْنِي مَلِيكاً صَالِحاً يُشْبِعُنِي مِنَ الْعَلَفِ وَ يُرْوِينِي مِنَ الْمَاءِ وَ لَا يُكَلِّفُنِي فَوْقَ طَاقَتِي فَأَنَا أُحِبُّ أَن

“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 suffic

مَرَرْتُ بِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ قَدْ نَزَلَ الْحِيرَةَ فَقَالَ لِي مَا عِلَاجُكَ قُلْتُ نَخَّاسٌ فَقَالَ أَصِبْ لِي بَغْلَةً فَضْحَاءَ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ وَ مَا الْفَضْحَاءُ قَالَ دَهْمَاءُ بَيْضَاءُ الْبَطْنِ بَيْضَاءُ الْأَفْحَاجِ بَيْضَاءُ الْجَحْفَلَةِ[1] قَالَ فَقُلْتُ وَ اللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْتُ مِثْلَ هَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ فَرَجَعْتُ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ فَسَاعَةً دَخَلْتُ الْخَنْدَقَ إِذَا أَنَا غُلَامٌ قَدْ أَشْفَ

“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 Im

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ لَا تَضْرِبُوا الدَّوَابَّ عَلَى وُجُوهِهَا فَإِنَّهَا تُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِ اللَّهِ. - قَالَ وَ فِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرَ لَا تَسِمُوهَا فِي وُجُوهِهَا.

“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 narrat

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِذَا عَثَرَتِ الدَّابَّةُ تَحْتَ الرَّجُلِ فَقَالَ لَهَا تَعَسْتِ‌[3] تَقُولُ تَعَسَ أَعْصَانَا لِلرَّبِّ.

“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 dest

سَأَلْتُ الصَّادِقَ ع مَتَى أَضْرِبُ دَابَّتِي تَحْتِي فَقَالَ إِذَا لَمْ تَمْشِ تَحْتَكَ كَمَشْيَتِهَا إِلَى مِذْوَدِهَا[4].

“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.’”

اضْرِبُوهَا عَلَى النِّفَارِ وَ لَا تَضْرِبُوهَا عَلَى الْعِثَارِ[5].

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.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ لَا تَتَوَرَّكُوا عَلَى الدَّوَابِّ وَ لَا تَتَّخِذُوا ظُهُورَهَا مَجَالِسَ.

‘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).”’

كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَا بَهِمَتِ الْبَهَائِمُ فَلَمْ تُبْهَمْ عَنْ أَرْبَعَةٍ مَعْرِفَتِهَا بِالرَّبِّ وَ مَعْرِفَتِهَا بِالْمَوْتِ وَ مَعْرِفَتِهَا بِالْأُنْثَى مِنَ الذَّكَرِ وَ مَعْرِفَتِهَا بِالْمَرْعَى عَنِ الْخِصْبِ.

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 femal

لِكُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ حُرْمَةٌ وَ حُرْمَةُ الْبَهَائِمِ فِي وُجُوهِهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Everything has honor. The honor of animals is in their faces.’”

مَهْمَا أُبْهِمَ عَلَى الْبَهَائِمِ مِنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ فَلَا يُبْهَمُ عَلَيْهَا أَرْبَعَةُ خِصَالٍ مَعْرِفَةُ أَنَّ لَهَا خَالِقاً وَ مَعْرِفَةُ طَلَبِ الرِّزْقِ وَ مَعْرِفَةُ الذَّكَرِ مِنَ الْأُنْثَى وَ مَخَافَةُ الْمَوْتِ.

“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.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ اضْرِبُوهَا عَلَى النِّفَارِ وَ لَا تَضْرِبُوهَا عَلَى الْعِثَارِ.

“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.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع يَقُولُ‌ عَلَى كُلِّ مَنْخِرٍ مِنَ الدَّوَابِّ شَيْطَانٌ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يُلْجِمَهَا فَلْيُسَمِّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ.

’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.”’”

أَيُّمَا دَابَّةٍ اسْتَصْعَبَتْ عَلَى صَاحِبِهَا مِنْ لِجَامٍ وَ نِفَارٍ فَلْيَقْرَأْ فِي أُذُنِهَا أَوْ عَلَيْهَا[1]- أَ فَغَيْرَ دِينِ اللَّهِ يَبْغُونَ وَ لَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَنْ فِي السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ طَوْعاً وَ كَرْهاً وَ إِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ‌.

‘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)”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِنَّ مِنَ الْحَقِّ أَنْ يَقُولَ الرَّاكِبُ لِلْمَاشِي الطَّرِيقَ‌[2]. - وَ فِي نُسْخَةٍ أُخْرَى‌ إِنَّ مِنَ الْجَوْرِ أَنْ يَقُولَ الرَّاكِبُ لِلْمَاشِي الطَّرِيقَ.

“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.’”

خَرَجَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع وَ هُوَ رَاكِبٌ فَمَشَوْا مَعَهُ فَقَالَ أَ لَكُمْ حَاجَةٌ قَالُوا لَا وَ لَكِنَّا نُحِبُّ أَنْ نَمْشِيَ مَعَكَ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ انْصَرِفُوا فَإِنَّ مَشْيَ الْمَاشِي مَعَ الرَّاكِبِ مَفْسَدَةٌ لِلرَّاكِبِ وَ مَذَلَّةٌ لِلْمَاشِي‌[3].

“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.’”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِذَا رَكِبَ الرَّجُلُ الدَّابَّةَ فَسَمَّى رَدِفَهُ مَلَكٌ يَحْفَظُهُ حَتَّى يَنْزِلَ وَ إِذَا رَكِبَ وَ لَمْ يُسَمِّ رَدِفَهُ شَيْطَانٌ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ تَغَنَّ فَإِنْ قَالَ لَهُ لَا أُحْسِنُ قَالَ لَهُ تَمَنَّ فَلَا يَزَالُ يَتَمَنَّى حَتَّى يَنْزِلَ وَ قَالَ مَنْ قَالَ إِذَا رَكِبَ الدَّابَّةَ- بِسْمِ اللَّهِ لَا حَوْلَ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ- الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي هَدانا لِهذا

‘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 con

خَرَجَ عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ وَ مَعَهُ جَمَاعَةٌ فَبَصُرَ بِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ ع مُقْبِلًا رَاكِباً بَغْلًا فَقَالَ لِمَنْ مَعَهُ مَكَانَكُمْ حَتَّى أُضْحِكَكُمْ مِنْ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ فَلَمَّا دَنَا مِنْهُ قَالَ لَهُ مَا هَذِهِ الدَّابَّةُ الَّتِي لَا تُدْرِكُ‌ عَلَيْهَا الثَّأْرَ وَ لَا تَصْلُحُ عِنْدَ النِّزَالِ‌[1] فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع تَطَأْطَأَتْ عَنْ سُمُوِّ الْخَيْلِ وَ

“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 cann

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ لَا يَرْتَدِفْ ثَلَاثَةٌ عَلَى دَابَّةٍ فَإِنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ مَلْعُونٌ.

Three people must not ride one stumper, one behind the other, because one of them is condemned.”’