Whoever learns archery and then abandons it, it is a blessing he has been ungrateful for

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by some people of the tribe of Aslam who were practising archery. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Take hold, and I am with Ibn al-Adra'." At this they said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), how can we take hold when you (peace and blessings be upon him) are with some of us and not others?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Banu Isma'il, take hold; I am with you all."

Sayyiduna Ibn Abi Hadrad al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by some people of the tribe of Aslam while they were competing with one another in archery. At this he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Banu Isma'il, practise archery, for your father too was an archer. Shoot, and I am with Ibn al-Adra'." So the people held back their hands. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What is the matter with you that you are not shooting?" They said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), how can we shoot when you (peace and blessings be upon him) have said that you (peace and blessings be upon him) are with Ibn al-Adra', and we know for certain that your (peace and blessings be upon him) army can never be defeated?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shoot; I am with you all."

A man of the tribe of Aslam named Ibn al-Adra' (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Adopt the way of life of the tribe of Ma'add, live a rough and hardy life, compete with one another in archery, and walk barefoot."

Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah Almighty will admit three people to Paradise because of a single arrow: its maker, who made it hoping for reward; the one who shoots it; and the one who hands it to him." And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Practise archery and riding. And your practising archery is dearer to me than your riding. And every amusement with which a Muslim man occupies himself is vain, except his shooting arrows with his bow, or training his horse, or enjoying himself with his wife; for all of these things are part of what is right."

The above statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is also reported from Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) through this chain, except that in this chain there are also the words "munbiluhu" (the one who hands him the arrow).

Imam al-Awza'i said that Bilal bin Sa'd said: "I found the Companions running between the archery targets, and jesting with one another; and when night came, all of them became devoted worshippers."

The father of Ibrahim al-Taymi said: I saw Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) running between two targets.

Abu al-Adabbas said: I heard Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) saying: "Frighten away the vermin before they frighten you; compete with one another in archery; adopt the way of life of the tribe of Ma'add; live a rough and hardy life; make the one head (of livestock) two, and thus keep your property apart from death; do not settle in a place where your provision is straitened; frighten away snakes before they frighten you; and keep your dwellings in good order."