Abdullah bin Ja'a'far reported that when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came back from a journey he met us. Once he met me, Hasan or Husain, and he mounted one of us before him and the other one behind him until we entered Madinah.
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
➊ It is permissible for noble and honorable people to go outside the city to welcome someone.
➋ The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to love children and also honored them.
➌ In consideration of the animal’s health and strength, it is not oppression but permissible for two or three people to ride on it.
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 2566
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:
➊ Elders should treat children with kindness.
➋ It is permissible to welcome someone returning from a journey, but one should not display unnecessary formalities in doing so.
➌ More than one person may ride an animal, provided that the animal can easily bear the load. On a long journey or if the animal is weak, it is not appropriate for two people to ride together.
➍ Abdullah bin Ja‘far (radi Allahu anhu) and Hasan or Husayn (radi Allahu anhuma) were children. The combined weight of both of them was not equal to that of one adult, so three people riding together did not cause hardship for the animal.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 3773