Musnad Shihab

Explanation:
In these ahadith, the virtue of the horses of the mujahideen has been described, and encouragement has been given that horses should always be kept ready for jihad in the path of Allah. Blessing and goodness have been tied to the forelocks of horses; this is a metaphor. The meaning is that in adhering to horses there is goodness and blessing, and they should always be kept ready for jihad in the path of Allah. Thus, Sayyidah Asma bint Yazid radi Allahu anha narrates that “The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: ‘Goodness has been tied to the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection.’ Therefore, whoever keeps them ready for jihad in the path of Allah and spends on them with the intention of reward, then their being satiated, their being hungry, their being quenched, their being thirsty, their dung and their urine will be a cause of success for him in his scale (of deeds) on the Day of Resurrection.” [أحمد : 455/6،حسن]

Sayyiduna Salamah bin Nufayl al-Kindi says that I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam when a man said: O Messenger of Allah! People have stopped giving importance to horses, and they have put away their weapons, and they are saying: Now there is no more jihad. The war has ended. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam turned his blessed face towards the people and said: “They are wrong. Jihad has now become obligatory, and a great group of my ummah will continue to fight for the truth (to make it prevail). Allah will continue to turn the hearts of many people towards disbelief to fight them, and Allah will continue to provide sustenance for them (the mujahideen) from them until the Day of Resurrection is established and the (dominant) promise of Allah is fulfilled. And in the forelocks of (the horses kept for jihad) there is goodness until the Day of Resurrection. It has been revealed to me that I will not remain in this world, rather I will soon pass away, and after me you will be divided into groups and will strike each other's necks. And (in the era of tribulations near the Day of Resurrection) the real center of the believers will be in Sham (Greater Syria).” [نسائي : 3591، وسنده صحيح]

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Horses are a source of reward for some people, a means of covering (needs) for some, and a cause of sin for others. Reward is for the one who keeps them tied for jihad, and has left their rope loose in a pasture or garden. Whatever they eat or drink from that pasture or garden while tied with that rope, it is all counted as good deeds for him. And if they break the rope and run here and there up to one or two hills, then even their hoof marks and their dung will be a cause of increase in his good deeds. And if they pass by a stream or river and drink water, even though he did not intend to give them water, then that water too will become good deeds for him. These are the horses of reward. And the person who keeps them for his own benefit so that he does not have to extend his hand to others, and at the same time he does not neglect Allah’s right regarding those horses and their riding, then these are a means of covering (his needs) for him. And the one who keeps horses out of pride, showing off, and to oppose the Muslims, then these will be a cause of sin for him.” The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was asked about donkeys (keeping them), so he said: “No specific revelation has been sent down to me regarding them, but this one comprehensive verse exists:
﴿فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ ‎٭‏ وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ﴾ (Az-Zalzalah: 7)
‘Whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.’” [بخاري : 2371 ، نسائي : 3593]