This excerpt is taken from the Arabic book Al-Awamer wal-Nawahi by Sheikh Hussain bin Mubarak Al-Mawsili, whose Urdu translation has been done by Muhammad Sarwar Gohar Sahib under the title Ahkamat o Mamnooat.
① Sayyiduna Salmah bin Aku' رضي الله عنه narrates, when the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم came outside, he saw some people of the tribe of Aslam practicing archery in the market. The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
إرموا بني إسماعيل فإن أباكم كان راميا ، إرموا و أنا مع بني فلان
"Sons of Ismail, practice archery; your father was also a great archer. Practice archery, and I am with such and such group."
The narrator says (upon hearing this) the other group stopped shooting. The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
مالكم لا ترمون
"What is wrong with you? Why are you not shooting?"
They said: "How can we shoot while you are with them?"
The Noble Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
إرموا و أنا معكم كلكم
"Shoot, I am with all of you."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Jihad and Expedition 2899.
② Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir رضي الله عنه narrates, I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم say:
من تعلم الرمي ثم تركه فليس منا أو عصى
"Whoever learns archery and then abandons it is not one of us."
Or he said:
"He has disobeyed."
Reference: Muslim, Book of Leadership 1919.
③ Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir رضي الله عنه also narrates, I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم say while on the pulpit:
﴿وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُم مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن قُوَّةٍ﴾ ألا إن القوة الرمي ، ألا إن القوة الرمي ، ألا إن القوة الرمي
"As much as possible, keep strength ready against the disbelievers. (Listen!) Strength means archery, strength means archery, strength means archery."
Reference: Muslim, Book of Leadership 1917.
④ Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir رضي الله عنه also narrates, I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم say:
ستفتح عليكم أرضون ويكفيكم الله فلا يعجز أحدكم أن يلهو بأسهمه
"You will conquer the kings of the lands, and Allah will be sufficient for you, so let none of you be heedless of his arrows."
Reference: Muslim, Book of Leadership 1918.
⑤ Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir رضي الله عنه also narrates, I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم say:
إن الله تعالى ليدخل بالسهم الواحد ثلاثة نفر الجنة صانعه يحتسب فى عمله الخير والرامي به والممد به
"Allah Almighty will grant Paradise to three persons because of one arrow: the maker of the arrow who intends good with his action, the archer, and the one who assists him (the archer)."
And in another narration:
وقبله فارموا واركبوا أحب إلى أن ترموا من أن تركبوا ، كل لهو باطل ليس من اللهو محمود إلا ثلاثة: تأديب الرجل فرسه ، و ملاعبته أهله ، ورميه بقوسه و نبله فإنهن من الحق، ومن ترك العمل بعد ما عمله رغبة عنه فإنها نعمة تركها، أو قال كفرها
"Practice archery, ride horses; I prefer archery more than horse riding. Every kind of amusement is false except for three: a man training and improving his horse, his recreation and play with his family, and his shooting with his bow. These things are right. Whoever learns archery and then considers it insignificant and abandons it, he has abandoned a blessing. Or he said he has shown ingratitude for a blessing."
Reference: An-Nasa'i 28/6. Abu Dawood 2513. Tirmidhi, Book of Virtues of Jihad 1637. The narration is Hasan.
⑥ Sayyiduna Amr bin Absa رضي الله عنه narrates, I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم say:
من رمى بسهم فى سبيل الله فهو له عدل محرر
"Whoever shoots an arrow in the way of Allah, it is as if he has freed a slave for Him."
Reference: Abu Dawood, Book of Emancipation 3965. Tirmidhi, Book of Virtues of Jihad 1638. The narration is Hasan.
① Sayyiduna Abu Rayhana (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates, I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:
حرمت عين على النار سهرت| فى سبيل الله
"The eye that stays awake in the way of Allah is forbidden from the fire of Hell."
Reference: An-Nasa'i, Kitab al-Jihad 15/6, Musnad Ahmad 134/4. The narration is Hasan Laghirah.
② Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) narrates, I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:
عينان لا تمسهما النار : عين بكت من خشية الله، و عين باتت تحرس فى سبيل الله
"There are two eyes which the fire will not touch: one is the eye that weeps out of fear of Allah, and the other is the eye that keeps watch in the way of Allah."
Reference: Tirmidhi, Kitab Fada'il al-Jihad 1639. The narration is Hasan Laghirah.
① It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما that the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم used to feed the horse for a period and then gradually reduce its food so that it would become lean. Then he would race it for competition.
② It is also narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم participated in horse racing and set a longer distance for the horse that was in its fifth year.
Reference: The narration is authentic. Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Jihad 2577. Musnad Ahmad, Musnad al-Mukharreen min al-Sahabah 6466.
③ Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه reports that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
لا سبق إلا فى خف أو حافر أو نصل
“Competing is not permissible except in racing camels or horses or archery.”
Reference: Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Jihad 2574. Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Jihad 1700. The narration is authentic.
④ Sayyiduna Anas رضي الله عنه reports that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم had a she-camel named "Adba’". She always used to lead. Then a Bedouin came on a nearly two-year-old she-camel and overtook her. This upset the Muslims so much that when the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم recognized him, he said:
حق على الله أن لا يرتفع شيء من الدنيا إلا وضعه
“Allah has the right that whatever is exalted in this world, Allah will abase it.”
Reference: Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad wa al-Siyar 2871. Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Adab 4802.
