أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ وَالْحَارِثُ بْنُ مِسْکِينٍ قِرَائَةً عَلَيْهِ وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ عَنْ ابْنِ الْقَاسِمِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِکٌ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ السَّمَّانِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ الْخَيْلُ لِرَجُلٍ أَجْرٌ وَلِرَجُلٍ سَتْرٌ وَعَلَی رَجُلٍ وِزْرٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِي هِيَ لَهُ أَجْرٌ فَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَأَطَالَ لَهَا فِي مَرْجٍ أَوْ رَوْضَةٍ فَمَا أَصَابَتْ فِي طِيَلِهَا ذَلِکَ فِي الْمَرْجِ أَوْ الرَّوْضَةِ کَانَ لَهُ حَسَنَاتٌ وَلَوْ أَنَّهَا قَطَعَتْ طِيَلَهَا ذَلِکَ فَاسْتَنَّتْ شَرَفًا أَوْ شَرَفَيْنِ کَانَتْ آثَارُهَا وَفِي حَدِيثِ الْحَارِثِ وَأَرْوَاثُهَا حَسَنَاتٍ لَهُ وَلَوْ أَنَّهَا مَرَّتْ بِنَهَرٍ فَشَرِبَتْ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُرِدْ أَنْ تُسْقَی کَانَ ذَلِکَ حَسَنَاتٍ فَهِيَ لَهُ أَجْرٌ وَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا تَغَنِّيًا وَتَعَفُّفًا وَلَمْ يَنْسَ حَقَّ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي رِقَابِهَا وَلَا ظُهُورِهَا فَهِيَ لِذَلِکَ سَتْرٌ وَرَجُلٌ رَبَطَهَا فَخْرًا وَرِيَائً وَنِوَائً لِأَهْلِ الْإِسْلَامِ فَهِيَ عَلَی ذَلِکَ وِزْرٌ وَسُئِلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ الْحَمِيرِ فَقَالَ لَمْ يَنْزِلْ عَلَيَّ فِيهَا شَيْئٌ إِلَّا هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ الْجَامِعَةُ الْفَاذَّةُ فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 3598
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم said: “Horses may bring reward to a man, or they may be a means of protection, or they may be a burden (of sin). As for that which brings reward, it is a man who keeps tt for the cause of Allah and ties it with a long rope in a pasture or a garden; whatever it eats or drinks in that pasture or garden will count as good deeds for him. If it breaks its rope and jumps over one or two hills, its footsteps” — and according to the Hadith of Al-Harith, “its dung will count as good deeds for him. If it passes by a river and drinks from it, even though (its owner) did not intend to give it water from that river, that will also bring him reward. If a man keeps a horse in order to earn an independent living and avoid asking others for help, and he does not forget his duty toward Allah with regard to their (the horses’) necks and backs, then they will be a means of protection for him. If a man keeps horses out of pride, to show off before others and to fight the Muslims, then that will be a burden (of sin) for him.” The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم was asked about donkeys and he said: “Nothing has been revealed to me concerning them except this Verse which is comprehensive in meaning: ‘So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020