حَدَّثَنَا هَاشِمٌ حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ يَعْنِي ابْنَ سَعْدٍ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْخَيْرِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ زُرَيْرٍ الْغَافِقِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ أُهْدِيَتْ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَغْلَةٌ فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَوْ أَنَّا أَنْزَيْنَا الْحُمُرَ عَلَى خَيْلِنَا فَجَاءَتْنَا بِمِثْلِ هَذِهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّمَا يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 785
It was narrated from 'Ali bin Abi Talib that he said: A mule was given to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) as a gift, and we said: O Messenger of Allah, what if we mate donkeys with our mares, then we will have something like this? The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "That is only done by those who do not know."
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020