28/8. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3578 — Archery Training and Gratitude
A Man Training His Horse
Archery in Islam: Training, Skill, and Gratitude
Sunan an-Nasai : 3578
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3578
أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مُجَالِدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ بْنِ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلاَّمٍ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ، عَنْ خَالِدِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ الْجُهَنِيِّ، قَالَ كَانَ عُقْبَةُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ يَمُرُّ بِي فَيَقُولُ يَا خَالِدُ اخْرُجْ بِنَا نَرْمِي . فَلَمَّا كَانَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ أَبْطَأْتُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ يَا خَالِدُ تَعَالَ أُخْبِرْكَ بِمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدْخِلُ بِالسَّهْمِ الْوَاحِدِ ثَلاَثَةَ نَفَرٍ الْجَنَّةَ صَانِعَهُ يَحْتَسِبُ فِي صُنْعِهِ الْخَيْرَ وَالرَّامِيَ بِهِ وَمُنَبِّلَهُ وَارْمُوا وَارْكَبُوا وَأَنْ تَرْمُوا أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ تَرْكَبُوا وَلَيْسَ اللَّهْوُ إِلاَّ فِي ثَلاَثَةٍ تَأْدِيبِ الرَّجُلِ فَرَسَهُ وَمُلاَعَبَتِهِ امْرَأَتَهُ وَرَمْيِهِ بِقَوْسِهِ وَنَبْلِهِ وَمَنْ تَرَكَ الرَّمْىَ بَعْدَ مَا عَلِمَهُ رَغْبَةً عَنْهُ فَإِنَّهَا نِعْمَةٌ كَفَرَهَا " . أَوْ قَالَ " كَفَرَ بِهَا " .
Khalid bin Yazid Al-Juhani Narrated from:
Uqbah bin 'Amir used to pass by me and say: 'O Khalid, let us go out and shoot arrows.' One day I came late and he said: 'O Khalid, come and I will tell you what the Messenger of Allah said.' So I went to him and he said: 'The Messenger of Allah said: Allah will admit three people to Paradise because of one arrow: The one who makes it seeking good thereby, the one who shoots it and the one who hands it to him. So shoot and ride, and if you shoot that is dearer to me than if you ride. And play is only in three things: A man training his horse, and playing with his wife, and shooting with his bow and arrow.Whoever gives up shooting after learning it because he is no longer interested in it, that is a blessing for which he is ungrateful -or that he has rejected.'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3578In-book reference : Book 28, Hadith 18English translation : Vol. 4, Book 28, Hadith 3608
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3578
This hadith about archery in Islam describes shared reward connected with one arrow. It says Allah will admit three people to Paradise because of it: the maker who seeks good through making it, the person who shoots it, and the person who hands it to the shooter. The Messenger of Allah encouraged both shooting and riding, while saying that shooting was dearer to him. He also named three forms of play: training one’s horse, playing with one’s wife, and shooting with a bow and arrow. The narration ends with a warning about learning archery and then abandoning it through lack of interest. That skill is described as a blessing, and turning away from it is called ingratitude or rejection of that blessing.
What we learn from this hadith
- Good intention is mentioned for the person who makes the arrow.
- The maker, shooter, and helper are all included in the stated reward.
- Shooting and riding are both encouraged in the narration.
- Abandoning a learned shooting skill is described as ingratitude for a blessing.
