28/12. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3583 — How the Prophet Organized Horse Races
Finish Line Of A Race For Horses That Have Not Been Made Lean
Horse Racing in Islam: Separate Courses for Trained Horses
Sunan an-Nasai : 3583
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3583
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَابَقَ بَيْنَ الْخَيْلِ يُرْسِلُهَا مِنَ الْحَفْيَاءِ وَكَانَ أَمَدُهَا ثَنِيَّةَ الْوَدَاعِ وَسَابَقَ بَيْنَ الْخَيْلِ الَّتِي لَمْ تُضْمَرْ وَكَانَ أَمَدُهَا مِنَ الثَّنِيَّةِ إِلَى مَسْجِدِ بَنِي زُرَيْقٍ .
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah organized a horse race and sent them from Al-Hafya' and its finish line was Thaniyyat Al-Wada'; and he organized a race for horses that had not been made lean, and the course stretched from Ath-Thaniyyah to the Masjid of Banu Zuraiq.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3583In-book reference : Book 28, Hadith 23English translation : Vol. 4, Book 28, Hadith 3613
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3583
This horse racing hadith describes how the Messenger of Allah organized races with clear routes. Horses that had been made lean were sent from Al-Hafya, with the finish at Thaniyyat Al-Wada. Horses that had not been made lean raced on a different course, from Ath-Thaniyyah to the Masjid of Banu Zuraiq. The simple lesson is that the races were arranged according to the condition of the horses. Trained horses and untrained horses were not placed on the same route in this report. That gives the event order and fairness without adding rules beyond the text. The hadith also shows that horse racing was known and organized, not left as a random contest. Start points, finish points, and the state of the horses were all taken into account.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet organized horse races with set starting and finishing points.
- Trained and untrained horses were given different race courses.
- The condition of competitors was considered when arranging the race.
