THE MERIT OF ARCHERY AND INDUCING OTHERS TO LEARN IT AND DENUNCIATION OF ONE WHO LEARNT THE ART AND THEN NEGLECTED IT(SAHIH HADITH MUSLIM)
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008Chapter# 52, Book 20, Number 4711:
It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Amir who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say-and he was delivering a sermon from the pulpit: Prepare to meet them with as much strength as you can afford. Beware, strength consists in archery. Beware, strength consists in archery. Beware, strength consists in archery.
Book 20, Number 4712:
It has been narrated on the authority of Uqba b. Amir who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: Lands shall be thrown open to you and Allah will suffice you (against your enemies), but none of you should give up playing with his arrows.
Book 20, Number 4713:
This tradition has also been narrated on the same authority through another chain of transmitters.
Book 20, Number 4714:
It has been reported by ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Shamasa that Fuqaim al- Lakhmi said to Uqba b. Amir: You frequent between these two targets and you are an old man, so you will be finding it very hard. ‘Uqba said: But for a thing I heard from the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him), I would not strain myself. Harith (one of the narrators in the chain of transmitters) said: I asked Ibn Shamasa: What was that? He said that he (the Holy Prophet) said: Who learnt archery and then gave it up is not from us. or he has been guilty of disobedience (to Allah’s Apostle).