158 — My father—may Allah have mercy on him—and Muhammad ibn Sālih narrated to me, from Hishām ibn Muhammad, from his father, from Abū Sālih, from Ibn Abbās, who said:

“On the Day of Badr, Ali—may Allah be pleased with him—said to al-Miqdād, ‘Give me your horse so that I may ride it.’ The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said to him, ‘You are better on foot than you are on horseback.’

“He mounted it, strung his bow, and shot, but the arrow struck the horse’s ear. The horse reared and threw him off. The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—laughed until he covered his mouth. Ali—may Allah be pleased with him—became angry, drew his sword, and charged at the polytheists, killing eight of them before returning. He then said to the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—‘Had something worse than this befallen me, I would have deserved it, for you said, “You are better on foot than you are on horseback,” yet I disobeyed you.’”