3 – Consequently, the Sacred Law permits only those contests that contribute to striving in the path of Allah. It therefore allows horse- and camel-racing, as well as archery and marksmanship, for acquiring and perfecting these skills aids in jihad for Allah’s cause and in upholding His religion.
4 – Hadith no. 1144 proves the permissibility of racing horses, because in that era horses were the very equipment on which the enemies of Islam were met in battle. Allah, Exalted is He, says: “And prepare against them whatever force you can, including tethered horses, so that you may strike fear into the enemy of Allah and your enemy” (al-Anfāl 8:60).
5 – One of the regulations of such races is that every class of horse competes only with its own kind: the conditioned horses race among themselves, and those that have not been conditioned race among themselves. In this way victory is decided between animals of equal quality and strength, and the outcome cannot be ascribed to factors outside the competition itself.
6 – The difference between the conditioned and the unconditioned horse is that the former is lighter, faster, and more durable over long distances, whereas the latter runs slowly.
7 – A conditioned horse is one whose belly has become slim and supple, whose flesh has shed excess moisture, and which has been prepared for racing or combat. The trainer first feeds it generously until it fattens, then gradually reduces its feed to the bare minimum until the retained water and superfluous flesh disappear, leaving just enough body mass for strength with maximum lightness. The unconditioned horse, by contrast, has been continually well-fed, remains fat, and keeps its bulk and bloating.
8 – So that the race may serve its true purpose, each class of horse is given the course length appropriate to it. For the conditioned horses the finish line runs from al-Ḥafiyāʾ to Thaniyyat al-Wadāʿ, a distance of five or six miles, whereas for those not conditioned the course extends from the Thaniyya to the Mosque of Banī Zurayq,