Section
- A second group maintained that archery is superior to riding, that learning it is better than learning the latter, and that competing in it is preferable.
This faction argued their case on several grounds:
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Allah, exalted be He, mentioned archery before riding (1) when He said, “And prepare against them whatever force you can, and tethered horses” (al-Anfal 60). It is authentically reported from the Prophet that he explained “force” as archery (2), and the Arabs customarily begin their speech with what is more important and more deserving of priority.
Sībawayh (3) said: “They (4) give precedence to whatever explanation is of greater importance to them, and to whose exposition they are more devoted, even though both matters concern and affect them.” This is his exact wording.
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Allah called archery “force,” abandoning its own term, yet He referred to tethered horses by name and did not replace it (5) with another expression—an indication of what archery contains of