devastation and benefit.

Third: The Prophet ﷺ declared that archery is dearer to him than riding, which shows that it is the more excellent of the two. In the Sunan of Abū Dāwūd, al-Nasāʾī, and al-Tirmidhī (1) it is related—on the authority of ʿUqbah ibn ʿĀmir—that he said: “Indeed, Allah admits into Paradise by a single arrow three people: its maker, who seeks good through his work; the one who shoots it; and the one who hands it to the shooter. So shoot and ride, but your shooting is more beloved to me than your riding.”

Fourth: Archery is a legacy from Ishmael the Sacrifice, peace be upon him. In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (2) it is narrated that the Prophet ﷺ passed by a group engaged in an archery contest and said, “Shoot, O sons of Ishmael; your father was an archer.”

Fifth: The Prophet ﷺ entered the field with both teams during an archery match, whereas he did not do so in a horse race. This points to the merit of the archers and of archery itself (3); he wished to attain the reward of both sides so that none of it would escape him.

Sixth: A stern warning has been authentically reported from him (4) for anyone who neglects archery—something unmatched by any threat regarding the abandonment of riding.