“Scatter them for Abū Ṭalḥah.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would then rise to look at the enemy, and Abū Ṭalḥah would say to him, “Do not expose yourself; one of their arrows might strike you (1). My neck is before yours.”
In another wording he said, “Do not expose yourself, O Messenger of Allah! May my life be ransomed for yours, and may my face be the shield for your face” (2).
Anas reported: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abū Ṭalḥah used one shield. Whenever Abū Ṭalḥah shot, the Messenger of Allah would raise himself to watch where his arrow fell” (3).
Nineteenth: Archery is effective in every direction—upward, downward, to the right, to the left, behind, and in front—over long range. Other weapons cannot achieve such reach, or even a portion of it, and have effect only at close quarters.
Twentieth: Archery serves both livelihood and warfare; with it one can hunt birds