any of this, for when he compiled his book he had not come across any written treatment of the subject (1).

As for counsels on riding, we know of none whatsoever.

The same holds for sword-striking and the skills akin to it. After the horsemen of the Maghrib, the most knowledgeable in this field are the people of Kilan and the Baghdadis, for they excel at the pure thiqāf drill; the men of Kilan, in particular, have a practiced hand at it, as they do at the muṭbar.

With regard to the use of the lance, we have indeed seen compositions that set out its various sections, yet the rules for thrusting and neutralizing can only be acquired through actual practice.

Moreover, when adversaries meet, opportunities present themselves to the horseman according to circumstances; such openings cannot be foreknown and therefore cannot be circumscribed by written advice.

Nor, may Allah have mercy on him, did he touch at all upon the legal rulings of warfare for which these arts are cultivated. I have, however, recorded in my book entitled “Relief for the Distressed in the Management of Wars” matters that open the door to that subject (2) and explore it in depth—one thing naturally calls another to mind.

In sum, may Allah, exalted be He, reward his effort. If a scholar were to authenticate within a discipline no more than a single, firmly established question… (3) how much more, then, for all that he—may Allah have mercy on him—has set forth. And Allah