the means of preparing strength to wage jihad against the enemies of Allah; consequently, the hooves of mules, donkeys, or cattle have absolutely no place in that, and none of the early generations ever raced on a donkey or a mule.

They say: the term “hoof” occurs in an affirmative context, so it cannot be taken as a general statement.

They also contend that it is invalid to draw an analogy between donkeys or mules and horses, because the two differ in law, in tangible qualities, and in benefit. Allah has never equated horses with donkeys—neither in the share of booty nor in combat—and He has tied goodness only to the forelocks of horses in terms of reward and spoils. How corrupt, then, is the analogy that puts the two on the same level, when horses are mounts whose backs are dignity and whose bellies are treasure. They are (1) fortresses and strongholds, goodness is bound to their forelocks (2), two-thirds of the spoils are assigned to them (3), and even their dung and urine are entered on the owner’s scale of deeds when he keeps them tethered in the path of Allah (4).