Chapter: Etiquettes of marching, halting, spending the night, and sleeping while on a journey; the recommendation to travel by night; and the duty to treat riding animals gently and look after their welfare.

962 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When you travel through fertile land, let the camels take their share of the ground; but when you cross barren land, quicken the pace with them, hastening on while they are still sound. And when you camp for the night, keep away from the road, for it is the track of beasts and the refuge of pests after dark.” Muslim related this.

“Let the camels take their share of the ground” means: go gently so that they can graze as they walk. The word naqīhā is pronounced with a kasrah on the nūn, a silent qāf, and a yāʾ; it literally denotes the marrow, and the sense here is: move swiftly so that you reach your destination before the animal’s “marrow”—its inner strength—is exhausted by the hardship of the journey. The term taʿrīs refers to halting at night.

963 – Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was on a journey and halted at night, he would lie down on his right side; and if he halted shortly before…"