English Translation

'Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us, Ma'mar told us, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, from Zayd ibn Sallam, from 'Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Azraq, who said: 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir al-Juhani used to go out and shoot arrows every day, and he used to bring him along, and it seemed he was getting weary of it, so he said, "Shall I not tell you what I heard from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him?" He said, "Yes indeed." He said: I heard him say, "Allah, Mighty and Sublime, admits three men to Paradise by means of a single arrow: its owner who intends good in his craft, the one who equips [an army] with it in the way of Allah, and the one who shoots it in the way of Allah." And he said, "Shoot and ride, and that you shoot is better than that you ride." And he said, "Everything with which the son of Adam amuses himself is vain except three things: his shooting with his bow, his training of his horse, and his playing with his family, for these are among the truth." He said: Then 'Uqbah died, leaving behind sixty-odd or seventy-odd bows, each bow with a quiver and arrows, and he had bequeathed them to be used in the way of Allah. Yazid ibn Harun narrated to us, he said: Hisham narrated to us, from Yahya, from Abu Sallam, from 'Abdullah ibn al-Azraq, that 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Allah, Mighty and Sublime, admits three by means of a single arrow to Paradise" - and he mentioned the hadith.