Attention of the Holy Prophet(sa) towards Military Exercise

In the same year, due to engagement in war, the Holy Prophet(sa) arranged for a few horse races.1 Even generally, the Holy Prophet(sa) would encourage his Companions to keep horses and master the art of riding. Keping Jihād in view as the primary purpose for this, the Holy Prophet(sa) considered such training to be a source of great spiritual blessing.2 As such, those Companions who possessed the means, keenly kept horses with great interest. In one narration, there is also an indication that the Companions would also practice jumping techniques on horseback as well.3 Similarly, the Holy Prophet(sa) would also arrange for camel races as well. The Holy Prophet(sa) himself also owned a she-camel which generally maintained its position ahead of the rest.4

In actuality, it was a common practice of the Holy Prophet(sa) to emphatically encourage his Companions to exercise and develop military skills and in order to develop a keen interest, at times, he would even participate himself. On certain occasions, the Holy Prophet(sa) arranged for and spectated competitions in archery and swordsmanship as well.5 The Holy Prophet(sa) would also exhort that Muslims should remain active and walk briskly,6 so that the enemy would remain in awe of their strength and activeness, and so that Muslims also felt alert themselves. For the purpose of war, some of the Companions would even practice sprinting. In this respect, a Companion named Salamah bin Akwa‘ was so outstanding that certain narrations relate that he could even outstrip a horse at times.7 Once or twice, even the Holy Prophet(sa) himself raced Hadrat ‘Ā’ishah(ra).8 Even though this be in the form of leisure, this demonstrates the lively and active spirit of the Holy Prophet(sa) and his Companions, of which even the ladies were not bereft.