Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
Yes, there is a Hadith saying that archery is the best leisure or recreational activity. The Hadith is at least Hasan.
عَنْ مُصْعَبِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «عَلَيْكُمْ بِالرَّمْيِ، فَإِنَّهُ خَيْرٌ لَعِبِكُمْ»
(Sayidina) Sa’d (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Take up archery. Indeed, it is the best of your recreational activities.’ (Tabarani al-Mojam al-Awsat, 2049).
It is important for Muslims to engage in a range of activities. The noble Sunnah has taught us to distribute our time in a balanced manner. One should allocate some time for recreational activities. The Holy Prophet ﷺ has provided guidance with regards to this in numerous Hadith narrations.
(عَلَيْكُم بِالرَّمْي فَإِنَّهُ خير لعبكم) بِفَتْح اللَّام وَكسر الْعين وتخفف بِكَسْر اللَّام وَسُكُون الْعين (طس عَن سعد) بن أبي وَقاص. وَإِسْنَاده حسن. (التيسير بشرح الجامع الصغير).
‘Take up archery. Indeed, it is the best of your recreational activities (Laib).’ With a Fath on the Laam, Kasrah on the Ayn, it is also pronounced with a Kasrah on the Laam and Sukoon on the Ayn. It is in Tabarani, al-Owsat, from Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (May Allah Most High be pleased with him). The chain is Hasan. (Imam al-Munaawi, al-Tayseer Sharh al-Jami al-Sagheer).
As seen in the Nass (text) above, this Hadith which mentions archery being best recreational activity, has been considered Hasan by Imam al-Munaawi and other scholars considered it to be even stronger. A very similar Hadith is found in the Musnad of Imam al-Bazaar:
عَنْ مُصْعَبِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، رَفَعَهُ قَالَ: «عَلَيْكُمْ بِالرَّمْيِ فَإِنَّهُ خَيْرٌ أَوْ مِنْ خَيْرِ لَهْوِكُمْ» وَهَذَا الْحَدِيثُ هُوَ عِنْدَ الثِّقَاتِ مَوْقُوفٌ، وَلَمْ نَسْمَعْ أَحَدًا أَسْنَدَهُ إِلَّا حَاتِمٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ حَمَّادٍ، عَنْ أَبِي عَوَانَةَ
(Sayidina) Sa’d (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, ‘Take up archery. Indeed, it is the best, or from the best, of your amusement.’ (Musnad al-Bazaar, 1146).
(عَلَيْكُم بِالرَّمْي) بِالسِّهَامِ (فَإِنَّهُ من خير لهوكم) أَي لعبكم وَأَصله ترويح النَّفس بِمَا لَا تَقْتَضِيه الْحِكْمَة (الْبَزَّار عَن سعد) بن أبي وَقاص. وَإِسْنَاده صَحِيح. (التيسير بشرح الجامع الصغير)
‘Take up archery (shooting arrows). Indeed, it is from the best of your amusement (Lahw).’ Meaning your recreational activities. And it (the word Lahw) is related to doing something to unwind, but it is not dictated by wisdom. (Imam) al-Bazaar (narrated it) from Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (May Allah Most High be pleased with him). The chain is Sahih. (Imam al-Munaawi, al-Tayseer Sharh al-Jami al-Sagheer).
The narration in al-Bazaar has been considered Sahih by Imam al-Munaawi. Since the narrations in Tabarani and Bazaar are so similar, some Hadith scholars commented on both together.
وَعَن سعد بن أبي وَقاص رَضِي الله عَنهُ رَفعه قَالَ عَلَيْكُم بِالرَّمْي فَإِنَّهُ خير أَو من خير لهوكم. رَوَاهُ الْبَزَّار وَالطَّبَرَانِيّ فِي الْأَوْسَط وَقَالَ فَإِنَّهُ من خير لعبكم وإسنادهما جيد قوي. (الترغيب والترهيب من الحديث الشريف)
(Sayidina) Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, ‘Take up archery. Indeed, it is the best or from the best of your amusement.’ It was narrated by al-Bazaar and al-Tabaraani in his al-Awsat. He narrated it as, ‘The best of your recreational activities (Laib).’ Both chains are good (Jayid) and strong (Qawi). (Imam al-Mundhiri, al-Targheeb wa al-Tarheeb).
وَعَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ: «عَلَيْكُمْ بِالرَّمْيِ فَإِنَّهُ خَيْرُ – أَوْ مِنْ خَيْرِ – لَهْوِكُمْ». رَوَاهُ الْبَزَّارُ، وَالطَّبَرَانِيُّ فِي الْأَوْسَطِ وَلَفْظُهُ: قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: «عَلَيْكُمْ بِالرَّمْيِ فَإِنَّهُ خَيْرُ لَعِبِكُمْ». وَرِجَالُ الْبَزَّارِ رِجَالُ الصَّحِيحِ خَلَا حَاتِمَ بْنَ اللَّيْثِ وَهُوَ ثِقَةٌ وَكَذَلِكَ رِجَالُ الطَّبَرَانِيِّ. (مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد)
(Sayidina) Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, ‘Take up archery. Indeed, it is the best or from the best of your amusement.’ It was narrated by al-Bazaar and al-Tabaraani in his al-Awsat. His phrasing was, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said ‘The best of your recreational activities (Laib).’ The narrators of al-Bazaar are the narrators of Sahih except for Hatim bin al-Layth, he is a sound narrator (Thiqah). Likewise, the narrators of al-Tabaraani. (Imam Noorud-deen al-Haythami, Majma al-Zawaid).
And Allah Most High Knows Best.
– Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (27.05.2022)
See also:
What do the Hadith gradings terms mean?
Is it the right of the child to be taught Archery?
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