Before beginning,

it is essential to understand that the health of humans, animals, and the environment is of equal value and deeply interconnected. This immediately highlights human responsibility, especially regarding issues of human origin. Furthermore, the public must be properly educated before engaging directly with horses.

First: The Islamic Jurisprudential Perspective

Some scholars refer to horses as *al-khayr* (literally: "the good" or "the best")

Al-Khattabi stated: "Wealth acquired through the keeping of horses is among the best and purest forms of wealth; the Arabs often refer to wealth itself as *khayr*." This is reflected in the words of Allah the Almighty: "It is prescribed for you, when death approaches one of you—if he leaves behind *khayr* [wealth]..."—meaning, in this context, property or assets. Regarding the verse, "Indeed, I have preferred the love of *al-khayr* [horses] over the remembrance of my Lord," exegetes have explained that *al-khayr* here refers to horses. (Source: *A‘lam al-Hadith*—a commentary on *Sahih al-Bukhari*—by Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi).

First: The Holy Quran

The Almighty says

وَالْخَيْلَ وَالْبِغَالَ وَالْحَمِيرَ لِتَرْكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةً ۚ وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ (8)

"And [He created] horses, mules, and donkeys for you to ride and as an adornment; and He creates what you do not know." (8)

He created horses, mules, and donkeys for you so that you may ride them and so that they may serve as an adornment—a beautiful sight—for you. Furthermore, He creates for you—from among means of transport and other things—that which you do not [yet] know.

From this noble verse, we can derive the following:

1- Horses, mules, and donkeys: Notice how God—Blessed and Exalted is He—grouped the members of the equine family together in a single verse. This serves as an indication of the excellent, systematic classification found in the Quran, which was revealed 1,446 years ago.

2- "For you to ride": This is the primary purpose.

3- "And as adornment": As we shall see shortly, the Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him) permitted the ownership of horses as a form of prestige and aesthetic pleasure, raising no objection to those who kept them. Today, many people—both in the East and the West—own horses as a form of adornment, driven by a love for raising purebred steeds.

4- "And He creates what you do not know": This is widely understood to encompass bicycles, automobiles, elevators—including those capable of ascending into space—spacecraft, and more. Had the Quran not included this passage, we might have been so overwhelmed by the shocks of modern civilization that we could have suffered from something akin to post-traumatic stress.

Second: The Noble Hadiths

The First Hadith

Al-Bukhari (2371) and Muslim (987)—the latter’s wording being used here—narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

"The Goodness is tied to the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection. Horses are of three types: for some, they are a source of reward; for others, a means of covering [from need or sin]; and for others, a burden. As for the one for whom they are a source of reward: it is a man who keeps a horse for the sake of Allah and prepares it for His cause. Whatever the horse consumes, Allah records a reward for its owner. Even if it grazes in a pasture, everything it eats earns its owner a reward from Allah. If it drinks from a river, its owner receives a reward for every drop that enters its belly—to the extent that even its urine and dung are counted as rewards. Furthermore, if it gallops across a rise or two, a reward is recorded for its owner for every step it takes. As for the one for whom..." "She serves as a covering for him: a man may take her as a means of honor and adornment—remaining mindful of his obligations toward her in both her visible and private states, and through both hardship and ease. Conversely, the one who bears a burden of sin is he who takes her out of arrogance, insolence, extravagance, or a desire to show off before others; for such a person, she becomes a source of sin."

From the following noble Hadith, we learn the following

1 – "Good is tied to the forelocks of horses

In Islam, the face—whether of an animal or a human—is always held in high regard and protected. Here, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) draws our attention to the forelock (the front part of the head) of the horse, stating that "good" is tied to it. And who has tied this good to it? Allah, the Blessed and Exalted. Therefore, we should value what Allah (the Almighty and Majestic) and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) have deemed significant. When the Messenger of Allah was asked, "O Messenger of Allah, why is that?" he replied, "Because reward and spoils of war [will continue to be associated with them] until the Day of Resurrection."

In this hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) categorized horses into three types

The first type

(those whose upbringing earns a reward for their owner) These are the horses kept for the sake of *jihad* (striving) in the path of Allah. Whatever they consume—whether they graze in a pasture or drink from a river—Allah records a reward for their owner for everything they ingest. Even the drops of water they drink are counted as a reward for the owner—to the extent that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) even mentioned a reward for their urine and dung. This applies even if the horse runs or leaps across one or two elevated patches of ground (*sharaf*—defined as a high spot that overlooks its surroundings).

The Second Category

(That Which Serves as a Covering/Protection for Its Owner)

This refers to something an individual acquires for the sake of honor and adornment, while remaining mindful of the obligations associated with it—both in terms of its "back" (its use for riding or transport) and its "belly" (its breeding and reproduction), whether in times of hardship or ease. An example in our modern day would be a car. Furthermore, some people—both among the Arabs and in the West—continue to cherish and keep horses to this day. The "back" implies the obligation of *zakat* (obligatory alms) and potentially *sadaqah* (voluntary charity) related to its possession, while the "belly" entails the responsibility of breeding, caring for its offspring, and providing for its maintenance. And Allah is Most High and All-Knowing.

The Third Category

(That Which Becomes a Burden Upon Its Owner)

As for the one who acquires them out of insolence, arrogance, ostentation, or to show off before others—for such a person, they become a burden.

*Ashar* (insolence/vanity): That which draws the pointing fingers of others (i.e., seeking to be the center of attention).

*Batr* (arrogance/haughtiness): To fall into pride, or to go to extremes in exultation and conceit.

Thus, the *hadith* conveys a profound truth in a concise phrase: "You are provided for according to your intentions." The horses themselves remain the same; the change lies not in them, but in the souls of those who possess them.

The Second Hadith

Uqbah ibn Amir reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Everything with which a man amuses himself is vain, except for a man’s practicing with his bow, training his horse, and playing with his family; for these are among the things that are rightful [or purposeful]." This Hadith was recorded by Al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Hibban.

The point to be noted from this noble Hadith is that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) categorized [activities involving] horses as

1 – Rightful/purposeful [acts]

2 – Permissible forms of recreation

In Islam, this refers to

"recreation" that is educational and serves a specific purpose or goal—distinct from mere "idle amusement" (*lahw*), which is the wasting of time on things that yield no benefit to the individual. And Allah knows best.

Secondly: What role do horses play in mitigating the effects of climate change?

The Horses provide a variety of benefits to the ecosystem

1 – The richness of plant species and the populations of pollinators are higher in areas where horses graze compared to areas where they do not.

2- The mitigating the decline of pollinator-dependent plants

3- Creating microhabitats by trampling certain plants and wallowing near water sources, wild horses create microhabitats and redistribute nutrients through seed dispersal.

4- Building the soil humus layer, their droppings build up the humus layer in the soil and increase its water-retention capacity, which reduces the risk of wildfires. These characteristics are unique to horse manure, distinguishing it from the waste of ruminants such as cattle, sheep, goats, or deer.

5- They effectively reduce the risk of fire in their habitats.

6- It has also been observed that wild horses in the United States frequently graze on cheatgrass (*Bromus tectorum*)—an invasive species that outcompetes native grasses in the American West.

The cheatgrass is a dangerous, dry, and highly flammable plant that can exacerbate the severity of wildfires in the region. By grazing on cheatgrass and other combustible vegetation, wild horses can effectively lower the fire risk in the areas they inhabit.

7- Rubbing against and scratching trees, and dislodging dead or dying branches.

Furthermore, wild horse herds naturally engage in behaviors such as rubbing against and scratching trees, which dislodges dead or dying branches. This process reduces "fire ladders"—vegetation that allows fire to climb from the ground into the tree canopy—while the horses simultaneously graze on grasses and consume brushy fuel beneath the trees they use for shelter.

8- In winter, horses use their hooves to break through ice, granting other species access to water; in summer, they dig to create small water catchments, thereby establishing intermittent habitats for desert-dwelling species.

9 – The movement of horse herds across deep snow reduces the snow’s insulating effect.

This leads to increased freezing of the permafrost, which may mitigate methane loss and the encroachment of woody plants. 10 –

11 – Increased soil carbon sequestration and enhanced nutrient cycling.

As horses move across the landscape in short-term, high-density grazing bouts, their unique, single-unit, curved hooves can loosen the topsoil. This nomadic soil-loosening process, combined with the deposition of moisture-rich manure, can increase carbon sequestration in the soil.

11 – The grasslands represent the world’s largest potential biome for carbon mitigation, covering 25% of the Earth’s land surface. Horses are classified as intermediate-feeding grazers—a category of species with the highest per-capita capacity to influence the drivers of climate change.

In conclusion,

I invite you to reflect—whether by recalling or looking back at the hadiths (sayings) of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)—on the following points:

1- The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) fostered a love for horses in you. He spoke of how "goodness" (blessings) is tied to their forelocks, and he even highlighted the rewards for providing them with food and drink—going so far as to mention the merit in dealing with their waste (manure and urine). Have you ever considered how beneficial the waste of these animals is to the environment?

2- Furthermore, the second hadith

indicates that the time you spend playing with or training horses falls within the framework of "permissible activity"—an endeavor for which you are rewarded and granted merit.

Now, consider this:

who taught these truths to the Messenger—the "unlettered" Prophet who could neither read nor write?

These are facts that humanity is still in the process of discovering today. O Allah, we can do nothing but send our prayers and blessings upon the Beloved, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).