We mentioned how the Prophet (peace be upon him) was well prepared for fighting, should the Muslim community be attacked by its enemies. He had his own personal armament and he was very brave. Yet as he nurtured his newly emerging Muslim community, the Prophet was keen on giving it its distinct character, using also all sorts of physical details that enhanced its distinctive image. When the Prophet raised an army or a force to go on an expedition he ensured that it carried a flag or a standard to identify itself and to serve as a rallying point should a battle take place. Several Hadiths mention that the Prophet’s flag was black and his banner was white. It is also reported in some of these Hadiths that it was written on the banner, “There is no deity other than God; Muhammad is God’s messenger.” Some Hadiths suggest that on occasions, the Prophet’s black flag was a piece of cloth taken from a robe which belonged to Aishah, the Prophet’s wife.
During war, there could be more than one flag carried by the Muslims. Ibn Abbas reports: “Ali carried the Muhajireen’s flag in the Battle of Badr and in all subsequent battles, while the flag of the Ansar was given to Saad ibn Ubadah.” (Related by Abu Al-Shaykh.) The Prophet’s flag was even given a name, Al-Uqab, which means The Vulture.
In war time, the Prophet also adopted a slogan which differed from one war to another. In the early battles, the slogan was “Ya Mansour Amit,” which meant, “You victorious one, put them to death.” Later the Prophet adopted different slogans, such as “You the people of all goodness,” and “Ha Meem. They shall not be victorious.”
All these slogans were clearly meant to encourage the Muslim fighters, assuring them of victory and reminding them that they are the people defending all that is good. They also stress the notion that victory is granted by God. Hence, those unbelievers could never hope for his support. Their only chance of victory comes from the slackening of the Muslims in observing the teachings of their faith. It is like Umar ibn Al-Khattab made clear to his army: “Muslims are given victory because of their enemy’s disobedience to God. Were we to be at the same level with them in disobeying God, we will be no match to them.”
Horses were extremely important at time of war during the Prophet’s lifetime. With all the aggression that the Muslim state had to face and the battles Muslims had to fight, there was emphasis on having the right equipment, and horses were a major part of that. However, it was not easy for the Muslims to have sufficient numbers of horses or camels for their battles. The Muslim force that fought the Battle of Badr against the idolaters of the Quraysh and achieved the first major victory in the history of Islam had only 70 horses between them. That force consisted of 314 men, but they were very poorly equipped. Yet they achieved such a splendid victory because of their dedication and full commitment.
The Prophet loved horses and encouraged people to have them and take good care of them. Jareer reports: “I saw the Prophet turning his horse’s neck before saying: ‘Goodness is attached to horses’ necks.’” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Al-Nassaie, Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.) This means that people draw much benefit from horses. They serve man in a variety of ways. Indeed, the Prophet was fond of them. According to Anas, who served the Prophet for 10 years in Madinah: “Nothing was more pleasing to the Prophet, next to women, than horses.” (Related by Ahmad and Al-Nassaie.) Indeed, he wanted all Muslim children to be good riders. He urged his companions and followers to learn the essential skills that stand them in good stead in times of peace and war. He is quoted as saying: “Teach your children archery, swimming, and horse riding.”
The Prophet was fully aware that enemies of Islam would not lose a chance of attacking Muslims, should they feel that they can score an easy victory against them. We see this clearly today, with attacks against Islam and Muslims in different parts of the world, under the flimsiest of pretexts. Whole countries are destroyed without representing a threat to anyone. The most recent examples are Lebanon and the continuing aggression against the Palestinians in their home country. Afghanistan, Iraq and Chechnya provide further examples. The list is much longer indeed. Being ready to face an enemy is extremely important. Hence, the Prophet encouraged Muslims to have their horses ready, as they were the main equipment in war. God says in the Qur’an: “Make ready against them whatever force and war mounts you can muster, so that you may strike terror into the enemies of God who are also your own enemies.” (8: 60) “War mounts” in the verse refers specifically to horses. Therefore, the Prophet urged Muslims to have spare horses, kept ready for jihad, should this become inevitable. He says: “Keep horses for jihad, rub their necks, mark them for their task, but do not tie their necks with strings, and choose the best horses.” He is also quoted to have said: “Whoever retains a horse preparing it for jihad for God’s cause, believing in God’s promise, will be rewarded by God for its food, drink as well as its discharges.” (Related by Al-Nassaie.)
When we look at all these Hadiths and others concerning horses, we conclude that the Prophet was a good horseman. This is indeed true. Anas reports: “One night something frightening took place in Madinah. The Prophet borrowed a horse belonging to Abu Talhah called Al-Mandoob. When he came back he said: ‘I have found nothing, but I find this horse to be extremely good.’” (Related by Ahmad and in all six authentic anthologies.) Other versions of this Hadith mention that the Prophet rode this horse without a saddle.
Many are the Hadiths that mention horses that belonged to the Prophet and their names and qualities. Apparently he had different horses at different times. He also organized competitions of horse racing, giving prizes to the winners and those coming in the top places. The better the position, the more valuable the prize.