Encyclopedia of Islam

horse

  

309  J

---

and  a

ndalUsia

 during the seventh and eighth 

centuries. Arabians were also used in the sport 

of horse racing, and many race horses today have 

Arabian blood.

Experts disagree about their origin. Some say 

Arabians developed during the fourth or fifth 

century in the Arabian Peninsula from horses 

that had migrated from Central Asia. Others say 

the breed originated in North Africa. Arabians 

were introduced into Europe during the Middle 

Ages, where they contributed to the develop-

ment of some of the best European breeds. They 

declined in the Arabian Peninsula when modern 

transportation and weapons technologies arrived 

in the 19th century, but meanwhile they became 

favorites among breeders in Europe and North 

America. In recent times, the practice of breeding 

Arabians has been revived in s

aUdi

  a

rabia

  and 

J

ordan

. An Arabian horse is the central figure 

in Walter Farley’s, The Black Stallion, a popular 

children’s novel (1941) and film (1979). Another 

famous breed from Islamicate lands is the Akhal 

Teke (also known as the Persian or Parthian 

horse), indigenous to Central Asia and consid-

ered by many to be one of the oldest breeds in 

existence. It has been embraced by the Turkmen 

culture, which has strong nomadic roots.

The horse is held in high esteem in Arabo-

Islamicate literature. It was said to be the animal 

closest in nature to humans because of its noble 

demeanor. In the q

Uran

, horses are described 

as creatures that God created for men to ride (Q 

16:8); elsewhere they are identified with 

Women

, 

children, stores of precious metals, and land as 

being among the beautiful things to be enjoyed 

in life (Q 3:14). According to commentators, hav-

ing a horse in the house is a way to keep s

atan

and the 

Jinn

  from harming its owner. In Islamic 

lore, Ishmael (Ismail) the son of a

braham

 was the 

first human to tame a horse for riding, and King 

Solomon was said to have ridden a winged horse, 

like Pegasus in Greek mythology. The 

hadith

indicate that m

Uhammad

 rode horses and that he 

even approved the holding of horse races (with-

out betting) in m

edina

. Also, he is said to have 

used a magical horselike animal named b

Uraq

when he traveled from m

ecca

 to J

erUsalem

 and 

ascended into heaven during his n

ight

 J

oUrney

and

  a

scent

. Among the Shia, the most famous 

horse is the one belonging to h

Usayn

 

ibn

 a

li

 

ibn

a

bi

  t

alib

 (d. 680). This animal carried him to 

k

arbala

, where he was martyred. It is also said 

that at the end of time it will be resurrected from 

the Euphrates River to carry Husayn once again 

into battle against wrongdoers.

Horses were a favorite subject for poets, and 

it is estimated that more than 100 books about 

horses and horsemanship circulated in Islamdom 

during the Middle Ages. These books often have 

detailed descriptions of a horse’s physical features 

and markings, which are interpreted as omens 

affecting the fortunes of its rider. Technical knowl-

edge about breeding, training, and veterinary care 

is also provided, but it differs considerably from 

modern methods of horse care and training.

See also  a

rabic

 

langUage

 

and

 

literatUre

; 

camel

.