The Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him) saw a man following a pigeon and said: "A devil following a she-devil" (51). If he keeps pigeons to obtain their chicks, or to carry messages, or for companionship without causing harm that extends to people, his testimony shall not be rejected. 'Ubadah ibn al-Samit narrated that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him) and complained to him of loneliness, and he said: "Keep a pair of pigeons" (52).
Section: As for lawful competitions, such as racing with horses or other animals, or on foot, it is permissible (53) and entails no baseness (54), and testimony is not rejected because of it. We have already mentioned the lawfulness of that in the chapter on competitions (55). The same applies to similar matters such as martial training and playing with spears. The Abyssinians played with spears before the Messenger of God (peace and blessings of God be upon him), and Aisha stood behind him looking at them and hiding behind him until she grew weary (56). This is because it involves learning for war, as it is among its tools, so it resembles horse racing, shooting practice, and other games. If it does not entail harm or distraction from an obligatory duty, the fundamental principle is its permissibility. Thus, whatever of it contains baseness from which those of moral integrity (muru'ah) refrain, it prevents the acceptance of testimony if one performs it publicly and it is repeated from him. As for that in which there is no baseness, testimony is not rejected by it (57) in any case.
Section: Regarding amusements: they are of three types. The first is prohibited: this is the playing of stringed instruments, pipes, all types of flutes, the lute (ud), the tambour (tunbur), the lyre (ma'zafah), the rebec (rabab), and their like. Whoever persists in listening to them, his testimony is rejected, because it is narrated from Ali, may God be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him) that he said: "When fifteen traits appear in my nation, calamity will befall them" (58). Among them, he mentioned
(51) Recorded by Abu Dawud, in: Chapter on Playing with Pigeons, from the Book of Etiquette. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/582. And Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 2/345. (52) Recorded by al-Khatib, in: Tarikh Baghdad 5/199. (53) In A, B, and M: "it is permissible". (54) In M: "in it". (55) Previously mentioned in: 13/404. (56) Its recording was previously mentioned in: 9/507. (57) In M: "by it". (58) Recorded by al-Tirmidhi, in: Chapter on what has been mentioned regarding the sign of the arrival of transformation and sinking, from the Chapters on Tribulations (al-Fitan). 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 9/58.
رأَى النَّبِىُّ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- رجلًا يَتبَعُ حَمامًا، فقال: "شَيْطَانٌ يَتْبَعُ شَيْطَانَةً" (٥١). وإنِ اتَّخذَ الحمامَ لطَلبِ فِراخِها، أو لحَمْلِ الكُتبِ، أو لِلأُنْسِ بها مِن غيرِ أذًى يَتعدَّى إلى النَّاسِ، لم تُرَدَّ شهادتُه. وقد رَوَى عُبادَةُ بنُ الصَّامِتِ، أَنَّ رجلًا جاءَ إلى النَّبِىِّ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-، فشَكَا إليه الوَحْشَةَ، فقال: "اتَّخِذْ زَوْجًا مِنْ حَمَامٍ" (٥٢).
فصل: فأمَّا المُسابَقةُ المَشْروعةُ، بالخَيْلِ وغيرِها من الحيواناتِ، أو على الأقْدامِ، فمُباحٌ (٥٣) لا دناءَة فيه (٥٤)، ولا تُرَدُّ به الشَّهادَةُ، وقد ذكرْنا مَشروعيَّةَ ذلك فى بابِ المُسَابقةِ (٥٥). وكذلك ما فى معناه من الثِّقافِ، واللَّعِبِّ بالحِرابِ. وقد لعِبَ الحَبَشةُ بالحِرابِ بين يَدىْ رسولِ اللَّهِ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-، وقامتْ عائشةُ خَلْفَه تَنْظُرُ إليهم، وتَسْتَتِرُ به، حتى مَلَّتْ (٥٦). ولأنَّ فى هذا تَعلُّمًا للحَرْبِ، فإنَّه مِن آلاتِه، فأشْبَهَ المُسابقةَ بالخَيلِ، والمُناضَلةَ، وسائِرُ اللَّعِبِ، إذا لم يَتضمَّنْ ضررًا، ولا شَغْلًا عن فَرْضٍ، فالأصلُ إباحتُه، فما كان منه فيه دَناءَةٌ يَترفَّعُ عنه ذَوُو المُروءاتِ، مَنَعَ الشَّهادةَ إذا فَعلَه ظاهرًا، وتَكرَّرَ منه، وما كان منه لا دَناءةَ فيه، لم تُرَدَّ به (٥٧) الشَّهادةُ بحالٍ.
فصل: فى الْمَلاهى: وهى على ثلاثةِ أَضْرُبٍ؛ مُحَرَّمٍ، وهو ضَرْبُ الأوْتارِ والنَّاياتِ، والمَزامِيرِ كلِّها، والعُودِ، والطُّنبُورِ، والمَعْزَفةِ، والرَّبابِ، ونحوِها، فمَن أدامَ اسْتماعَها، رُدَّت شَهادتُه؛ لأَنَّه يُرْوَى عن علىٍّ، رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عنه، عن النَّبِىِّ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-، أنَّه قال: "إِذَا ظَهَرَتْ فِى أُمَّتِى خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ خَصْلَةً، حَلَّ بِهِمُ الْبَلَاءُ" (٥٨). فذكرَ منها
(٥١) أخرجه أبو داود، فى: باب فى اللعب بالحمام، من كتاب الأدب. سنن أبى داود ٢/ ٥٨٢. والإمام أحمد، فى: المسند ٢/ ٣٤٥.(٥٢) أخرجه الخطيب، فى: تاريخ بغداد ٥/ ١٩٩.(٥٣) فى أ، ب، م: "فمباحة".(٥٤) فى م: "فيها".(٥٥) تقدم فى: ١٣/ ٤٠٤.(٥٦) تقدم تخريجه، فى: ٩/ ٥٠٧.(٥٧) فى م: "بها".(٥٨) أخرجه الترمذى، فى: باب ما جاء فى علامة حلول المسخ والخسف، من أبواب الفتن. عارضة الأحوذى ٩/ ٥٨.
