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Arab archery is the traditional style of archery practiced by the Arab peoples of the West Asia and North Africa from ancient to modern times.
| This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia.(April 2024) |
Arab archery is the traditional style of archery practiced by the Arab peoples of the West Asia and North Africa from ancient to modern times.
The style of Arab archery described in the extant texts is similar to the styles used by Mongol and Turkish archers, drawing with a thumb draw and using a thumb ring to protect the right thumb. [1] [2] however some medieval muslim writers draw some differences between Arab archery and Turkish and Iranian archery stating that the bow of Hejazi Arabs is superior [3]
A Headstone of a Syrian archer was found along Hadrian's Wall, and dates from the 2nd century Common Era, when 200 Syrian archers were sent to reinforce the 8,000 Roman soldiers. The tombstone is now displayed at the Great North Museum: Hancock. [4]
Arab archers used composite bows from foot, horse, and camel, to good effect from the 7th century. [5]
Arabs used different kinds of arrows, arrow heads, and shafts. [6]
Prophet Muhammad was quite good with a bow, and appreciated the benefits of archery in sports and warfare. A recurved bow made of bamboo, and ascribed to Muhammad, is held in the Sacred Relics (Topkapı Palace) in the Chamber of the Sacred Relics in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul. [7]
There are several comments by Muhammad concerning archery in the Hadith. Umm Salama told of Muhammed coming upon two groups practicing archery, and he praised them. [8]
Malik ibn Anas spoke about when at the battle of Uhud, the troops left Muhammad behind, where the archer, Talhah, remained behind and protected the Prophet with his shield. [9]
Uqbah ibn Amir relates how Muhammad said that archery shooting was more dear to him than riding. [10]
The Prophet owned six bows: az-Zawra’, ar-Rauha’, as-Safra’, al-Bayda’, al-Katum – which was broken during the battle of Battle of Uhud, and was taken by Qatadah bin an-Nu’man – and as-Saddad. The Prophet had a quiver called al-Kafur, and a strap for it made from tanned skin, as well as three silver circular rings, a buckle, and an edge made of silver. According to a medieval Sunni scholar, "We should mention that Ibn Taymiyyah said that there are no authentic narrations that the Prophet ever wore a strap around his waist." [11]
Camels stand higher than horses, and are more resilient in desert warfare. [12] However, camels were often used as transport, and not as a platform for shooting. An account shows an Arab archer dismounting from his camel, and emptying his quiver on the ground before kneeling to shoot. [13]
Camel archery is also attested by peoples not known to be Arab. The Old Testament shows how Joshua fought the Amalekites at Rephidim, who used camels for their archers. Gideon also fought against the Midianites and their camels during the time of the Judges. [14]
There are a number of Arab Archery clubs and societies today. Some practice the traditional Arab archery, while others use Western styles of archery in sport competition and hunting. The main organization is FATA, or the "Fédération Arabe de Tir a L'Arc" of Lebanon, a member of the World Archery Federation. The Pan Arab Games usually have an archery competition, and the 12th Arab Games [15] in Qatar held in 2011 had 60 archers from nine Arab countries compete.
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows. The word comes from the Latin arcus, meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In modern times, it is mainly a competitive sport and recreational activity. A person who practices archery is typically called an archer, bowman, or toxophilite.
A composite bow is a traditional bow made from horn, wood, and sinew laminated together, a form of laminated bow. The horn is on the belly, facing the archer, and sinew on the outer side of a wooden core. When the bow is drawn, the sinew and horn store more energy than wood for the same length of bow. The strength can be made similar to that of all-wood "self" bows, with similar draw-length and therefore a similar amount of energy delivered to the arrow from a much shorter bow. However, making a composite bow requires more varieties of material than a self bow, its construction takes much more time, and the finished bow is more sensitive to moisture.
Fatima bint Asad, was the mother of Ali ibn Abi Talib, married to Abu Talib, and an aunt to Muhammad.
Asmāʾ bint ʿUmays was a female companion of Muhammad. She is known for having married three famous companions of Muhammad, namely, Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, Abu Bakr, and Ali.
Ṭalḥa ibn ʿUbayd Allāh al-Taymī was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. In Sunni Islam, he is mostly known for being among al-ʿashara al-mubashshara. He played an important role in the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of the Camel, in which he died. According to Sunnis, he was given the title "the Generous" by Muhammad.
The Mongol bow is a type of recurved composite bow historically used in Mongolia, and by the horse archers of the Mongol Empire. "Mongol bow" can refer to two types of bow. From the 17th century onward, most of the traditional bows in Mongolia were replaced with the similar Manchu bow which is primarily distinguished by larger siyahs and the presence of prominent string bridges.
A thumb ring is a ring meant to be worn on one's thumb. Most commonly, thumb rings are used as an archery equipment designed to protect the thumb pulp from the bowstring during a thumb draw, and are made of leather, stone, horn, wood, bone, antler, ivory, metal, ceramics, plastic or glass. It usually fits over the distal phalanx of the thumb, coming to rest at the distal edge of the interphalangeal joint. Typically a flange extends from the ring to cover the thumb pulp, and may be supplemented by a leather extension.
Turkish archery is a tradition of archery which became highly developed in the Ottoman Empire, although its origins date back to the Eurasian Steppe in the second millennium BC.
‘Abd al-Ghanī ibn ‘Abd al-Wāḥid al-Jammā’īlī al-Maqdisi was a classical Sunni Islamic scholar and a prominent Hadith master. His full name was Abu Muhammad Abdul-Ghani ibn Abdul-Wahid bin Alī bin Surūr Ibn Rāfi' bin Hussain bin Ja'far al-Maqdisi al-Jammāʻīlī al-Hanbali. He was born in 1146 CE in the village of Jummail in Palestine. He studied with scholars in Damascus; many of whom were from his own extended family. He studied with the Imam of Tasawwuf, Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani. He was the first person to establish a school on Mount Qasioun near Damascus. He died in 1203 CE.
Jamāl al-Dīn Abū al-Ḥajjāj Yūsuf ibn al-Zakī ʻAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Yūsuf ibn ʻAbd al-Malik ibn Yūsuf al-Kalbī al-Quḍā’ī al-Mizzī,, also called Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abī al-Ḥajjāj, was a Syrian muhaddith and the foremost `Ilm al-rijāl Islamic scholar.
Archery, or the use of bow and arrows, was probably developed in Africa by the later Middle Stone Age. It is documented as part of warfare and hunting from the classical period until the end of the 19th century, when it was made obsolete by the invention and spread of repeating firearms.
The Rashidun army was the core of the Rashidun Caliphate's armed forces during the early Muslim conquests in the 7th century. The army is reported to have maintained a high level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization, granting them successive victories in their various campaigns.
The Fursan unit, or the early Muslim cavalry unit, was the cavalry forces of Rashidun army during the Muslim conquest of Syria. The division which formed the early cavalry corps of the caliphate were commonly nicknamed the Mobile Guard or also nicknamed Marching army( جيش الزحف, "Jaish al‐Zaḥf"). These units were famously commanded by Khalid ibn Walid, the most successful early caliphate cavalry commander who organized the unit into military staff – a simple beginning of what later in military history would emerge as the general staff. Khalid had collected from all the regions in which he had fought – Arabia, Iraq, Syria and Palestine.
Hashim ibn Utba ibn Abi Waqqas, was a Muslim army commander. He was Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas's nephew through his father, and was a companion of Muhammad. Hāshim participated in the Ridda wars to force rebellious Arab tribes to return to Islam after the death of Muhammad. He fought the Byzantines in the Battle of Yarmouk under the command of Khalid ibn al-Walid. He played a vital role in the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah that led to the conquest of Al-Mada'in by Muslims. He died in the Battle of Siffin fighting on the side of Ali.
Furūsiyya is the historical Arabic term for equestrian martial exercise. Furūsiyya “Knighthood” is a martial tradition dating back to pre-Islamic Arabia.
Abū Naṣr Alī ibn Hibat Allāh ibn Ja'far ibn Allakān ibn Muḥammad ibn Dulaf ibn Abī Dulaf al-Qāsim ibn ‘Īsā al-Ijlī, surnamed Sa’d al-Muluk and known as Ibn Mākūlā was a highly regarded Arab muḥaddith and historian who authored several works. His magnum opus was his biographical-genealogical history on etymology and orthography of Islamic names, Al-Ikmāl.
Abū Bakr az-Zubaydī, also known as Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn Madḥīj al-Faqīh and Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan az-Zubaydī al-Ishbīlī, held the title Akhbār al-fuquhā and wrote books on topics including philology, biography, history, philosophy, law, lexicology, and hadith.
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