Taking Rides ...

Taking Rides : using quadrupeds for riding is an accepted practice in Islam, as the Holy Qur‘an has also approved it: ﴾And horses, mules and asses, for you to ride them.﴿ [^7] However, from two standpoints, this kind of usage should be proportionate to the animal’s capacity and not cause it any harm: First, how to ride it: the one who is using the mount for riding should watch out the way he sits on the animal that would not cause distress and pain to it and would fit the animal’s body structure.

The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) has prohibited the Muslims from tawarruk on animals. What is meant by tawarruk is a way of sitting on an animal with both legs hanging on one side or sitting in a cross-legged position, not dividing the weight of one’s body on the entire animal’s back. Do not pull up your legs on the animal’s back [or hang them on one side] and do not make its back a place for dialogs with others.

[^8] Second, the number of riders: if the standard for using the animal is its capacity, this capacity is definitely limited for bearing the weight of a human being.

For this reason, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) does not permit several people ride on the back of an animal ( irdaf ) at the same time and has warned that if they do that, one of them would be cursed ( mal‘un ).[^9] Obviously, the permissibility or impermissibility of more than one person riding on an animal’s back is subject to the capacity and tolerance of the animal; in case an animal cannot stand the weight of more than one person (unendurable), this would be impermissible.[^10] Thus, to give the animal due consideration, people had better use the animal for riding in turn ( i‘tiqab = one by one), as it is practiced by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) on various occasions.[^11] 2.1.

Carrying Loads : the animal’s owner is not permitted to load it with goods heavier than its capacity under the pretext that he owns it,[^12] because such an act would torment ( ta‘dhib ) and harm ( idhrar ) the animal.[^13] The Islamic ruler (government) is obliged to prevent the owner in case of perpetrating this act.[^14] It is worth mentioning that in some legal sources two conclusions have been derived from this issue.