Riyadat al-Abdan li-Abi Nuaym al-Asbahani
- Author died
- 430 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-ʿĀṣimah
Riyadat al-Abdan (Exercise of the Bodies) is a specialized hadith work by the hadith scholar and historian Abu Nu'aym al-Asbahani (d. 430 AH / 1038 CE), dedicated to prophetic traditions and narrations on bodily training, archery, and equestrian sports in Islam.
Scope and Content
The treatise compiles prophetic narrations with chains of transmission (asānīd) pertaining to physical fitness, the virtues and etiquette of archery, horse riding, and permissible bodily exercises. Abu Nu'aym transmits reports through his teachers and their lines of narration, such as traditions concerning the use of Persian bows and events at Ghadir Khumm.
Transmission and Publication
The work is documented across classical and modern bibliographical literature under variants including Riyadat al-Abdan and Kitab al-Riyada wa-l-Adab (The Book of Exercise and Manners). A surviving portion of the work was edited by Abu Abd Allah Mahmud ibn Muhammad al-Haddad and published under the title Juz' min Kitab Riyadat al-Abdan by Dar al-Asimah in Riyadh (1st edition, 1408 AH / 1988 CE).
Answer updated