Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Muhammed bin Abi Haatim (rahimahullah) mentions:
Imaam Bukaari (rahimahullah) would often mount his conveyance and ride out to practice archery. Such was his mastery in archery that throughout the lengthy period that I remained with him, I only saw his arrow miss the target on two occasions. Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) would always hit the target and no one could surpass his accuracy.
On one occasion when we were in Farbar, we went with Imaam Bukaari (rahimahullah) to practice archery. We came out on the road that led to the river mouth and then began to fire our arrows. However, while firing, the arrow of Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) struck one of the pillars beneath the bridge over the river, causing it to be damaged.
Seeing this, Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) dismounted from his conveyance, pulled the arrow out of the pillar and ended the archery session, instructing his companions to return.
Thereafter, he turned to me and said, with a deep sigh of grief and worry, “O Abu Ja’far! There is an urgent need that I require you to fulfil!” When I responded that I was ready to fulfil whatever need he had of me, he said, “Go to the owner of this bridge and inform him that we have damaged the pillar. Hence, we would like him to permit us to either replace the pillar, or compensate him with money for the damage. In this manner, we wish him to absolve us of the responsibility of the damage we have caused.”
The owner of the bridge was Humaid bin Akhdar. After I conveyed the message of Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) to him, he replied, “Convey my salaam to Abu Abdillah, Imaam Bukhaari, and inform him that I have absolved him of all responsibility, and tell him that I am ready to sacrifice and spend all my wealth for him.”
On returning to Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) and conveying the reply to him, he became so pleased that his face was radiant with joy. Furthermore, on that day, he narrated five hundred Ahaadith and spent three hundred dirhams in charity, out of gratitude to Allah Ta‘ala.
(Hadyus Saari pg. 480)
