It is narrated from Khalid bin Zayd; he said: I used to practise archery and compete with Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him). One day he passed by me and said: O Khalid, come out with us so that we may shoot. I was a little slow, so he said: O Khalid, come, let me tell you what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) narrated to me. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed Allah Almighty admits three people into Paradise by means of a single arrow: its maker who intends good in making it, the one who hands it (to the mujahid), and the one who shoots it. Shoot and ride, and your shooting is dearer to me than your riding. There is no (permissible) amusement except three: a man's training of his horse, his playing with his wife, and his shooting his arrows in defence of his people. And whoever learns archery and then abandons it, it is a blessing of Allah for which he was ungrateful." This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it. It also has a supporting narration (shahid) in abridged form that is sahih on the condition of Imam Muslim.