The Holy Quran 16:8 — Surah An-Nahl

Arabic text

وَٱلْخَيْلَ وَٱلْبِغَالَ وَٱلْحَمِيرَ لِتَرْكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةً ۚ وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

Translation

(Allaah has created) Horses, mules and donkeys for riding and adornment. And (in addition to all of this) He creates such things about which you have no knowledge (such as modern means of transport which the people of earlier times did not know).

Tafsir (excerpt) — Tafsir Usmani

That is, you ride [on them], and [through this] honour and dignity are displayed. (Note.) In Arabia riding a donkey is not considered shameful: the donkeys there are very valuable, handsome, swift and good-paced. Beside some donkeys, horses count for nothing. A witty Indian put it well: “In the Hijaz there is no ‘gadha’ (the Urdu word for donkey)

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