حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ، مَوْلَى سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ عَنْ خَالِدِ بْنِ مَعْدَانَ، يَرْفَعُهُ
" إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى رَفِيقٌ يُحِبُّ الرِّفْقَ وَيَرْضَى بِهِ وَيُعِينُ عَلَيْهِ مَا لاَ يُعِينُ عَلَى الْعُنْفِ فَإِذَا رَكِبْتُمْ هَذِهِ الدَّوَابَّ الْعُجْمَ فَأَنْزِلُوهَا مَنَازِلَهَا فَإِنْ كَانَتِ الأَرْضُ جَدْبَةً فَانْجُوا عَلَيْهَا بِنِقْيِهَا وَعَلَيْكُمْ بِسَيْرِ اللَّيْلِ فَإِنَّ الأَرْضَ تُطْوَى بِاللَّيْلِ مَا لاَ تُطْوَى بِالنَّهَارِ وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالتَّعْرِيسَ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ فَإِنَّهَا طُرُقُ الدَّوَابِّ وَمَأْوَى الْحَيَّاتِ "
Malik related to me from Abu Ubayd, the mawla of Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik from Khalid ibn Madan who attributed it to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "Allah, the Blessed and Exalted is kind and loves kindness. He is pleased with it and helps you with it as long as it is not misplaced. When you ride dumb beasts, stop them in their stopping places, and quicken their pace when the land is barren. Travel by night, because the land is travelled faster at night than it is during the day. Beware of pitching tents on the road, for it is the path of animals and the abode of snakes."
Reported by Malik (No. 1804).