Then he said;"Bring them (horses) back to me." Then he began to pass his hand over their legs and their necks.
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said,
"He said, `No, by Allah, you will not keep me from worshipping my Lord again,' then he ordered that they should be slaughtered."
This was also the view of Qatadah.
As-Suddi said,
"Their necks and hamstrings were struck with swords."
Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
"He began patting the horses' heads and legs out of love for them."
This is the view that was favored by Ibn Jarir. He said,
"Because he would not punish an animal by cutting its hamstrings or destroy his own wealth for no other reason than that he had been distracted from his prayer by looking at it, and it was not the animals' fault."
This view which Ibn Jarir thought more correct is subject to further review, because such action may have been permissible according to their law, especially since he got angry for the sake of Allah for being distracted by these horses until the time for prayer had lapsed. Then, since he dispensed with them for the sake of Allah, Allah compensated him with something better, the wind which blew gently by his order wherever he willed. Its morning lasted a month's (journey), and its afternoon lasted a month's (journey). This was faster and better than horses.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Qatadah and Abu Ad-Dahma', who traveled a lot to the Ka`bah, said,
"We met a man from among the Bedouins who said to us;`The Messenger of Allah took my hand and started teaching me some of that which Allah had taught him. He said,
إِنَّكَ لَا تَدَعُ شَيْيًا اتِّقَاءَ اللهِ تَعَالَى إِلاَّ أَعْطَاكَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ خَيْرًا مِنْه
You do not give up anything for the sake of Allah, but Allah will give you something better than it."