The Mule

S 16:8 And horses and mules and donkeys for you to ride them and as adornment. And he creates what you do not know.

The notion is that Allah created all of those things. Should we understand that the beginning of the verse is a continuation of verse 5's speaking of cattle? An afterthought?

Might one say that the mule, a hybrid, is a creation? Were each of these, including the hybrid, created as something to ride? Were they created as an adornment*? See below. One might conceivably see a Lipizzaner horse as something that very loosely could be called 'an adornment', but a mule or a donkey? What about other creatures, such as the hippo and the crocodile; were they created with a use in mind, and perhaps as an adornment? The verse ends with a statement that Allah creates what the reader or hearer is unfamiliar with. Does that include other hybrids?

*Noun

زِينَة • (zīna) f (plural زِينَات‎ (zīnāt))

1. embellishment, adornment, ornament, decoration, garnish, decor

2. dressing up, putting on makeup, grooming oneself, sprucing up, adorning oneself, primping

3. clothes, attire, finery

4. toilette https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9

زِينَة

- Making things beautiful by adding decorations - All that makes up the general appearance - Putting on your best clothes for a special occasion - Something used to decorate or the act of adorning - adornment; decor; decoration; ornament; embellishment; garnish; vanity

المختصر

زِينَة

- Noun gerund of verb to primp - Putting on attractive clothes for a certain occaasion - Putting on your best clothes for a special occasion - adoring ; dressing up; adorning; grooming; primping; prink; toilet

https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D8%B2%D9%90%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8E%D8%A9/

Would one wear an animal?

Further reading:

Creators

The Best of Creators