Grant of Grazing

Lands for cattle       

1) ‘Amr b. Shoa‘ib reported his grandfather on the authority of his father that Hilal came to Allah’s Messenger (Sall Allah-o-alaihe wa sallam) with the ‘ushr of honey he had and asked him for granting him the valley, called Salabah as a protected land for him. Allah’s Messenger (Sall Allah-o-alaihe wa sallam) granted him the valley as a protected land. When Umar b. Khattab became Caliph, Sufyan b. Wahb wrote to ‘Umar b. Khattab asking him about this (valley). ‘Umar replied: “If he pays to me what he used to pay to Allah’s Messenger (Sall Allah-o-alaihe wa sallam) as ‘ushr of his honey, then the valley of Salabah may (conti­nue to be as a protected land for him), and if he does not pay it, then it is from the bees of herbage, whoever wills will devour it (honey).

2) Ibn ‘Abbas reported on the authority of Sa‘b b. Jathamah that the Messenger of Allah (Sall Allah-o-alaihe wa sallam) as saying; “There is no hima (protected land) except for Allah and His Messenger.” He (Ibn ‘Abbas) said: “It has reached us that the Holy Prophet (Sall Allah-o-alaihe wa sallam) declared al-Naqi‘ as hima (protected land) and ‘Umar declared as-Saraf and ar-Rabadha as hima (preserve).”

Source: Economic Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): A Select Anthology of Hadith Literature on Economics, Muhammad Akram Khan. Republished with permission.