Sahih al-Bukhari 3059

Hadith text

Narrated Aslam:`Umar bin Al-Khattab appointed a freed slave of his, called Hunai, manager of the Hima (i.e. a pasture devoted for grazing the animals of the Zakat or other specified animals). He said to him, "O Hunai! Don't oppress the Muslims and ward off their curse (invocations against you) for the invocation of the oppressed is responded to (by Allah); and allow the shepherd having a few camels and those having a few sheep (to graze their animals), and take care not to allow the livestock of `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf and the livestock of (`Uthman) bin `Affan, for if their livestock should perish, then they have their farms and gardens, while those who own a few camels and those who own a few sheep, if their livestock should perish, would bring their dependents to me and appeal for help saying, 'O chief of the believers! O chief of the believers!' Would I then neglect them? (No, of course not). So, I find it easier to let them have water and grass rather than to give them gold and silver (from the Muslims' treasury). By Allah, these people think that I have been unjust to them. This is their land, and during the pre-Islamic period, they fought for it and they embraced Islam (willingly) while it was in their possession. By Him in Whose Hand my life is! Were it not for the animals (in my custody) which I give to be ridden for striving in Allah's Cause, I would not have turned even a span of their land into a Hima

Aslam bataate hain: Umar bin Al-Khattab ne apne ek azaad kiye gulaam, Hunai, ko Hima (yaani Zakat ke ya doosre khaas janwaron ki charaee ke liye alag rakhi gaee zameen) ka prabandhak muqarrar kiya. Unhone usse kaha, "Aye Hunai! Musalmanon par zulm mat karo aur unki bad-dua se bacho, kyunke mazloom ki dua (Allah dwaara) qubool ki jaati hai; aur un charwahon ko jaane do jinke paas kam unt hain aur unhe bhi jinke paas kam bhedein hain, magar khayaal rakho ke Abdur-Rahman bin Auf ke maweshi aur (Uthman) bin Affan ke maweshi ko na aane dena, kyunke agar unke maweshi mar bhi jaayen, unke paas apne khet aur baag hain, jabke un logon ke paas jinke kam unt ya bhedein hain, agar unke maweshi mar jaen, woh apne aashriton ko mere paas lakar madad maangenge, kehte huye, 'Aye Momino ke Ameer! Aye Momino ke Ameer!' Kya main phir bhi unhe napasand karta? (Nahi, beshak nahi.) Isliye mujhe unhe paani aur ghaas dena aasaan lagta hai bajaye is ke ke main unhe (Musalmanon ke khazaane se) sona-chandi dun. Allah ki qasam, yeh log sochte hain maine unke saath na-insaafi ki hai. Yeh unki zameen hai, aur jahiliyat ke zamane mein unhone iske liye jung ki thi aur woh Islam mein daakhil hue jabke yeh unke kabze mein thi. Us Zaat ki qasam jiske haath mein meri zindagi hai! Agar mere paas woh janwar na hote jinhe main Allah ki raah mein Jihad ke liye deta hoon, main unki zameen ka ek bhi tukda Hima nahi banata."

Sahih al-Bukhari 3059 · Book 56, Hadith 264