ʿUmar 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 ʿAbdur-Rahman bin ʿAuf and the livestock of (ʿUthman) bin ʿAffan, 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). 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 prelslamic 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."

عَنِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَاتَّقِ دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ فَإِنَّ دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ مُسْتَجَابَةٌ وَأَدْخِلْ رَبَّ الصُّرَيْمَةِ وَرَبَّ الْغُنَيْمَةِ وَإِيَّاىَ وَنَعَمَ ابْنِ عَوْفٍ وَنَعَمَ ابْنِ عَفَّانَ فَإِنَّهُمَا إِنْ تَهْلِكْ مَاشِيَتُهُمَا يَرْجِعَا إِلَى نَخْلٍ وَزَرْعٍ وَإِنَّ رَبَّ الصُّرَيْمَةِ وَرَبَّ الْغُنَيْمَةِ إِنْ تَهْلِكْ مَاشِيَتُهُمَا يَأْتِنِي بِبَنِيهِ فَيَقُولُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَفَتَارِكُهُمْ أَنَا لاَ أَبَا لَكَ فَالْمَاءُ وَالْكَلأُ أَيْسَرُ عَلَىَّ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْوَرِقِ وَايْمُ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ لَيَرَوْنَ أَنِّي قَدْ ظَلَمْتُهُمْ إِنَّهَا لَبِلاَدُهُمْ فَقَاتَلُوا عَلَيْهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَأَسْلَمُوا عَلَيْهَا فِي الإِسْلاَمِ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْلاَ الْمَالُ الَّذِي أَحْمِلُ عَلَيْهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَا حَمَيْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ بِلاَدِهِمْ شِبْرًا

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from his father that Umar ibn al-Khattab gave a mawla of his called Hunayy charge over the hima. He said, "Hunayy! Do not harm the people. Fear the supplication of the wronged, for the supplication of the wronged is answered. Let the one with a small herd of camels and the one with a small herd of sheep enter, but be wary of the livestock of Ibn Awf and the livestock of Ibn Affan. If their livestock are destroyed, they will return to palm-trees and agriculture. If the livestock of the one with a small herd of camels and the one with a small herd of sheep are destroyed, he will bring his children to me crying, 'Amir al-muminin! Amir al-Muminin!' Shall I neglect them? Water and pasturage are of less value to me than gold and silver. By Allah, they think that I have wronged them. This is their land and their water. They fought for it in the jahiliyya and became muslims on it in Islam. By He in whose hand my self is! Were it not for the mounts which I give to be ridden in the way of Allah, I would not have turned a span of their land into hima."

عَنِ النَّاسِ وَاتَّقِ دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ فَإِنَّ دَعْوَةَ الْمَظْلُومِ مُسْتَجَابَةٌ وَأَدْخِلْ رَبَّ الصُّرَيْمَةِ وَرَبَّ الْغُنَيْمَةِ وَإِيَّاىَ وَنَعَمَ ابْنِ عَوْفٍ وَنَعَمَ ابْنِ عَفَّانَ فَإِنَّهُمَا إِنْ تَهْلِكْ مَاشِيَتُهُمَا يَرْجِعَا إِلَى نَخْلٍ وَزَرْعٍ وَإِنَّ رَبَّ الصُّرَيْمَةِ وَرَبَّ الْغُنَيْمَةِ إِنْ تَهْلِكْ مَاشِيَتُهُمَا يَأْتِنِي بِبَنِيهِ فَيَقُولُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَفَتَارِكُهُمْ أَنَا لاَ أَبَا لَكَ فَالْمَاءُ وَالْكَلأُ أَيْسَرُ عَلَىَّ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْوَرِقِ وَايْمُ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ لَيَرَوْنَ أَنِّي قَدْ ظَلَمْتُهُمْ إِنَّهَا لَبِلاَدُهُمْ وَمِيَاهُهُمْ قَاتَلُوا عَلَيْهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَأَسْلَمُوا عَلَيْهَا فِي الإِسْلاَمِ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْلاَ الْمَالُ الَّذِي أَحْمِلُ عَلَيْهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَا حَمَيْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ بِلاَدِهِمْ شِبْرًا