According to the
Quran, a
Muslim has a specific obligation to practice
stewardship over nature, and each species of animals is said to be "its own nation". "Human beings are God's representatives on earth. This means that if they are not charged with maintaining the world, or rending to it, they must at least not destroy it". The selection of ḥimas was thus a religious rather than community obligation, and was often undertaken by the
ulema. There are five types of ḥima: • areas where
grazing of domestic animals is prohibited • areas where grazing is restricted to certain seasons •
beekeeping reserves where grazing is restricted during flowering • forest areas where cutting of trees is forbidden •
reserves managed for the welfare of a particular village, town or tribe (see also
ḥaram, although that term usually refers more to water protection measures) There are good examples of ḥima in the
Middle East, some adopted by the Islamic prophet,
Muhammad. ==In The Hadiths==