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THE ORIGINS OF THE ISLAMIC STATE

Waḳḳâṣ:—The latter once found a young servant felling trees in the ḥima [reserved land]. He beat the servant and took his ax. The servant's mistress, or a woman of his kin, went to ʿUmar and accused Saʿd. ʿUmar ordered that the ax and the clothes be returned. But Saʿd refused saying, "I will not give up spoils given me by the Prophet whom I heard say, 'Whomever ye find cutting trees in the ḥima, ye should beat and deprive of what he has.'" From the ax Saʿd made a shovel which he used in his property to the end of his life.

Al-Ghâbah. Abu-l-Ḥasan al-Madâʾini from ibn-Juʿdubah and abu-Maʿshar:—When the Prophet was at Ẓuraib (probably on his return from the expedition of dhu-Ḳard) banu-Ḥârithah of the Anṣâr said to him referring to the site of al-Ghâbah [forest], "This is the place for our camels to go loose, and for our sheep to graze, and for our women to go out." The Prophet then ordered that he who had cut off a tree should replace it by planting a small shoot. Thus was al-Ghâbah planted with trees.

Wâdi-Mahzûr. ʿAbd-al-Aʿla ibn-Ḥammâd an-Narsi from abu-Mâlik ibn-Thaʿlabah's father:—The Prophet decreed in the case of Wâdi-Mahzûr[1] that the water be shut off on the the surface until it rises to the two ankles, at which it should be conducted to the other place, thus preventing the owner of the higher property from holding the water from the owner of the lower one.

Isḥâḳ ibn-abi-Isrâʾîl from ʿAbd-ar-Raḥmân ibn-al-Ḥârith:—The Prophet decreed in the case of the Mahzûr torrent that the owner of the higher property should hold the water until it rises to the two ankles, at which he must let it go to the holder of the lower land.

  1. One of the valleys of Madînah, see al-Bakri, Kitâb Muʿjam Ma-s-taʿjam, vol. ii, p. 562.