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A Ḥimá (Arabic: حمى) "inviolate zone" refers to an area set aside for the conservation of natural capital, typically fields, wildlife and forests - contrast ḥaram, which defines an area protected for more immediate human purposes.
A Muslim has a specific obligation to practice khalifa ("stewardship") over nature, and each species of animals is said to be "its own nation". The selection of ḥimás was thus a religious rather than community obligation, and was often undertaken by the ulema.
There are five types of ḥimá:
- 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)
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