Zakat (Kitab Al-Zakat)

Dawud :: Book 9 : Hadith 1596

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr Ibn al-'As:

Hilal, a man from the tribe of Banu Mat'an brought a tenth of honey which he possessed in beehives to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). He asked him (the apostle of Allah) to give the wood known as Salabah as a protected (or restricted) land.

The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) gave him that wood as a protected land.

When Umar ibn al-Khattab succeeded, Sufyan ibn Wahb wrote to Umar asking him about this wood. Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote to him: If he (Hilal) pays you the tithe on honey what he used to pay to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), leave the protected land of Salabah in his possession; otherwise those bees are like those of any wood; anyone can take the honey as he likes.