Is it permissible for someone other than the Prophet to revoke or alter an area protected (*Hima*) by a previous Imam?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Reviving Dead Land
Primary text
If an area was protected (*Hima*) by one of the Imams (scholarly authorities), it is permissible for a subsequent Imam or someone else to revoke or alter that protection. This permissibility stems from the view that the protection established by an Imam is based on *Ijtihad* (independent legal reasoning).
Supporting text
If a person revives such land protected by an Imam, one opinion holds that they gain ownership because the principle of acquiring land ownership through revival (*Ihya*) is a clear textual ruling (*Nass*), which takes precedence over *Ijtihad*. The second opinion holds that the reviver does not gain ownership, as the *Ijtihad* of an Imam cannot be overturned, similar to how their judicial rulings are not overturned.