The concept of “sanctuary” in the prophet's Sirrah (PBUH) and the necessity and possibility of its expansion

“Sanctuary” is of the fundamental concepts in Islam Prophet (PBUH) Sirrah. There were three urban settlements of “Mecca”, “Medina” and “Ta’if” in Hijaz of the Prophet’s era. The Prophet set two cities of Mecca and Medina and the so-called Ta’if as the sanctuary. The concept of “sanctuary” had been laid down to apply special and to some extent strict rules and regulations to preserve plants and animals. The main issue of this research is that what effect had the sanctuary concept on preserving Hijaz cities environment? And due to problems of contemporary city life on the environment, is it possible to use this religious concept for preserving the environment? In this article according to the existing narratives and considering the historical texts, it became clear that determining the sanctuary and applying regulations such as the prohibition of cutting trees down, hunting and scaring animals and also destroying plants, has had a huge impact on preserving the natural environment of the cities of prophet’s (PBUH) era. Moreover, due to the poor condition of the environment in third world countries especially in Islamic countries, it seems necessary and inevitable to seek ways of preserving the nature of these countries. Thus, it seems that expanding sanctuary regulations to other urban settlements in the contemporary world can play an important role in preserving the environment and natural heritage around the cities.