Ms. Farnoosh Ghaffari, Dr. Hafezeh Poordehghan, Dr. Esmaeil Shieh, Dr. Seyyed Hosein Nasr, Dr. Mehdi Khakzand,
Volume 13, Issue 2 (6-2025)
The concept of sanctity extends beyond the sacred elements that are formally recognized. Many sacred spaces are not solely used for worship, thus there is a need to understand the diversity of sacred spaces, including in terms of how they are used. From the perspective of many religions and traditional practices, including Islam, there is no inherent difference in the environment between the sacred and the non-sacred; thus, the home can be conceptualized as a space that functions like a sacred space. Moreover, the shared focus of sacred space and spiritual space on the transcendent has led to these terms sometimes being used interchangeably or in place of one another in literary concepts. However, sacred space and spiritual space involve distinct concepts, which necessitates an examination of the semantic positioning of each term and the relationship between them when understanding the concept of sanctity in the home. This article addresses two key issues to clarify the concept of "sacred space" in Muslim homes. First, although from an Islamic perspective sacred space is a concept not limited to religious places, what differences might exist between the concept of sacred space in religious sacred places and the concept of sacred space in the home? Second, although "sacred space" and "spiritual space" are complementary terms, they have distinct meanings. Thus, the question arises: what is the conceptual relationship between sacred space and spiritual space in Muslim homes? This article adopts a qualitative approach based on an interpretive-historical method. The data, based on documentation, interpretive discussions, examples, and note-taking, were collected and analyzed using inductive reasoning. Evidence related to the topic is examined, and after interpretation, the results are reasoned, ultimately leading to specific conclusions. The results of this article demonstrate that sacred space in the home and religious sacred places follow different concepts and rules, some of which are visible in the differences between "fixed and conditional sacred space," "the relationship between sacred space and behavior," and "the relationship between sacred space and spiritual space." Additionally, sacred space and spiritual space in the home have a causal relationship, in which spiritual space serves as the prerequisite for sacred space, and sacred space is the outcome of behavior that manifests through individual inner spirituality.
