Ms. Farnoosh Ghaffari, Dr. Hafezeh Poordehghan, Dr. Esmaeil Shieh, Dr. Seyyed Hosein Nasr, Dr. Mehdi Khakzand,
Volume 13, Issue 2 (6-2025)
In Islamic thought, sanctity is not confined to formally recognized religious sites; it permeates daily environments, including the home. Sacred and spiritual spaces, though often conflated, constitute distinct conceptual categories that warrant semantic clarification. This article examines the nuanced relationship between these two types of space within Muslim domestic life, addressing two primary questions: How does the concept of sacred space in the home differ from that in formally designated religious places? And what is the conceptual relationship between sacred space and spiritual space in the Muslim home?
Employing a qualitative, interpretive-historical methodology, the study draws upon religious texts, traditional practices, and documented examples to analyze the semantic and functional dimensions of these spaces. Findings indicate that sacred space in the home operates under different conditions and rules compared to institutional religious spaces. Key distinctions emerge in areas such as the “fixed versus conditional” nature of sanctity, the behavioral prerequisites for sacredness, and the dynamic between sacred and spiritual dimensions.
The research further reveals that spiritual space functions as a precursor to sacred space within the home. Sacred space arises as an outcome of practices rooted in personal spirituality, reflecting a causal relationship in which inner spiritual awareness enables the manifestation of sanctity in the domestic environment. These insights contribute to a clearer theoretical framework for understanding how Islamic principles shape the experience of sacredness in everyday living spaces.
