in any other place, except for three locations:

The first is a sanctuary by the consensus of the Muslims: the sanctuary of Mecca—may Allah Most High honour it. The second is a sanctuary according to the majority of scholars: the sanctuary of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, extending from ‘Ayr to Thawr, an area one barīd (postal stage) long and one barīd wide. This is a sanctuary according to the majority of scholars, including Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī and Ahmad, and numerous authentic hadiths concerning it have been widely transmitted from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

The third is “Wajj,” a valley in Tā’if. A hadith concerning it was reported by Ahmad in his Musnad, but it is not found in the collections of authentic hadiths. Al-Shāfi‘ī regards it as a sanctuary because he considered the hadith authentic, whereas most scholars do not regard it as a sanctuary. Ahmad judged the hadith reported concerning it to be weak and therefore did not act upon it.

Apart from these three places, no location is regarded as a sanctuary by any Muslim scholar. A sanctuary is a place where Allah has forbidden hunting its game and cutting its vegetation, and Allah has not forbidden hunting game and cutting vegetation anywhere outside these three places.

Section

“Visiting Jerusalem” is sanctioned in Islamic law at all times. However, one should not go there at the times chosen by misguided people, such as the time of the Festival of Sacrifice. Many misguided people travel there to perform a ritual standing. Travelling there to observe the Day of ‘Arafah, believing this to be an act of devotion, is unquestionably forbidden. One should neither imitate them nor swell their numbers.