The word “Kaaba” originally names the structure itself, but in the Quran it is also used to include the surrounding area, as in His words:

“An offering to be brought to the Kaaba.”

Likewise, “the Sacred Mosque” denotes both the mosque and the surrounding sanctuary. Similarly, Badr is the name of a well, but the surrounding area is also called by that name. Uhud, too, is the name of the mountain, yet it includes the surrounding area. Thus, people say, “The battle took place at Uhud,” although it actually took place below the mountain.

The same applies to places named after a mountain pass or a palace. Al-‘Uqayba is the diminutive of al-‘Aqaba (the mountain pass), and al-Qusayr is the diminutive of qasr (palace). There may originally have been a small palace or a small pass there, after which the name came to encompass the surrounding area, however extensive. This is very common in place names.

The point is that someone moving about among the dwellings is not called a traveler. If people customarily spend the night in their orchards and have dwellings there, going out to them is like going to another part of their residential area. A traveler is therefore not a traveler until he emerges, becoming exposed and visible in the open country beyond the dwellings, where the wayfarer does not travel but ordinarily becomes visible and exposed. The point is that what constitutes travel is determined by the meaning of the word in language and customary usage.