The Arab Islamic City: Building the True Religion

Abstract

This research aims to find correspondence between the principles of religion and their synonyms at the level of planning and architecture. It monitors the teachings of  the true religion by tracing the built environment in the Arab Islamic city.   It followed the descriptive analytical approach by looking at urban planning and architecture, and the corresponding Qur’anic verses and Prophetic Hadiths. The problem of the research lies in proving that Islam has harnessed planning and architecture to create an urban space to house its followers and implement its laws on the ground. The research hypothesis is that this city is specific to Islam, as it bears its name and is located within its geography. This research resulted in the fact that the city is essential to the true religion, and it presents it to the world as a living model of the Muslim nation, as it represents his method of calling to God Almighty, and this is unique in the history of cities and religions. It came as a result consistent with the fact that Islam is essentially a religion of civilization, and its city is considered an embodiment of its teachings. In his article, “Islam and Civilization”, Georges Marçais emphasizes that Islam only appeared in a civilized society, and that the city is necessary for the implementation of Islamic rituals, especially congregational prayer. He says: In the city, one finds the virtues of Islam represented by mosques, schools, and other facilities.