Allah Almighty has given Makkah and Madīnah greater status than other places and positions. Allah rendered Makkah a sanctuary for Abraham (peace be upon him) and made it a safe town. Likewise, He rendered Madīnah a sanctuary for the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i ‘Āmir ibn Saad ibn Abi Waqqās informs that Saad ibn Abi Waqqās (may Allah be pleased with him) rode to his castle in Al-‘Aqīq, a place as close to Madīnah as Al-Baqī 'is close to it, situated nearly 20km away from the Prophet's Mosque. Al-‘Aqīq means: what was ripped by the flood a long time ago. He found a slave cutting trees from the sanctuary of Madīnah or beating them. In other words, he was beating the tree leaves or throwing stones at them. So, Saad (may Allah be pleased with him) took all his belongings, i.e., he took the clothes he was wearing and other things which would be taken from a killed person among the disbelievers, which include his horse, weapon, money, etc. The people of the slave came and asked him to return to their slave or to them what he had taken from their slave. He declined that, citing the Prophet's instruction regarding anyone who does so within the sanctuary of Madīnah. He said: Allah forbid that I should give back anything which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has given me as a spoil, i.e., booty with his permission to anyone who sees someone hunting or cutting trees that he may take his belongings. So, he refused to return what he had taken from them. This is all intended to show extreme rejection and deterrence, and it is also because he considered this act worthy of criticism and firm response so that this issue could spread among the people so that they would refrain from hunting and cutting trees in Madīnah..