The Black Stone

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

#1. About al-Ḥajar al-Aswad (the Black Stone). It is the only thing in this world which is not from it, nor from anywhere in the universe – rather it came from the Jannah.

#2. The Stone was whiter than milk [i.e. so radiant, snowy, free of any blemishes, stains or spots], but the sins of the sons of Aadam darkened it.

‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

نزل الحجر الأسود من الجنة, وهو أشدّ بياضًا من اللبن, فسودته خطايا بني آدم

“When the Black Stone came down from Paradise, it was whiter than milk, but the sins of the sons of Aadam caused it to darken.”

[Sunan At-Tirmidhee # 877; Musnad Aḥmad # 2792. Verified to be "Ṣaḥeeḥ" by Abū Bakr Ibn Khuzaymah, as well as by Shaikh al-Albaanee . Al-Ḥaafiẓ Ibn Ḥajar classed it as "qawiyy" (strong) in Fat'ḥ Al-Baaree, (3/462)]

a) Shaykh Ṣafee-ur-Raḥmaan Al-Mubaarakpūri رَحِمَهُ اللهُ said in "Al-Marqaah:

أي: صارت ذنوب بني آدم الذين يمسحون الحجر سببا لسواده، والأظهر حمل الحديث على حقيقته إذ لا مانع نقلاً ولا عقلاً

"This means, the sins of the sons of Aadam who touched the stone, caused it to darken. The Ḥadeeth should be taken at face value because there's no reason not to, either narrated in a report or by virtue of common sense."

[Tuḥfah Al-Aḥwadhee (his Sharḥ of Jaami' At-Tirmidhee), 3/525.]

b) Al-Ḥaafiẓ Ibn Ḥajar رَحِمَهُ اللهُ said:

اعترض بعض الملحدين على الحديث الماضي فقال: "كيف سودته خطايا المشركين ولم تبيضه طاعات أهل التوحيد"؟

وأجيب بما قال ابن قتيبة: لو شاء الله لكان كذلك! وإنما أجرى الله العادة بأن السواد يصبغ ولا ينصبغ، على العكس من البياض 

"Some heretics tried to criticize this Ḥadeeth by saying: How come the sins of the pagans darkened it & the worship of the People of Tawḥeed did not make it white again? 

I answer by quoting what Ibn Qutaybah (b. 213 A.H.) said: If Allaah had willed, that would have indeed happened! But Allaah has caused it to be the case that black usually changes other colors, while it is not itself changed, which is the opposite to what happens with white."

c) Al-Muḥibb Aṭ-Ṭabaree said:

في بقائه أسود عبرة لمن له بصيرة! فإن الخطايا إذا أثرت في الحجر الصلد, فتأثيرها في القلب أشدّ

"The fact that it remains black is a lesson for those who have insight! If sins can have this kind of effect on an inanimate rock, then the effect they have on the heart must be even greater." 

[Fat'ḥ Al-Baaree, 3/463]

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#3. The Black Stone (الحَجَر الأَسْوَد) will come forth on the Day of Judgment & will testify in favor of those who touched it in truth!

Ibn ‘Abbaas said: Allaah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said concerning the Stone:

والله! ليبعثنه الله يوم القيامة له عينان يبصر بهما ولسان ينطق به, يشهد على من استلمه بحق

“I swear by Allaah, of a surety Allaah will most definitely bring it forth on the Day of Judgment, and it will have 2 eyes with which it will see and a tongue with which it will speak and it will testify in favor of those who touched it with sincerity.”

[Sunan At-Tirmidhee (961); Sunan Ibn Maajah (2944); it was verified to be "Ḥasan" (fine) by At-Tirmidhee, and as "qawiyy" (strong) by Al-Ḥaafiẓ Ibn Ḥajar in Fat'ḥ Al-Baaree, 3/462. Verified as “Ṣaḥeeḥ” by Shaikh al-Albaanee in “Ṣaḥeeḥ al-Jaami`” # 7098, and Shaikh Muqbil said it is “Ṣaḥeeḥ” on the condition of Imaam Muslim]

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#4. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم kissed the Black Stone, and his Ummah followed his lead in doing so. 

One time ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khaṭṭaab رضي الله عنه came to the Black Stone and kissed it, and then said:

أعلم أنك حجر, لا تضر ولا تنفع! ولولا أني رأيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقبِّلُك ما قبلتك

“I know that you're just a stone which can neither bring benefit nor cause harm. Were it not for the fact that I had seen the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم kissing you, I would not have kissed you.”

[Ṣaḥeeḥ Al-Bukhaaree # 1520); Ṣaḥeeḥ Muslim # 1720]

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#5. If you’re unable to kiss the Stone, you should touch it with your hand or something else, and then you can kiss the thing with which you touched it.

a) Naafi’ said:

رأيت ابن عمر يستلم الحجر بيده ثم قبل يده, وقال ما تركته منذ رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يفعله

I saw ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Umar touch the Stone with his hand & then he kissed his hand. And he said, "I have never ceased to do this since I saw Allaah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم do it."

[Ṣaḥeeḥ Muslim # 1268]

b) Abū Aṭ-Ṭufayl رضي الله عنه said:

رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يطوف بالبيت ويستلم الركن بمِحْجَن معه ويقبِّل المحجن

"I saw the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم performing Ṭawaaf around the House, touching the corner [where the Stone is] with a crooked staff which he had with him, and then kissing the staff."

[Ṣaḥeeḥ Muslim # 1275]

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6. Touching the Stone is one of the things by means of which Allaah expiates for sins. 

Ibn ‘Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم say:

إنّ مسحهما كفارة للخطايا

“Verily, touching them both [the Black Stone and Ar-Rukn Al-Yamaanee] is expiation for sins.”

[Sunan At-Tirmidhee (959). Verified to be "Ḥasan" (fine) by At-Tirmidhee, and "Ṣaḥeeḥ" (authentic) by Al-Ḥaakim (1/664), and Imaam Adh-Dhahabee agreed with him, as well as by Shaikh al-Albaanee in Ṣaḥeeḥ al-Tirmidhee as well as in Ṣaḥeeḥ al-Nasa’ee]

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But it is absolutely NOT ALLOWED for a Muslim to annoy/bother/hurt/squish/clobber/trample other Muslims at the Black Stone by hitting, shoving or fighting -- like what we see today during the Ramaḍhaan or Ḥajj Season. *Remember*: the Prophet told us that the Stone will testify in favor of those who touched it in sincerity [من استلمه بحق], which is not the case when you touch it by harming the slaves of Allaah!