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Hajar al-Aswad الحجر الأسود

In review — pending scholar verification

The Black Stone set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba, kissed or pointed to during Tawaf.

Overview

The Hajar al-Aswad (الحجر الأسود), the Black Stone, is a sacred stone set in the eastern corner of the Kaaba at a height convenient for pilgrims to reach during tawaf. Encased in a silver frame since the time of the Umayyad caliphs, it consists of several fragments held together after centuries of veneration and damage. Pilgrims performing Hajj and Umrah begin and end each circuit of the Kaaba by kissing, touching, or saluting the stone from afar.

Etymology

The Arabic الحجر الأسود means literally "the black stone." Classical tradition holds that the stone was originally white and darkened over time. In Tafsir Ibn Kathir, the stone is referred to as يمين الله في الأرض ("the right hand of Allah on earth"), a metaphor for the spiritual covenant pilgrims renew when they touch it.

Quranic references

While the Black Stone is not named explicitly in the Quran, the verses concerning the Kaaba and its founding by Ibrahim form its scriptural backdrop:

  • Surah Al-Baqarah 2:125 — "And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Ibrahim a place of prayer."
  • Surah Al-Baqarah 2:127 — "And [mention] when Ibrahim was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ismail, [saying], 'Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing.'"
  • Surah Aal-i-Imran 3:96 — "Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakkah — blessed and a guidance for the worlds."
  • Surah Al-Hajj 22:26 — "And [mention, O Muhammad], when We designated for Ibrahim the site of the House, [saying], 'Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform tawaf.'"
إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا

Hadith and tradition

The kissing of the stone is grounded in the practice of the Prophet ﷺ and the caution of Umar ibn al-Khattab:

Umar approached the Black Stone, kissed it, and said: "No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither harm nor benefit. Had I not seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ kissing you, I would not have kissed you." — Sahih al-Bukhari 1597

In Jami al-Tirmidhi (877), graded hasan sahih by al-Albani, the Prophet ﷺ said: "The Black Stone descended from Paradise, whiter than milk, and the sins of the children of Adam blackened it." Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said it "will be raised on the Day of Resurrection with two eyes by which it sees and a tongue with which it speaks, bearing witness for whoever touched it in truth."

Significance

The Black Stone marks the start and end of each circuit of the Kaaba. Scholars including al-Albani and Ibn Taymiyyah stress that the stone is not worshipped; veneration is a Sunnah of obedience, not idolatry. The act renews a believer's covenant with Allah, links them to Ibrahim, and unifies the global community around a single direction in Mecca.

See also

References

  1. Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim, on Surah Al-Baqarah 2:125-127.
  2. al-Tabari, Jami al-Bayan an Ta'wil Ay al-Quran, on Surah Aal-i-Imran 3:96.
  3. al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Hajj, on the stations of tawaf.
  4. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, commentary on hadith 1597.
  5. Ibn al-Qayyim, Zad al-Ma'ad fi Hady Khayr al-Ibad, chapter on the rites of Hajj.