The Hajar al-Aswad (The Black Stone), which is located in the eastern corner of the Kaaba, is
depicted in the image above. Faced toward this sacred stone, Tawaf begins and ends. Numerous
Prophets (upon them be peace), the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Sahabah (peace be upon them),
saintly figures, and millions of Muslims who
have undertaken the Hajj and Umrah have blessedly kissed it throughout the ages.
What was the origin of the Hajar al-Aswad?
The Hajar al-Aswad was brought from Jannah and presented to Ebrahim (عليه السلام) to be placed on the corner of the Kaaba.
Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The Black Stone came down from Paradise and it was whiter than milk,
but the sins of the sons of Adam turned it black.” [Tirmidhi]
Du’as are accepted at the Hajar al-Aswad and on the Day of Judgement it will testify in favor of all who kissed it.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “By Allah! On the Day of Qiyamah, Allah will present the Hajar al-Aswad in such a manner
that it will have two eyes and a tongue to testify to the Imaan (faith) of all those who kissed it.” [Tirmidhi]
Hajar al-Aswad installation during the Quraysh reconstruction of the Ka’bah
A controversy erupted when the Holy Ka’bah reached the Black Stone after the Quraysh destroyed it in order to rebuild it. They disagreed over who was qualified to return the Black Stone to its original location. There was about to start a civil war. All of the tribes put their hands in a dish of blood that Banu Abdu’d-Dar brought, indicating that they were ready to engage in combat. However, their senior, Abu Umayya Ibn al-Mugheera, suggested that Quraysh agree to judge the first person to enter the Bani Shay bah Gate, and they all endorsed this suggestion.
The Prophet ( ﷺ) was the first to pass through this gate. Five years before to his assignment, this occurred. A representative of each tribe was requested to grasp one of the cloth’s edges and lift it just in front of the Black Stone, which was placed in the center of the piece of cloth. The Prophet ( ﷺ) then picked it up with his own honorable hands and placed it back where it belonged. Through a remarkable display of wisdom, the Prophet ( ﷺ) stopped a battle from starting among the Quraysh.
A hadith relating to the Hajar al-Aswad
Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه) relates that the Prophet (ﷺ), while leaning against the Ka’bah said: “The Hajar al-Aswad and al-Maqam (Ebrahim) are two jewels from the jewels of Paradise. Had Allah (ﷻ) not concealed their radiance, they would illuminate everything between the East and the West.” [Tirmidhi]
Umar (رضي الله عنه) once kissed the Hajar al-Aswad and said, “I know well that you are just a stone that can do neither good nor harm. Had I not seen the Prophet (ﷺ) kiss you, I would not have done so.” Umar (رضي الله عنه) made the statement because there were many people who were newly converted to Islam and he did not want them to get the impression that Muslims also revered stones as the Arabs revered and worshipped stone idols during the Period of Ignorance. Umar (رضي الله عنه) made it clear that he was following the Sunnah practice of the Prophet (ﷺ) and that although the stone is blessed, it can do neither harm nor good.
The Hajar al-Aswad was once stolen
Around 930 CE, troops from the Qarmatian Ismaili Shia sect stole the Hajar al-Aswad from the Kaaba. They brought the Black Stone away to their headquarters at Ihsaa, in medieval Bahrain, after plundering Makkah and disgracing the Well of Zamzam with Muslim dead. The stone was returned to its former site in 952 CE, according to the historian Al-Juwayni.
The stone is now in pieces
The Hajar al-Aswad was formerly a whole stone, but numerous historical occurrences have caused it to currently be divided into eight parts of varied sizes that are attached to a larger stone and enclosed in a silver frame. Abdullah bin Zubair ( رضي الله عنه ) first created the silver frame, which successive Khalifas replaced as necessary.
There are reportedly six (extra) pieces in Istanbul, Turkey. Four are on exhibit at the Sokullu Mehmet Pasa Mosque, one is in the mihrab of the Blue Mosque, one is above the entrance of Sulaiman the Magnificent’s tomb (one over the mihrab, one below the lower pulpit, another is above the upper pulpit and the last is over the entrance door). Even though the Turks ruled over what is now Saudi Arabia for a long time and are the owners of numerous historical Islamic artifacts, the legitimacy of these new objects has been questioned. And Allah (SWT) is the wisest.
Manner of kissing the Hajar al-Aswad
It should be noted that while kissing the Hajar al-Aswad is Sunnah, harming others is prohibited. Therefore, one should not push somebody or do them injury while doing so (haram). When the place is packed, it is enough to recite the Takbir, point towards the Hajar al-Aswad with a hand or a stick, and then kiss the hand or stick. When the place was packed, the Prophet ( ) not only pointed exactly towards the Hajar al-Aswad but also kissed it. It is obvious that both kissing and pointing at it are Sunnah.
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