Black Stone
From Halbeeg, the open encyclopedia · Af-Soomaali
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The Black Stone (Arabic: الحجر الأسود, meaning 'the black stone') is a stone set in the eastern corner of the Kaaba at al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is among the most sacred symbols of pilgrimage and prayer, as pilgrims begin each circuit of the Kaaba (tawaf) from its location.
Today the stone is not a single block but a collection of fragments held together in a silver frame shaped like an extended oval. The metal casing protects the fragments and prevents them from scattering.
Location and appearance
The stone is located at the eastern corner of the Kaaba, positioned at roughly the height of a standing person's face. Its colour is dark and glossy, with its surface worn and darkened by centuries of touching and kissing.
Role in worship
During tawaf, pilgrims kiss or touch the stone at the beginning of each circuit if possible; if the crowd is too dense, they point towards it or gesture towards it while saying 'Allahu akbar'. In Islamic teaching, the stone is not worshipped as an object; touching it follows a practice of the Prophet.
History
Islamic sources connect the stone to the building of the Kaaba attributed to the Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail. Before Islam, it was already part of the Kaaba venerated by the Quraysh tribes. A well-known account in the biography of the Prophet relates that during the Kaaba's reconstruction before his prophethood, the tribes disputed over who would replace the stone. Muhammad is said to have resolved the dispute by placing the stone on a cloth so that representatives of each tribe could help raise it into place.
In later centuries, the stone experienced damaging events, fractures and periods during which it was removed from its place before being returned. As a result, the fragments were collected and bound together in the casing.