The material of the Black Stone has not been precisely determined. It is sometimes classified as lava and sometimes as basalt. The reason for this difficulty is that its visible surface is worn smooth by hand-touching, etc.1 Its estimated diameter is approximately 12″2. Its colour is reddish black with red and yellow particles.
It is reported that when the Prophet Muhammad (P) entered Mecca as a victorious leader, there were 360 idols around the Ka`abah3. The Prophet(P) then had the Forbidden Sanctuary (the precinct around the Ka`abah proper) cleansed of all these idols and proclaimed Monotheism in its true, most elevated and pristine form. Thus saying that “Muslims worship the Black Stone as an idol” is clearly the most absurd thing ever pronounced in the history of mankind.
From a physical perspective, therefore, the Black Stone does not have any special significance or importance. Umar(R), later to become the second Caliph of Islam, is reported to have said that he fully realized that the Black Stone was merely a stone and thus had no power of its own to harm or benefit anyone4.
As for the reasons as to why we have the Black Stone in the wall of the Ka`abah, we read about the following reasons, that
(a) it symbolizes the starting-point during the circumambulation of the Ka`abah, thus facilitating the remembrance of the number of circumambulations.
(b) at this point, the Muslims, who are close to the Ka`abah (during their circumambulation) touch the stone, while those who are away from it, raise their hands towards it, symbolizing the renewal of their pledge of allegiance with the Lord of the Ka`abah. In this symbolic expression, the Black Stone is taken as a symbol of an oath on the hand of God.5
Refer, for example, to the profile sketch of the Black Stone given by Ali Bey: Travels, Vol. ii (London 1816), p. 76, to note its surface hollowed out in undulations. [back]
See al-Batanuni, al-Rihla al-Haziah, Cairo (1329 AH), p. 105 [back]
See Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 583 (Muhsin Khan’s tr.) [back]
See this statement in various narratives, such as: Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 26, Numbers 667, 675 (Muhsin Khan’s tr.); Sahih Muslim, Book 007, Number 2914 (Abdul Hamid Siddiqui’s tr.); Sunan an-Nasa’i (Arabic version), Vol. ii, p. 38, etc. [back]
See the details of this point in M. Hamidullah, Introduction to Islam, paragraph 181/a, Karachi 1969 [back
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