الحجر الأسود
al-Ḥajar al-Aswad
Place
The Black Stone set in the corner of the Kaaba, which pilgrims touch or salute in the circling.
What it means
The stone is set in the south-east corner of the Kaaba. Umar, kissing it, is reported to have said: “I know that you are only a stone that can neither harm nor benefit; if I had not seen the Prophet kiss you, I would not have kissed you” (Sahih al-Bukhari). Before the Prophet’s mission, according to Ibn Ishaq, the Quraysh disputed who should put it back when the Kaaba was rebuilt, and he laid it on a cloak so that each clan could lift a corner.
Often misunderstood as
That kissing the Black Stone is idol worship.
What the sources say
Muslims do not pray to the stone, and do not have to touch it; the circling can be done by pointing a hand at it from afar. The practice is one of following the Prophet, and Umar’s words state it.