The Black Stone's (Hijr-e-Aswad) History and Religious Importance

Here is the post on The Black Stone's (Hijr-e-Aswad) history and religious importance offered by our travel agency with the best Hajj and Group Umrah Packages. The Black Stone (Hajar-e-Aswad), which is located on the eastern corner of the Holy Kaaba, is one of the holiest stones on the planet. To atone for their sins, all Muslims want to kiss this Black Stone when attending Hajj and Umrah. As a result, Hijr-e-Aswad recognizes a particularly revered location in the Islamic world.

• History of Hijr-e-Aswad:

The Black Stone is claimed to have been brought down from the sky. According to Ibn-e-Abbas (R.A), "the black stone was brought down from skies and it was whiter than milk, but the misdeeds of humanity made it black. According to certain additional discourses, the Black Stone was sent to Hazrat Adam (A.S.) to direct him on where to establish a sanctuary on Earth.

During the time of Prophet Muhammad PBUH, a disagreement arose between several tribes over the placement of the Black Stone. Every tribe desired to be the first to complete this holy mission. As a result, it was determined that whoever entered the Masjid Al-Haram first would put the stone. By Allah's will, the person who positioned the stone with his blessed hands turned out to be Prophet PBUH.

The Prophet PBUH made a smart judgment in assigning everyone to this honorable responsibility. He directed that the Stone be laid on a sheet with one member from each tribe holding a corner of the sheet. And so, the Hijr-e-Aswad be placed where Prophet PBUH held it in his hands and kissed it. So, it became a Sunnah to kiss this beautiful stone and ask Allah's pardon.

• The Black Stone's religious significance:

Since the stone was fallen from the skies and the Prophet PBUH mentioned it in his Hadiths and it is Sunnah to kiss it, Muslims undertaking Hajj or Umrah wish to kiss it at least once. Although it is a stone, it signifies Allah's kindness and benefits in that by kissing it, a person's sins are forgiven. As a result, pilgrims should not be irritated, but rather wait their time if there is a crowd. If a person is unable to kiss it, he or she should not struggle.

Instead, they should kiss it in the air while pointing their hands towards Hijr-e-Aswad and making dua. The importance of Hijr-e-Aswad is referenced in a Hadith of Prophet PBUH, with the essence of the hadith being Hijr-e-Aswad is Allah's right hand in this world. Hijr-e-Aswad would appear on the day of judgment with a tongue and testify for those who kissed it sincerely. The stone does neither sink in water nor gets hot in the fire.

• Kissing the Hajar al-Aswad in this manner:

It should be noted that when kissing the Hajar al-Aswad, one shouldn’t force or hurt anybody. Because, while kissing the Hajar al-Aswad is Sunnah, bringing damage to others is haram. When the location is congested, simply pointing towards the Hajar-e-Aswad with one's hand or a stick while saying the Takbir and kissing the hand or stick will be sufficient. Although the Prophet PBUH kissed the Hajar al-Aswad personally, he also gestured towards it when the area was congested, indicating that both kissing and pointing towards it are Sunnah.

• Desire to be a Muslim:

Almost every Muslim wants to kiss the Black Stone in order to seek Allah's forgiveness and wash away their sins. Hajj and Umrah are two religious excursions that allow a person to take advantage of this opportunity.