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Key points
- The Hajar al-Aswad (Black Stone) is set in the eastern corner of the Kaaba. Every round of tawaf starts and ends at its line.
- Kissing or touching it is a sunnah when it is easy. Raising your right hand towards it from a distance and saying “Bismillah, Allahu akbar” is enough.
- Pushing, shoving or hurting anyone to reach it is wrong. Your tawaf is complete without touching it.
- Umar (RA) said he kissed it only because he saw the Prophet ﷺ do so: the stone itself has no power to help or harm.
What the Black Stone is
The Hajar al-Aswad is a stone set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba, about a metre and a half above the ground. Over the centuries it broke into pieces, so today the pieces are held together in a large silver frame, and you see only a small part of the stone through the opening.
The Prophet ﷺ said the Black Stone came down from Paradise whiter than milk, and the sins of the children of Adam turned it black (Tirmidhi 877).
Why Muslims kiss it
Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) came to the Black Stone, kissed it and said, “I know that you are a stone that can neither harm nor benefit. Had I not seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ kiss you, I would not have kissed you” (Bukhari 1597).
These words settle the matter. Pilgrims kiss or touch the stone only to follow the Prophet ﷺ. It is not worshipped, and it does not grant wishes.
Istilam: three ways to greet the stone
- 1
Step 1
Kiss it
If you reach it easily, place your hands on it and kiss it gently, without sound. This is the best way, but only when there is space.
- 2
Step 2
Touch it
If you cannot kiss it, touch it with your right hand and kiss your hand.
- 3
Step 3
Point to it
Most pilgrims do this. Face the stone from the line, raise your right hand towards it and say “Bismillah, Allahu akbar”. The Prophet ﷺ pointed to it while doing tawaf on his camel (Bukhari 1613).
The words at the stone
Say this at the start of every round of tawaf, whether you kiss, touch or point.
At the Black Stone
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Bismillahi wallahu akbar.
In the name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest.
In the crowd: stay safe
- The area near the stone is the most crowded spot in the mosque. Elderly pilgrims, women and children should not go into that crush
- Men in ihram should keep their sheets tied well; the pressure near the corner can be very strong
- Never pay anyone who offers to “push you to the stone”. It harms other pilgrims and is not needed
- The stone is often perfumed. If you are in ihram, avoid touching it, since perfume is not allowed in ihram
- If the line is closed or very busy, just point from where you are and carry on with your tawaf
The Yemeni corner
The corner before the Black Stone is the Rukn al-Yamani. Pilgrims touch it with the right hand if they can, without kissing it, and do not point to it from a distance. Ibn Umar (RA) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said touching these two corners wipes away sins (Tirmidhi 959).
Questions
It is the Black Stone set in the eastern corner of the Kaaba. Every round of tawaf begins and ends at its line.
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Official guidance
This guide is general travel information. For religious rulings, please ask a qualified scholar.
