Black Stone

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This article is about the Islamic holy relic. For the ancient Roman shrine, see Lapis Niger.
For the city in Rif Dimashq, Syria, see Al-Hajar al-Aswad.

The Black Stone (called الحجر الأسود al-Hajar-ul-Aswad in Arabic) is a Muslim object of reverence. It is one of the cornerstones of the Kaaba, the ancient stone building towards which all Muslims pray. The Kaaba is located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where it is surrounded by the enormous Masjid al-Haram, the Grand Mosque. The Black Stone is comparatively small, being roughly 30 cm (12 in.) in diameter [1]. However, it can be recognized instantly by the large silver band surrounding it.

When pilgrims circle the Kaaba as part of the ritual of the Hajj, many of them try, if possible, to stop and kiss the Black Stone.

The Stone is actually broken into several pieces, damage which occurred when it was stolen in 930. Qarmatian warriors sacked Mecca and carried the Black Stone away to their base in Bahrain. It was returned twenty-two years later. In the process, the Black Stone was cracked. It is now held together by the silver band, which is fastened by silver nails to the Stone.


Contents

[edit] Significance of the Black Stone

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There are various opinions as to the status and meaning of the Black Stone.

When Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Caliph, came to kiss the Stone, he said, in front of all assembled: "No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither harm anyone nor benefit anyone. Had I not seen Allah's Messenger kissing you, I would not have kissed you."[2] Many Muslims follow Umar: they pay their respects to the Black Stone in a spirit of trust in Muhammad, not with any belief in the Black Stone itself. This, however does not indicate their disrespect to the stone, but their belief that harm and benefit are in the hands of God, and nothing else.

Some say that the Stone is best considered as a marker, useful in keeping count of the ritual circumambulations (tawaf) one has performed.[3]

Many Muslims believe that the Stone fell from Heaven during the time of Adam and Eve, and that it was once a pure and dazzling white, but has turned black because of the sins it has absorbed over the years.[1]

Some Muslims also accept this hadith, from Tirmidhi, which asserts that at the Last Judgement (Qiyamah), the Black Stone will speak for those who kissed it:

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said concerning the Stone: "By Allah, Allah will bring it forth on the Day of Resurrection, and it will have two eyes with which it will see and a tongue with which it will speak, and it will testify in favour of those who touched it in sincerity." [1]

The Stone was an object of veneration in pre-Islamic days. Early chroniclers say that the Kaaba was rebuilt during Muhammad's youth, and that there was some contention among the Quraysh, Mecca's ruling clan, as to who should have the honor of raising the Black Stone to its place in the new structure. Muhammad is said to have suggested that the Stone be placed on a cloak and that the various clan heads jointly lift the cloak and put the Stone into place.[4] Secular historians see this tale as a later glorification of Muhammad, but agree that it accurately represents the pre-Islamic status of the Black Stone.[citation needed]

[edit] The Black Stone's origin

Just as there are various viewpoints regarding the religious significance of the Stone, there are also various opinions as to its history and nature.

Muslims say that the Stone was found by Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (Ismail) when they were searching for stones with which to build the Kaaba. They recognized its worth and made it one of the building's cornerstones. Originally, Muslims argue, the Black Stone fell from Heaven along with Adam and Eve. It was also said that the stone was given to Ishmael, from the Archangel Gaberial.

Secular historians point to the history of meteorite worship, in pre-Islamic Arabia, and say it is likely that the Stone is a meteorite or possibly impact glass, from the meteorite impact crater at Wabar, about 1100 km from Mecca.[5]. However, later transluminescence tests at the Wabar crater indicated the site was no more than 260 years old. There is no way to test the "meteorite" hypothesis without removing and examining the Stone, which would not be permitted by its guardians.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b SaudiCities - The Saudi Experience. Makkah - The Holy Mosque:The Black Stone. Retrieved on August 13, 2006.
  2. ^ University of Southern California. Pilgrimage (Hajj). Retrieved on August 12, 2006.
  3. ^ The Saudi Arabia Information Resource. The Holy City of Makkah. Retrieved on August 12, 2006.
  4. ^ University of Southern California. The Prophet of Islam - His Biography. Retrieved on August 12, 2006.
  5. ^ The Meteorite Market. Meteorite Legends. Retrieved on August 13, 2006.
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