It may come as a shock to folks here to learn that Sunni Muslims must believe that the black stone that they smooch and touch is their actual savioir since it erases their sins and will actually be given eyes and a tongue on the day of resurrection in order to force Allah to forgive all of those that used to smooch it. To make it even more disgusting, Sunni tradition claims that the black stone was initially white but became black from sucking up the sins of the Muslims that smother it and because of menstruating women touching it.
Here are the receipts:
Narrated ‘Abis bin Rabia: ‘Umar came near the Black Stone and kissed it and said “No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not seen Allah’s Apostle kissing you I would not have kissed you.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 26, Number 667:
searchtruth.com/book_display…)
And: It is Sunnah to perform certain acts in tawaf as given below: Facing the Black Stone at the start of the tawaf while uttering a takbir (Allahu-Akbar), and a tahlil (La ilaha illahlah), and raising one’s hands as they are raised in prayers, and if possible touching it with both hands and kissing it quietly, or placing one’s cheek on it. Otherwise, one may touch it with one’s hand and kiss the hand, or touch it with something, and then kiss it, or if even that is not possible, one may just point to it with a stick, etc. as is mentioned in some of the ahadith given below.
Ibn ‘Umar said: “Allah’s Messenger faced the Black Stone, touched it, and then placed his lips on it and wept for a long time.” ‘Umar also wept for a long time. The Prophet said: ‘O ‘Umar, this is the place where one should shed tears.”
Reported by Al-Hakim, who considers it a sound hadith with a sound chain of authorities.
It is reported by Ibn ‘Abbas that ‘Umar bent down towards the Black Stone and said: “By Allah! I know that you are A MERE STONE, and if I had not seen my beloved Prophet kissing you and touching you I would have never done so.” The Qur’an says: “You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct).”‘ (Qur’an 33.3 2)
This was reported by Ahmad and others in slightly different words.
Nafi’ said, “I have seen Ibn ‘Umar touching the Black Stone with his hand, and then kissing his hand and saying: ‘Ever since I saw the Prophet doing this, I have never failed to do that.”’
Reported by Bukhari and Muslim
Sowayd bin Ghaflah said: “I have seen ‘Umar kissing the Black Stone and touching it.” He further said: “I know that the Prophet was especially very particular about it.” Muslim Ibn ‘Umar reported that Allah’s Messenger used to come to Ka’bah, touch the Black Stone and then say: Bismillahi wallahu akbar (In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest.)” (Ahmad)
Muslim has reported on the authority of Abu Tufail that he said: “I have seen the Prophet making tawaf around the Ka’bah and touching it with a stick and then kissing the stick.”
Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Daw’ud reported that ‘Umar approached the Black Stone and kissed it. Then he said: “I know that you are A MERE STONE that can neither harm nor do any good. If I had not seen the Prophet kissing you, I would have never kissed you.”
Al-Khatabi said: “This shows that abiding by the Sunnah of the Prophet is binding, regardless of whether or not we understand its reason or the wisdom behind it.” Such information devolves obligation on all those whom it reaches, even if they may not fully comprehend its significance. It is known, however, that kissing the Black Stone signifies respect for it, recognition of our obligation toward it, and using it as A MEANS of seeking Allah’s blessings. Indeed Allah has preferred some stones over others, as He preferred some countries and cities, days and nights, and months over others. The underlying spirit of all this is unquestioning submission to Allah. In some ahadith which say that “the Black Stone is Allah’s right hand on earth, ” we do find, however, a plausible rationale and justification for this statement. In other words whosoever touches the Black Stone he pledges allegiance to Allah, as it were, by giving his hand into the hand of Allah, just as some followers do pledge their fealty to their kings and masters, by kissing and shaking hands with them.
Al-Muhallib said: “The hadith of ‘Umar refutes the assertions of those who say that ‘The Black Stone is Allah’s right hand on earth wherewith He shakes the hands of His slaves.’” God forbid that we should ascribe any physical organs to Allah [sic]. The commandment to kiss the Black Stone is meant to test and to demonstrate palpably as to who obeys and submits. It may be compared with the command to Iblis to bow to Adam.
We have no definite evidence, however, to believe that any of the stones used in building the Ka’bah originally (by Ibrahim and Isma’il), is still in existence today excepting the Black Stone. (Fiqh-Us-Sunnah, Volume 5, Number 74b:
alim.org/library/hadith/fiq/…)
Moreover, Muhammad is reported to have taken the Kabah as a means of procuring forgiveness for his sins: It was narrated from Usmah bin Zaid that: he and the Messenger of Allah entered the House, and he told Bilal to shut the door. At that time the House was built on six pillars. He walked forward until, when he was between the two columns that are on the either side of the door of the Kabah, he sat down, praised Allah, asked of him, and prayed for forgiveness. Then he got up, and went to the back wall of the Kabah, placed his face and cheek against it and praised Allah, asked of Him, and prayed for forgiveness. Then he went to each corner of the Kabah and faced it, reciting the Takbir, the Tahlil and Tasbih, praising Allah, asking of Him and praying for forgiveness. Then he came out and prayed two Rakahs facing the front of the Kabah, then he moved away and said: “This is the Qiblah, this is the Qiblah.'” Grade: Sahih (Darussalam) Reference: Sunan an-Nasa’i 2914 In-book reference: Book 24, Hadith 0 English translation: Vol. 3, Book 24, Hadith 2917 (
sunnah.com:
sunnah.com/urn/1080810)
This explains why Muhammad taught that touching the two corners of the Kabah erases a person’s sins: It was narrated from Abdullah bin Ubaid bin Umair that a man said: “O Abu abdur-Rahman, why do I only see you touching these two corners?” He said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘Touching them ERASES SINS.’ And I head him say: ‘whoever circumambulates seven times, it is like freeing a slave.'”
Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)
Reference: Sunan an-Nasa’i 2919
In-book reference: Book 24, Hadith 0 English translation: Vol. 3, Book 24, Hadith 2922 (
sunnah.com:
sunnah.com/urn/1080860)
Muhammad also believed that the black stone was originally white, but eventually turned black due to the sins of humanity:
9 The Book on Hajj
(49) Chapter: What Has Been Related About The Virtues Of The Black Stone, Its Corner, And The Maqam
Ibn Abbas narrated that: The Messenger of Allah said: “The Black Stone descended from the Paradise, and it was more white than milk, then it was blackened by the sins of the children of Adam.”
Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)
Reference: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 877
In-book reference: Book 9, Hadith 70
English translation: Vol. 2, Book 4, Hadith 877 (
sunnah.com:
sunnah.com/tirmidhi/9/70)
This suggests that the stone turned black because it absorbed the sins of all those who kissed/touched/caressed it. And according to Muhammad, the black stone was sent down from paradise:
It was narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet said: “The Black Stone is from Paradise.”
Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)
Reference: Sunan an-Nasa’i 2935
In-book reference: Book 24, Hadith 0
English translation: Vol. 3, Book 24, Hadith 2938 (
sunnah.com:
sunnah.com/urn/1081020)
What this implies is that Allah is directly responsible for causing an inanimate stone to become a sin-bearing object for all of his followers. As if this weren’t bad enough, Muhammad even went as far as to say that the black stone would come to life on the last day in order to intercede for all those who had venerated it!
2944. Sa’d b. Jubair is reported to have said, “I heard Ibn ‘Abbas saying that Allah’s Messenger said, “This Stone must come on the Day of Resurrection and it will have two eyes to see with and a tongue to talk with bearing witness for him who caressed it with Truth (Islam).”
Grade: Hasan (Darussalam) (Sunan Ibn-I-Majah (Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad b. Yazid Ibn-I-Maja Al-Qazwini), English version by Muhammad Tufail Ansari [Kazi Publications, Lahore (Pakistan), 1st edition 1995], Volume IV, Chapter NO. XVII: Caressing The (Black) Stone (Fixed in a Wall of Ka’ba), pp. 244-245:
sunnah.com/urn/1279740)
9 The Book on Hajj (113) Chapter: What Has Been Related About The Black Stone Ibn Abbas narrated that: The Messenger of Allah said about the (Black) Stone: “By Allah! Allah will raise it on the Day of Resurrection with two eyes by which it sees and a tongue that it speaks with, testifying to whoever touched it in truth.”
Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)
Reference: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 961
In-book reference: Book 9, Hadith 155
English translation: Vol. 2, Book 4, Hadith 961 (
sunnah.com:
sunnah.com/tirmidhi/9/155)
According to Abu Hammam-his father-Ziyad b. Khaythamah–Abu Yahya Ba'i' al-Qatt: When we were sitting in the mosque, Mujahid said to me: Do you see this? I replied: Abu al-Hajjaj, (you mean) the Stone? He said: You call it a stone? I said: Is it not a stone? He said: Indeed, I was told by 'Abdallah b. 'Abbas that it was a white jewel that Adam took out of Paradise and used to wipe his tears, for after he left Paradise, his tears did not stop for two thousand years, until he returned to it and Iblis was no (longer) able to do anything to him. I said to him: Abu al-Hajjaj, why and how did it turn black? He replied: Menstruating women were touching it in the Jahiliyyah.831 (The History of al-Ṭabarī: General Introduction and From the Creation to the Flood, translated by Franz Rosenthal [State University of New York Press (SUNY), Albany, NY 1989], Volume 1, p. 303)