What is the significance of The Blackstone, Hajar Al aswad in Islam

The Black Stone, known as Hajar Al Aswad, is a sacred stone located inside the Holy Kaaba. During the pilgrimage to Makkah, Muslims begin their circumambulation of the Holy Kaaba from this stone, which holds symbolic importance.

As previously mentioned, the Black Stone signifies the beginning of the circumambulation (tawaf) around the Holy Kaaba. Pilgrims who are able to reach the immediate vicinity of the Kaaba may kiss the stone, while those who cannot reach it typically wave their hands towards it. Additionally, some individuals perform the tawaf from the first and second floors, using the Black Stone as a reference point. If the stone held significant importance on its own, every pilgrim would be required to physically touch and kiss it, which is not the current practice.

Similar to how a soldier or any person coming back to their homeland after a long time may kiss the ground or express admiration for specific landmarks.

One may ask, do Muslims worship the black stone? No, they do not. The function of the black stone has been explained previously. Additionally, there is historical evidence indicating that it is not an object of worship. During a tragic event in Islamic history, the city of Makkah was attacked by the Qaramatians in 930 C.E. They massacred numerous pilgrims, desecrated the sacred sites, and relocated the black stone to their stronghold in AlHasa, Bahrain. The stone was returned in 952 C.E. For around twenty-five years, the stone was displaced from its original position, yet Muslims did not direct their prayers towards Al Hasa during that time, nor were the duties of Salah and Hajj halted. Had it been an object of worship, there would have been significant distress following the unfortunate incident.

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