The Wisdom of Black Stone

 

The Wisdom of Black Stone

Once Umar bin Khattab came to the Black Stone. He had an imaginary dialogue with the stone which is said to have come from heaven. “I know, you are just a stone that can provide neither benefit nor harm. If I had not seen the Messenger of Allah kissing you, I would not have kissed you."

Umar's dialogue with the black stone attached to the Kaaba can mean a warning to all of us not to beg for stones, or even worst, to deify stones. We need to set the intention when kissing the Black Stone, not to worship the stone or ask the stone, but as ittiba'  (following) the Prophet, Rasulullah SAW.

There is a story in the hadith which states that the Black Stone was white, but the stones later turned black because of the sins of humans who touched them.

قالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ – ﷺ: ««نَزَلَ الحَجَرُ الأسْوَدُ مِنَ الجَنَّةِ، وهُوَ أشَدُّ (بَياضًا) مِنَ اللَّبَنِ، فَسَوَّدَتْهُ خَطايا بَنِي آدَمَ»». رَواهُ أحْمَدُ، والتِّرْمِذِيُّ، وقالَ: هَذا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ.

Meaning, "The Messenger of Allah said, "Hajar Aswad descends from heaven. At that time it was whiter than milk. But then the sins of the people (who touched them) made the stones blackened." (Hadith narrated by Ahmad and Tirmidhi. Imam Tirmidhi said that this hadith is hasan sahih)

After reading this hadith, of course, a question arises in our minds. Is it true that kissing the Black Stone can erase human sins? When understanding the above hadith, it is necessary to compare it with other hadiths. One of them is the hadith narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim in  their Sahih  :

وعن أبى هُرَيْرَةَ، قال: قال رسولُ اللَّهِ -ﷺ-: «مَن أتى هَذا البَيْتَ، فَلَمْ يَرْفُثْ، ولَمْ يَفْسُقْ، رَجَعَ مِن ذُنُوبِه كَيَوْمِ ولَدَتْه أُمُّهُ». مُتَّفَقٌ عليه

It means, "From Abu Hurairah RA. Rasulullah SAW said, "Everyone who comes to this mosque (for Hajj or Umrah) without cursing and saying dirty words, then his sins are forgiven as when he was just born." (HR Muttafaq Alaihi). This hadith was included by al-Bukhari in the chapter  fadhāil al-hajj al-mabrūr  (the virtues of a mabrur pilgrimage)

In another hadith narrated at-Tirmidhi also mentioned,

عن عبدِ اللَّهِ بنِ مسعودٍ، قال: قال رسولُ اللَّهِ -ﷺ-: تابِعُوا بَيْنَ الحَجِّ والعُمْرَةِ، فَإنّهُما يَنْفِيانِ الفَقْرَ والذُّنُوبَ، كَما يَنْفِى الكِيرُ خَبَثَ الحَدِيدِ والذَّهَبِ والفِضَّةِ، ولَيْسَ لِلْحَجَّةِ المَبْرُورَةِ ثَوابٌ إلّا الجَنَّةَ». قال التِّرْمِذِىُّ (١): حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ

Meaning, "From Abdullah bin Masud said, Rasulullah SAW said: Perform Hajj and Umrah. For verily, both can wipe away poverty and sin, just as a kir tool can clean the dirt of iron, gold, and silver. There is no worthy reward for a mabrur Hajj except paradise." Imam at-Tirmidhi said that this hadith is hasan sahih. (HR at-Tirmidhi in the chapter on rewards for Hajj and Umrah)

The hadiths above can be understood that it is not stones that remove sins, but our accepted Hajj and Umrah, including repentance for the mistakes that have been made, so that their sins are forgiven. The Black Stone is a kind of symbol that the sins of Muslims who perform Hajj and Umrah have been forgiven, as long as they fulfill the requirements and pillars of Hajj and Umrah.

The Wisdom of Black Stone

Regarding this black stone, there are several lessons that can be taken. In al-Mafātih fi Syarh al-Mashabih, it is mentioned that there are four black lessons of the Black Stone.

First, warn humans. Because when a person knows that the stone is blackened because of human sins, he will not sin, for fear of his body being "blackened" because of sin.

Second, so that people repent and do not easily sin.

Third, so that people take blessings from kissing the black stone, as ittiba'  to the Prophet Muhammad SAW.

Fourth, testing the faith of a Muslim by believing in things that may not make sense. Like the blackening of the Black Stone because of human sins.

Those are some things related to Black Stone that we need to know. Hopefully we can visit the Baitullah, Mecca and Medina, and can feel the kiss of this "heavenly stone". Amen.

Wallahu a'lam.