As-Salaamu ‘Alaykum,
Al-Hamdu li Llaah. May Allah send blessings and greetings upon the Messenger of Allah, his people, and his Companions…
I feel blessed to provide for you this translation of the explanation of al-‘Imaam ‘Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalaanee on the narration in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree of ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, kissing and speaking to the Black Stone.
Since I am not anywhere near qualified to give my own opinions about this matter, I shall let the ‘Imaam speak for himself…
Fath al-Baaree by ‘Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalaanee
Mujallad III Suffahaat 462-463
There is mentioned in this chapter a narration of ‘Umar about kissing the Stone, and his statement: ‘…you do not harm, and do not benefit’ as though it had not been proven to him any conditions other than that.
And indeed narrations are mentioned about it:
A narration of ‘Abd Allah bin ‘Amriw bin al-‘Aas, Marfuu’:
‘Indeed the Stone and the Station (of ‘Ibraaheem) are two jewels from the jewels of al-Jannah, Allah suppressing the Nuur from them, and if He did not do that, truly they would illuminate all that is between the East and the West’…
It came out from ‘Ahmad and at-Tirmithee; and ‘Ibn Hibbaan declared it authentic. And in its’ chain is Rujaa’ ‘Abu Yahyaa, and he is weak. At-Tirmithee said: a strange narration (Ghareeb), and it was transmitted on authority of ‘Abd Allah bin ‘Amriw severed (Mawquuf).
And ‘Ibn ‘Abee Haatim said, on authority of his father: ‘it more closely resembles being discontinued, and he who raises it does not (do so) with strength’.
And from it is a narration of ‘Ibn ‘Abbaas raised (Marfuu’):
‘The Black Stone was sent down from al-Jannah, and it was more white than milk, then it became black from the mistakes of the children of ‘Aadam’…
It came out from at-Tirmithee, and he authenticated it; and it is ‘Ataa’ bin as-Saa’ib, and he is truthful (Saduuq); however he mixed thing up; and Jareer is one who heard from him after his being mixed up. Although there is another pathway for it in Saheeh ‘Ibn Khuzaymah, and it is strengthened by it- and indeed an-Nasaa’ee transmitted it from a pathway of Hamaad bin Salamah, on authority of ‘Ataa’ in abbreviated form, and its’ wording is: ‘The Black Stone is from al-Jannah’. And Hamaad is one who heard from ‘Ataa’ before he mixed things up.
And in Saheeh ‘Ibn Khuzaymah also on authority of ‘Ibn ‘Abbaas raised up (Marfuu’):
‘That this Stone will have a tongue and two lips bearing witness in truth on the Day of Resurrection for whoever touches it’ (‘Istalama: kisses or touches with the hand according to al-Qaamuus).
And ‘Ibn Hibbaan authenticated it and al-Haakim as well. And for it is testimony from a narration of ‘Anas found with al-Haakim as well.
His statement: ‘on authority of ‘Ibraaheem’, he is ‘Ibn Yazeed an-Nakhaa’ee. And indeed Sufyaan transmitted it, and he is ath-Thawree, in another chain on authority of ‘Ibraaheem, and he ‘Ibn ‘Abd al-‘A’laa, on authority of Suwayd bin Ghafalah, on authority of ‘Umar- it came out from Muslim.
His statement: ‘Indeed I know that you are a stone’; in a transmission of ‘Aslam, that comes after this chapter on authority of ‘Umar, he said: ‘Yet, by Allah, indeed I know that you…’
His statement: ‘you do not harm and do not benefit’: meaning, except with the permission of Allah. And indeed al-Haakim transmitted a narration from ‘Abee Sa’eed that ‘Umar, when he said this, ‘Alee bin ‘Abee Taalib said: ‘Indeed it harms and benefits’; and he mentioned that whenever Allah took the convenants from the children of ‘Aadam, He wrote that in a parchment and the Stone devoured it’
(The last part was troublesome, it says ‘Alqamahu al-Hajar’ and in modern language the saying means ‘to dumbfound’ so this saying may be a new usage similar to ‘non-responsiveness’ ‘talking to a wall’, etc. however the verb ‘Alqama has the root laqama- to block up, laqima- to devour, or laqqama- to feed…your guess is as good as mine.)
He said: ‘and indeed I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah send blessings and greetings upon him, saying:
‘I will come on the Day of Resurrection with the Black Stone, and it will have a sharp tongue (it will be eloquent), bearing witness for whoever kissed or touched it with Tawheed’…
And in its’ chain is ‘Abu Haaruun al-‘Abadee, and he is very weak. And indeed an-Nasaa’ee transmitted it from another surface not aware that ‘Umar raised that saying to the Prophet, may Allah send blessings and greetings upon him, coming out from a pathway of Taawus, on authority of ‘Ibn ‘Abbaas, he said:
‘I saw ‘Umar face the Stone 3 times, then say: ‘I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah send blessings and greetings upon him, doing such as that’.
At-Tabaree said:
‘Indeed ‘Umar said that because the people were recently upon the guidance of worshipping the idols, so ‘Umar feard that the ignorant ones would assume kissing or touching the Stone was from the great matter of what the ‘Arabs had previously done in Jaahileeyah with some of the stones; so ‘Umar wanted that the people know that his kissing or touching it was in pursuit for what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah send blessings and greetings upon him, had done, not because the Stone benefited or harmed in itself, as they had believed about their stone idols in Jaahileeyah.’
Al-Muhalab said:
‘Umar’s account of this is a refutation of whoever said ‘Indeed the Stone is the Right Hand of Allah (Yameen Allah) in the Earth to forgive with it His slaves’, and the refuge is in Allah for there to be for Allah a limb. And indeed he began kissing it as a preference due to knowing with obedient witnessing who he obeys, and that is a parallel with the story of ‘Iblees wherein he was commanded with prostration to ‘Aadam’.
Al-Khattaabee said:
‘Meaning that it is the Right Hand of Allah (Yameen Allah) in the Earth, that it is from His forgiveness in the Earth; it was for it near Allah a covenant, and there was a custom in practice in that the king would enter into it with the handshake for whoever wanted his guardianship and authority by him, so he addressed them in whatever they were entrusted with’.
Al-Muhibb at-Teeree said:
‘Its meaning is that every king when there came before him the delegation would kiss his right hand; so since the first Hajj, there did not pass a year but that which was sent down with the rank of the Right Hand of the King was kissed, and for Allah is the Highest Similitude’.
And in the statement of ‘Umar is this submission to the one who legislates in the affairs of the Deen and the beauty of compliance (even) though he did not uncover its’ significance; and it is a great principle in following the Prophet, may Allah send blessings and greetings upon him, in whatever he did, even if, one does not know the wisdom in it. And in it is a way to eliminate what occurs to some of the ignorant ones that (they think) in the Black Stone is (something) special attributable to its’ essence. And in it is a declaration of the Sunan in the Sayings (Qawl) and Actions (Fi’l), and (a declaration) that the ‘Imaam since he feared wrongdoing upon anyone who does it, it convinced him to take the initiative to make clear the matter and to manifest that.
And the remainder of the discussion of the kissing and touching will come after the 9th chapter.
Our Shaykh said in Sharh at-Tirmithee:
‘In it is the dislike of kissing what the laws do not reach with kissing it, and as for the statement of ash-Shaafi’ee, and significance of kissing whoever of al-Bayt, so he declared it good. So it did not reach the level of being recommended (‘Istihbaab) due to the permissibility (Mubaah) from the sum of the good (al-Hasan) near the ‘Usuuleeyeen.
‘Takmeel’: some of the atheists raised objection against the narration of the departure, so he said: ‘How did (the Black Stone) blacken from the errors of the Mushrikeen and not brighten from the obedience of the People of Tawheed?’ And they were surprised with what ‘Ibn Qutaybah said: ‘If Allah wanted that, truly it would have been, and indeed Allah carried out the practice in that the Stone was dyed black, and there cannot be a reversal of that pigmentation back to white’.
And al-Muhibb at-Teeree said:
‘In its’ continuing to be black is a warning for whoever has vision- truly since the errors leave traces in the rigid stone, then its’ effects upon the heart are even stronger’.
He said: ‘And it was transmitted on authority of ‘Ibn ‘Abbaas:
‘Indeed its’ transformation with the blackness is in order for the People of the Dunyaa to look towards the beauty of al-Jannah’.
So if it is proven, then this, it is the response.
I say: it came out from al-Humaydee in Fadhaa’il Makkah with a weak chain, and Allah knows best…
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