Loading...
| Arabic | الحَجَر الأَسْوَد |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | al-HA-jar al-AS-wad |
| Etymology | Hajar (حجر) means 'stone' from the root ح-ج-ر. Aswad (أسود) means 'black,' referring to the stone's dark color. Islamic tradition attributes its darkening to the absorption of human sins over millennia, though it was originally described as white. |
Hajar al-Aswad(الحَجَر الأَسْوَد) The Hajar al-Aswad (الحجر الأسود) is a revered stone set into the eastern corner of the الكعبة. It marks the starting and ending point of each الطواف circuit and holds deep أهمية in Islamic tradition.
الحَجَر الأَسْوَد
The الحجر الأسود is set in a silver frame approximately 1.5 meters above ground level in the eastern corner of the الكعبة. According to hadith narrations, it was originally sent down from Paradise, whiter than milk, and turned black from absorbing the sins of humanity. Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) placed it in the corner of the الكعبة when he and his son Ismail rebuilt the structure. The stone has undergone damage throughout تاريخ — it was taken by the Qarmatians in 930 CE and returned 22 years later, and it is now in several pieces held together by the silver casing. During الطواف, الحجاج perform Istilam at the الحجر الأسود to mark the beginning and end of each circuit. النبي Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) kissed the الحجر الأسود during his الحج, establishing the السنة. However, as Umar ibn al-Khattab clarified, Muslims do not worship the stone itself — the reverence is an act of obedience to النبي's practice.
Hajar (حجر) means 'stone' from the root ح-ج-ر. Aswad (أسود) means 'black,' referring to the stone's dark color. Islamic tradition attributes its darkening to the absorption of human sins over millennia, though it was originally described as white.