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Pucker Up! How To Kiss the Black Stone Every Time

November 12, 2009 Islam
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By Rami Elsawah

Here's a way of kissing the black stone that I came up with during hajj many years ago.  Since then, it  has worked for me every single time I've used it.  It has also worked for everyone I have ever told it  to and who tried it.  Best of all, you will never  have to push or shove a single human being to kiss it.

Below is an illustrated guide I came up with with my mediocre Photoshop skills.   If the method works for you, Alhamdullilah.

The Principle:  Using Physics To End Up At The Black Stone

The whole method works around one principle: If you wait in line, and stick to the side of the kaaba, slowly inching your way forward, eventually you must end up reaching the corner (ie. the black stone).  This statement may sound overly simple, but trust me, it works.  You will have to wait very long, about 45 minutes to one hour, but the payoff will be amazing insha Allah (see the hadith below for why).

Preparation: You Must Be Mentally Determined To Not Turn Back

From my experience, if you want to kiss the black stone  you must have a 110% intention to kiss it; meaning either you kiss the black stone or die trying.  Seriously, I am not joking.  But why go through all of this just to fulfill a sunnah?

The Black Stone will testify on the Day Of Judgement for those who kissed it.

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said concerning the Stone: “By Allaah, Allaah will bring it forth on the Day of Resurrection, and it will have two eyes with which it will see and a tongue with which it will speak, and it will testify in favour of those who touched it in sincerity.”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 961; Ibn Maajah, 2944

This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi, and as qawiy by al-Haafiz ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari, 3/462

Touching the Stone is one of the things by means of which Allaah expiates for sins.

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Touching them both [the Black Stone and al-Rukn al-Yamani] is an expiation for sins.”

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 959. This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi and as saheeh by al-Haakim (1/664). Al-Dhahabi agreed with him).

Now onto the step-by-step procedure:
kaaba1

  1. When you get around the Yemeni corner, stand in line.
  2. Stick to the kaaba like fly paper (you can keep your left hand holding onto the kaaba, and  right hand on the side pointing downwards so that you do not inadvertently push anyone).

kaaba2

  1. Go with the flow;  the line will start moving forward inch by inch.
  2. The real fun won't start for another 10-15 minutes, when you start to get close to the mob.  So have patience, and read your adhkaar and dua so you don't waste your time.

kaaba3

  1. As you're getting closer to the mob, people are going to start to pushing and shoving like crazy.  USE THIS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.   As long as you can stick to the side of the kaaba without getting pulled out of line or getting crushed, the directional forces will eventually push you straight towards the black stone.
  2. Since your right hand is at the side pointed downards, you can't push anyone and that is good.  Your only other option is to go with the flow, lower your center of gravity, and hold on dearly to the side of the kaaba with your left hand (at the base of the kaaba are rings which tie to the kiswah, you can use those rings to hold on to).
  3. Fulfill your duty of reminding people of patience.   I find yelling out “sabr, sabr” works pretty well (everyone will understand this word, but whether they implement is a different story).
  4. Tell the guy standing next to you in line of this method, and he might also stop pushing and begin to do the same as you (worked with me once).
  5. Remember, stick to the side of the kaaba.

kaaba4

  1. As you get within feet or inches, seek refuge from shaytan and recite ayat al-kursi a lot (shaytan is probably having a field day in that area with all the things people do in that spot and how terrible they act).
  2. Make dua and have trust in Allah.
  3. Take out your right hand for safety, but don't push anyone.  Just stick to the side and eventually the people behind you are going to push you straight into the black stone.

kaaba5Pucker up, grab onto the silver encasing, and kiss the black stone.


Important Note: The black stone is not the entire big black thing you see, but actually eight small pieces within it (because it was broken and damaged in the past).  Make sure you actually aim right and kiss one of the actual seven stones, and not the black wax encasing.  (See diagram below)


hajar-aswad

If you try this out during hajj this year, write a comment and let me know.

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  • http://www.viewtiful.co.za naeem

    I tried a few times during Umrah in the late 90′s and again during a Hajj trip in 2002.

    Failed dismally – juts could not bring myself to the level of those who where kicking and punching (yes throwing hooks!) just to kiss the stone(s)

    I backed off, why commit haraam (i mean physically hurting another muslim) just to commit a sunnah?

    Perhaps next trip insha’allah i’ll try your strategy and hope for the best!

    ps.
    lol @ the smily/angry icons

  • Hassan

    I have done umrah many times, but was only manage to kiss it once long ago, and I dont remember how I did it.

    Last March when I was there, I tried it, and weird thing happened, I was just being pushed around, and suddenly some push happened that I found myself so close to it, and just one person ahead of me, so I was confident that I would be able to kiss it, yet, the same push happened again, and I found myself way back almost outside the mob. And there was some brother who said this is not islamic to fight, just raise hands towards it and move on. Hence I did that.

    Insha’Allah I am going to try in hajj, although it would be much more crowded. May the force be with me.

    • Rami

      As master Yoda once said:

      “Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.”

      -Rami

      • shahgul

        I managed to touch the black stone twice (during umrah), using the same technique. As a woman, I did not even try to kiss because of all the men puckering up.

        The angle for a woman is different though. As a woman, you have to come against the flow. You pass the stone and then come back to touch it. I just let myself go with the flow with one hand extended. The first time, I was able to touch it. The next time, a policeman made way for me and asked me to come and touch. I also took with me an older woman who was crying and wanted to touch the stone. Her family was asking her not to try. I took her with me and we both touched the black stone. She wanted to kiss it, but I asked her not to, because of the men. I never pushed, shoved, or hurt anyone in the process.

        Sadly, a few women got into a scuffle there, and one got her hijab pulled off, which was very sad.

  • http://muslimmatters.org/author/amatullah Amatullah

    haha I love the diagrams mashaAllah. Jazaak Allahu khayran for the great tips. It seems pretty doable after reading the steps.

    I also tried with my sister, but that was a big fail…after we saw a woman’s hijab literally ripped off, we just started to slowly walk back..

    It was umrah during rajab when the haram was pretty empty. Very easy to get to but seeing that just scared us from ever trying again.

    may Allah make us regular guests of His House.

    • http://muslimmatters.org/author/amatullah Amatullah

      I agree…I think it would be wise for sisters to just refrain. and Allah knows best. It’s pretty frightening that our worst harassment stories come from the Haramain.

      • Matthew

        Sad… what kind of “religion” allows this behavior toward it’s women.

        • Shibli Zaman

          Matthew, this is innate human behavior and no one religion is responsible for the ugliness that can manifest from our base instincts. Religion, be it Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, etc, seeks to control those instincts.

          So when I watch the news and see a Church Pastor arrested for molesting little boys and girls, I don’t blame Christianity. I blame the base animalistic desires that Christianity (and almost all religions) are wont to curtail.

  • http://www.almadinahacademy.com AnonyMouse

    AlHamdulillaah, I managed to kiss the Black Stone when I went for ‘Umrah in March of this year with my family and a couple of my closest friends… we had a harder time because 1) we were determined not to fight anyone, 2) we were trying really hard to stick with the women (‘cuz there’s supposed to be turns between the men and women, although this is more in theory than practice) w/o getting squished up against the guys, and 3) all three of us girls were pretty tiny!

    However, being tiny can be an advantage… we clung to each other tightly and dodged under a lot of people… and then it was a matter of standing our ground until there was a tiny opening and we made our way towards it, slowly but surely, until we could touch and kiss it. AlHamdulillah!

    • Hassan

      Women usually have it easy, my wife managed to kiss blackstone, pray in hateem, and pray in riyadh-ul-jannah in Madinah, while I could not do any of those.

      • http://muslimmatters.org Iesa Galloway

        Al Humdulilah, great article :)

        I was blessed to be able to kiss the black stone during Hajj. The advice here is pretty much how it worked for me… BUT I got to re-emphasize patience!

        Not sure that it is easier for the sister, while I was waiting in line and getting closer I saw a sister come up from the black stone with blood gushing from her mouth, it looked like she may have had someone fall on her while she was kissing the stone. May Allah reward her and forgive all of us!

        Iesa

  • Babar Khan

    haha, we used this method successfully so many times when we went to umrah. i personally got the chance to kiss the blackstone more than 2 times.
    use this same techinique to put your hand on the yemani corner!
    stay close to the kabba when you get around the area, and then move away till its time to come back inshallah.

    i hope everyone gets a chance to kiss the stone, following the sunnah of Muhammad (sallahu allahi wassalam)

    • Rami

      Nice!

      -Rami

  • Yus from the Nati

    Hajj and Kissing the black stone is most definitely an epidemiological nightmare. Wouldn’t stop me from doing it though that’s for sure….

  • Ahmed

    I could not help laughing at the diagrams and physics lessons! May Allah make me remember this when I make Hajj…ameen.

    Guess there’s no such thing as queuing up for the Black Stone.

  • what

    I have lived in Saudi for almost all my life and I haven’t been able to kiss the black stone yet. A few years ago, on the first day of Ramadan right after Taraweeh, I was determined to kiss it. Unfortunately while going to kiss it, I was pickpocketed :(

    SubhanAllah it was a trial.

    And yes I wasn’t ready for it and didn’t notice my wallet getting stolen because I wasn’t expecting it on the FIRST DAY OF RAMADAN right after TARAWEEH and just a few FEET away from the Ka’bah.

    Later i realized that it was a group of people who pushed me so hard while one of their member pickpocketed me while I was distracted with the push. So thats one thing to note……..

    While doing tawaf , sa’ee or in a crowd, please take care of your valuables in your pockets, or leave them in the hotel :)

    And yes things can stolen in the hotel rooms as well so at least one person should there, or you can buy a travel safe MM mentioned in recent posts.

    • Habeeb

      I have lived in Saudi for almost all my life and I haven’t been able to kiss the black stone yet.

      Subhannahllah, me too. Now I am in the USA, so inshallah next time I go back for Hajj or Umrah, I will take care of that.

      One more point to add, even though its Hajj season, and the Haram is likely always to be crowded, no matter what time of day, it may still be easier to get to the black stone just before or after Dhuhr time, when the temperature is in excess of 100 F. Yes, it will be really hot, but in my experience there will far fewer people at that time than in the cool evenings, like after Isha. And less people should mean less time waiting in line, Allahualim. The day is important too, because on Jumuah at Jumah time, its still going to be really crowded.

      • Matthew

        next time you go back, stay back. we dont want you or the filthy “religion” you represent here. I can only hope is that God will destroy you in heaven, and show you the true face of your practices. You have to be blind not to see them

        • Shibli Zaman

          Matthew, who is this “we” you speak of? America was founded upon principles of an indiscriminate religious and ethnic pluralism. So I think you’re better of stating “I don’t want, etc.”

          Furthermore, to your second point, I don’t think God will be destroying anything or anyone in Heaven (Luke 20:36).

  • http://trueword.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/quran-on-google-books/ aarij

    Very interesting. I must say, I didn’t know that there were virtues to the black stone besides it being a sunnah. I touched the Yemeni corner once on Eid day (although I had to remove a brother who was French kissing the Yemeni corner to do it!!). Never even attempted to touch the black stone. Insha Allah, if I get another chance I will try.

    The diagrams are hilarious, masha Allah :)

  • http://bushrabinthashmat.blogspot.com/ ummaasiyah

    I NEARLY kissed the Black Stone, once. I put my face into it and tried to kiss it, but got pulled back from other people. Not fair. Also, honestly speaking, it does smell a little bit in there, because the entire world has kissed it, so it smells like saliva. But don’t be put off by that.

  • http://bushrabinthashmat.blogspot.com/ ummaasiyah

    Btw, love the diagrams with the angry faces and an innocent, happy face in the midst of them. Lol. Just a question though…why do the ‘bad’ smilies have their thumbs down?

  • Suhaib

    I was about to attempt the method shown above, only to get a strange look by a family member as if to say:

    “You must be kidding me! ‘Queuing’? In Makkah?!! You’ll get no where!”

    So i bailed out.

    Next time Insha’Allah, I will be ready………………………………………….

  • Em

    This is just sad! Why? Because I was pushed around with people dying to touch the stone. You can try and not push your way to it but the point is if you edging towards it, you are adding to problem. If everyone were to continue in their own circle, there would be little chaos – and that is Islam. The kissing of the stone is symbolic. If you were to do it from far off without adding to the chaos, I’m sure you will get way more rewarded than by adding to the problem and trying to push towards the stone.

    In the end Islam is about the niyat and not your strategy to reach the stone. How about concentrate on prayers and duas instead of strategizing and slowly crawling towards the stone? I’m sure that will be rewarded more than inching your way towards it as your whole focus then is on reaching the stone and not the actual essence of the Tawaf which is a form of prayer.

  • sis

    Assalamu alaikum…question:

    Is it the same amount of reward no matter when you kiss the black stone?
    Because if so, shouldn’t it be a lot easier off-season (when its not Hajj or Ramadan time)?

    I felt like I was going to die last time I tried kissing the stone…I gave up when I saw a women return looking victorious, but without her hijaab on :/ eek

    • Em

      And do you seriously think she got rewarded for kissing the stone by giving up her hijab?

      Different rules for different times … that is why fatwas are there. Allah does not expect 20 LAC people to kiss the stone at Hajj or Umrah time. So you can do so from far off with the niyat that you’d rather concentrate on praying and not cause trouble for other muslims.

      That is also the reason why the fatwa to throw stones at the devil at any time rather than just between Zuhr and Asar has been given as the ulema know that it better to do that than be responsible for the number of deaths that occur due to thousands upon thousands of people trying to follow through in a limited amount of time.

      So please go do your Hajj, Umra, Tawaf but do it as a dignified muslim. Can you seriously imagine the Holy Prophet fighting his way through the crowds to kiss the stone??

      • Ahmed

        Can you seriously imagine the Holy Prophet fighting his way through the crowds to kiss the stone??

        I would hope that people would make way for him (s.a.w.) :)

        But I too wonder if this is a case of placing too much emphasis on the ritual act as opposed to one’s niyah. We are permitted to simply point (with an open hand according to Muhammad Alshareef’s useful hajj flyers) to it during our tawaf…do the scholars say there is a difference in the reward for one who kisses the black stone as opposed to the one who simply points? Will the black stone still testify for those who pointed?

  • sis

    *victorious

  • ASAWB

    I didn’t know about the fragments…

    Jazakhallakhir for that!

  • http://diaryofamuslimgirl.blogspot.com Muslim Girl

    This is one of the most random but beneficial articles I have ever read! :)

    But after reading all the comments (i.e. hijab being ripped off, woman with gushing blood) I am terrified to do it. I am so tiny I think I would be killed in there.

    This may be a stupid question, but has the Saudi gov’t ever tried to create like an organized way to kiss the black stone? Like by putting in a line que or something? (I’ve never been to hajj/umrah before so I have no idea)

    Imagine how much better it would be if everyone got to do it with ease and in an orderly fashion :P

    • Em

      You are in for a shock then. There is hardly room to breathe…forget room to make a queue. Not to mention it is impossible to do so for 1000s of people at the same time who better keep moving so the other 1000s of people waiting can enter the tawaf.

      It is so packed at times that once I felt my rib cage would crack … people were pushing that hard. It was a task just getting out of that crowd and going to one of the other floors for tawaf. There just wasn’t space on the ground floor.

      None of this mess would occur if people would behave like muslims and move in a line in their own circle. The whole chaos arises because of people using the so called strategies above to get to the stone. Causing problems for everyone is not a part of Islam.

      Tawaf-e-Wida is the most packed as over 24 lac people doing tawaf in just 3 days. If you are not going for the ground floor and it isn’t too hot then the top floor is the best option. Some room to breathe and fresh air. Second floor is the hardest as there are too many wheel chair people being pushed and not going in the wheel chair path and whizzing past, quite blindly, I might add. I saw one hit a girl and saw her leave a trail of blood. So be careful there.

      But in the end braving that chaos is worth it because it doesn’t matter … in the end it is all about this square building covered in black cloth which will the most amazing sight you will ever place your eyes on. .And nothing will ever compare to the peace you will feel. And in that moment you will want nothing else for everything anyone can ever want is right there.

      • muhajjirah

        subhanAllah, see i would rec’d the 2nd floor for tawaf al-wida’a and with a wheelchair! its the BEST place because you get to keep your eyes ALWAYS on the Kaaba. i pushed 2 kids, my husband pushed another. sure it was the longest tawaf ever (nearly 4 hours), it was hot, but 1/2 of which was shade. but if we didn’t have the w/cs we wouldnt have the opportunity to have our eyes on the Kaaba the whole time. they gave out umbrellas so we had them over our childrens heads. the top floor would mean we would see the Kaaba every now and then, and the bottom -ground floor we’d be fighting for our lives with the kids :-) but the 2nd floor there is a path right at the edge just for the wheelchairs which means front row tickets to the Kaaba so when things got exhausting, a quick glance was always guaranteed for motivation to keep going and a blessing that one’s eyes..and inshaAllah ones heart can be permanently attached with thikr constant. a quick glance to the serene sky imagining that the Angels of Allah are doing tawaf at Bait al-Mamur and knowing that the Arsh of Allah is directly above us.

        i will agree though that those with a wheelchairs who are not in that path does make it very difficult to move, but if you can get into the edges of the 2nd floor that would be the easiest and best place to be inshaAllah.

        may Allah facilitate ease for those who go..don’t forget the Ummah in your duaa..we are all rootin’ for you!!
        your sis in Islam.

    • Rami

      If other people were running the management of Mecca, you would probably actually see an organized line for the black stone.

      -Rami

      • http://muslimmatters.org/author/amatullah Amatullah

        Prescription drug advertisements.

      • AbuUmar

        I thought about this as well but then both me and my wife agreed that in the end, there’s a wisdom behind why Allah has chosen Saudis to host this Hajj. I don’t think Americans would have been able to handle this chaos year after year and with so much passion. MashaAllah, I must say that every time I have gone for Hajj…the hospitality of the locals has increased.

  • Mehru

    Asalamu-alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh!
    Awesome article mashaAllah! jazakAllah khair!
    My parents and i went for umrah in may this year ( my first time).
    It was SO amazing!
    i mean…i don’t think there’s any word in any language that can describe how/what you feel when you go there! SubhanAllah its…..somethin else :) indescribable!
    Okay so we tried going near the black stone and i could actually feel my ribs being crushed lol! i stretched my arm almostttt touched it but got pulled back by all those people :( sigh…soooo close! i hope i get to kiss it next time inshaAllah inshaAllah!!!!!
    y’know i really wish we could make queues that’d be ideal!

  • http://www.muslimmatters.org Yasir Qadhi

    Hilarious diagrams Rami…ma sha Allah GREAT work :)

    Some nice advice, but I must admit that I’ve hardly managed to kiss the Black Stone more than a dozen times or so. It’s really, really time-consuming and causes much emotional distress, seeing people act so unIslamically just turns me off from even trying.

    Best advice: spend a weeknight on an off-season day, and try kissing it in the middle of the night, before Fajr by two hours. Perfect time for worship, salat, and tawaaf :D

    Yasir

    • http://bushrabinthashmat.blogspot.com/ ummaasiyah

      Would you recommend in the days IMMEDIATELY after Hajj?

      • AbuUmar

        It’s still pretty crowded immediately after Hajj…after a month or so it gets better but it’s impossible to get Umrah visas since the embassy opens around 4-5 months after the Hajj…

  • ursister

    Another time in which the tawaaf area can almost be clear is on a weekday, off-season at Dhuhr time when it’s very sunny.
    Right before Maghrib, between Maghrib and ‘Isha and after Fajr are usually the most crowded times for tawaaf.

    • Habeeb

      Another time in which the tawaaf area can almost be clear is on a weekday, off-season at Dhuhr time when it’s very sunny.
      Right before Maghrib, between Maghrib and ‘Isha and after Fajr are usually the most crowded times for tawaaf.

      I second that.

  • mummyjaan

    Salaam.

    It’s easier to get near the black stone in the non-Hajj season. If you go for Umrah in off-season times and then do tawaf when there’s little rush (e.g., the early hours of the night before the crowds descend, or around mid-day), it’s quite easy.

    I don’t think I would try to get near the black stone during Hajj. Most times (during Hajj or Ramadhan) we’ve done tawaaf in the outermost circles of the mutaaf and I remember it would be impossible to get near the Kaaba. Too much of a rush.

    [On a different note, I didn't think the title of this post was very dignified in relation to the topic being discussed.
    "Pucker up"? Oh, please. *rolls eyes*]

    • shahgul

      I think we don’t have to be so uptight. What is wrong with puckering up if it is for the right cause?

  • muhajjirah

    asalaam alaikum warahmat Allah wabarakatu:

    ok. first id like to say jazakAllah kheir for the advice given in this post. BUT with all due respect what you’ve offered doesn’t always work. especially if you are a sister. forget about it. there’s usually a line of brothers and dangerously emotional brothers who are at each others necks in line and all around hajar al-aswad. it just doesn’t fly for women..not at all.

    what’s much easier than kissing the black stone, is actually praying in the KAABA! that’s right my Ummah, try for Hijr Ismail..praying there is as if you are praying within the Kaaba because it is literally part of its foundation. don’t do this during the prescribed rites of Umrah or a Hajj..because you need to follow the Sunnah of those acts, but do it during an optional tawaf if you can.

    another thing id like to mention it is not sunnah to even touch the Kaaba, and it is considered a bida’a to do so aside from Rukn al-Yamani (Yemeni corner) and the Black Stone. i see too much innovations going on. even by Makam Ibrahim where we need to pray 2 rakat ..people drape their bodies all over the windows which peak into the footsteps of Prophet Ibrahim in a totally innovative way at times..again out of their emotional love in pleasing Allah- but this is not the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad salAllahu alayhee wasalam.

    also, the men guards hanging at Hajar al-Aswad are there (literally leaning on a hook rope while trying to push the heads of men who refuse to leave the Sacred Stone once they get there. there is never a calm presence there and it can be very dangerous, not only for women but for men too. if you remember that immediately to the right of it is the Door of the Kaaba, which means there are always people leaning their bodies against it trying to reach the Door of Bait Allah. sometimes women get in there, and sometimes they have to be squeezed through men to do it which is a huge NO in the sight of Allah. having said that though, there is often a weak small number of women at the Black stone eagerly waiting for the hundreds of brothers to step back and let us in!! its those times women are pleading to the men guards as described above to make way for the sisters. sometimes it is ignored, sometimes its facilitated.

    also, to be determined in getting to the Black Stone doesn’t cut it. ive known people who’ve always been determined but a way was never made for them. as anything else that is given to us in this life, a kiss to the Black Stone is a gift a blessing..but also a BIG test from Allah. will it humble us or make us more arrogant, will wee seek it through halal ways of patience and good manners or are we going to shove our ways through whatever gender we come across and let aggression be our guide towards it?

    honestly, the best way to get to Hajar alAswad and have it accepted by Allah is by following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad pbuh, remembering that the best of us in our Ummah are those with best manners, and being grateful enough that we under ALLAH”S THRONE! under Bait alMamur, on the center of the Earth!! because what good would it be to get to the Black Stone if it would just cause you sins and not ajr?

    sincerity, duaa, asking Allah for forgiveness, patience, trust in Allah, and charity all are good things to do in presenting your case to Allah that you want the Black Stone. and really if all those are in check..you don’t even have to try to get their..Allah will place you right there, right infront- even if you forgot to duaa for that particular blessing. because Allah knows what is in our innerselves better than we ourselves claim to know.

    all good comes from Allah..instead of trying to get to the Black Stone, try to do the right thing while there, and inshaAllah you’ll all find yourselves there..and be content if you make it into Hijri Ismail, and that Allah has chosen you to be in the best place of this donia, Masjid al-Haram..Makkah Mukarramah.

    may Allah reward you all and a Hajj Mabroor to all the Hujjaj..

    your sister in Islam.

    • Matthew

      “All good comes from Allah?”

      Are you kidding me? tell me how kissing a rock, that results in violence is good.

      • Shibli Zaman

        Matthew, no violence results from the tradition of kissing the black stone. Again, it is a mere tradition, albeit a coveted one, and not an obigatory tenet of Islam.

        At Hajj time there are approximately 5 million or so people all gathered in one place. In spite of those large numbers, there is never any violence. People don’t fight or hurt each other intentionally. Nonetheless, with such a mass crowd of people, unintentional harm does occur, as well as harm that occurrs due to some people’s carelessness and disregard for others. Again, this is human nature. If you wish to contend with this, please do the research and come back to us with what you find. Keep in mind: 5 million or more people gathering in one place every year for 1500 years. How many incidents of violence will you find? You will be amazed at the absence of any rancour.

        When you have that many people in one place, it is ridiculous to assume that each and every person is going to be a perfect Muslim and follow everything in the religion as they should.

  • Em

    I also hope everyone knows that once you are doing your tawaf, you should neither have your back towards the Ka’bah, nor should you face it. From what we were told it is biddat to do that. In other words the way dictated by God is to move in your circle looking straight in front of you.

  • http://www.caller2islam.blogspot.com Abu Muawiyah

    Great Article! Insha Allah, I will try it one day. I have been for Umrah seven times but have never been able to kiss the stone! (I did pray Fajr in the front Saff multipletimes though, perhaps I should write a post on tipsto do that) The closest I got to kissing the tone was when i was a few centimetres away from it, getting smashed between some big men, my arm almost snapped when it got tangled between some people, and then I saw a man do an elbowdrop of the side of the kabah onto the others, thats when I decided to retreat!

  • http://www.caller2islam.blogspot.com Abu Muawiyah

    I wrote a post on how to pray in the front Saff in Makkah (won’t work Hajj season though). Please visit my blog and check it out.

    Jazakllah Khair

  • Pingback: Good Deed: #77 Kiss the Hajre Aswad | 1000 Good Deeds

  • http://www.muslimmatters.org amad

    I did it, did it, did it :)
    Rami, u should copyright ur method. Though I took so much confidence in it that I took my 10 year old and my 10 yr nephew with me… and all 3 of us were pinned to the kabba… i had to create a gap between the kaba and me to give the 2 breathing space and used every bit of my muscle power (thats not too much btw) to keep that gap.. Eventually all 3 of us got to kiss the stone, following the method exactly (no pushing) but buyer-beware! You have to be reasonably fit and don’t take your kids!

    You got some of the ajar Rami and this is a testimony to the method working :)

  • Pingback: Umrah Road-Trip to Makkah & Madinah | MuslimMatters.org

  • http://www.azeemkhan.info Azeem

    I can attest to this method being the best possible one. I learned this in high school in our cafeteria and have used it on Black Friday and last month I used it to kiss the black stone! It was very hectic and literally bone crushing. At one point A scream erupted out of me because my entire body was being crushed from all sides.

    Umrah visas opened up recently so it was crazy busy. The ideal time to go was between 11 PM and 3 AM. You have to avoid the Post-Isha and the Tajahudd/Fajr Rush. I would also not do this while in ihram, do it when you are doing your nawafal tawaf since it takes up so much time and energy.

    I came into the haram and made duah that if this was good for me and If I was not going to do anything haram like trip an old woman then I asked Allah (S) to help me make it happen. I cut across the traffic right to the line and I did exactly what this described. The guy right in front of me on line was a big Turkish man. When he got his kiss in and tried to get out I slipped right in front of him and it give me a clean 2 seconds to get my kiss in. After that all hell broke loose. Kissing it, as hard as it was, was much easier than getting out. The guy who kissed it after me had cut like anything so everyone was pushing him hard since they were pissed at him I got right behind him and pushed like I was the silver surfer and he was my surf board.

  • Shibli Zaman

    as-salamu `alaykum,

    I am in Mecca right now and I was able to kiss Hajar al-Aswad this morning, al-hamdu lillah. Right now it is jam packed and the people making Tawaf reach up to the steps. This method can work, but it will not work every time. I tried this yesterday and was able to reach out and touch the stone, but immediately the wave of people pushed me back. This morning after Fajr I was able to kiss it, al-hamdu lillah. Its purely the Will of Allah.

    The way people behave is disgusting though. The men will press up against the ladies without regard for them and often times even end up hitting them with their elbows. It makes no sense to me. Severely hurting your brothers and sisters, not just bodily, but breaking their hearts and spirits, in order to do something that is supposed to expiate for your sins? Seriously, people don’t even behave like that center stage floor at a Heavy Metal concert. Are we content that the greatest gathering for the sake of Allah behaves worse than a gathering for Metallica?

    The way people act at the Yemeni corner is equally ridiculous. Its like they figure, “Well I can’t get to Hajar al-Aswad, so let me pretend like this is Hajar al-Aswad and make out with this corner of bricks right here for 15 minutes.”

    I have found that the best time to do it is after Fajr as that seems to be the ONLY time that the people actually stand in line and don’t violate it for the most part. People think that going after `Isha is a good time to go because the weather is better and its late at night. You know what? Everyone else thinks that too. This makes it one of the worst times to go. I am going to go at around 2:00am tonight to see how the crowd is. Khayr, insha’ Allah.

    was-salam

    • http://muslimmatters.org/author/amad/ Amad

      umrah mabruk Shibli…

      some say that after dhuhr is also good as it’s very hot and so people tend to stay away.

      • Shibli Zaman

        Amad, jazakumullahu khayran, bro. What you say about going after Dhuhr is true, but it seems to be a very small window. Around 1 hour before `Asr (as is the case 1 hour before every obligatory Salah), people start flooding in. As you know very well, the sun here is brutal and you can dehydrate very quickly without even realizing it before its too late. But no one cares. People are still jamming the entire Haram area even at the hottest parts of the day. Some might be annoyed by the crowds, but, subhan Allah, if one tries to look at it from a more positive angle, the increasing zeal of the Muslims is a beautiful thing.

        Also, what brother Rami says about reminding the people to have patience and remember Allah is the best advice. People get happy to hear you saying that, and I have found that they start helping you reach the Black Stone.

        Another thing worth mentioning is that the scholars of Fiqh say to rub the stone with one’s hand as well as kiss it. Ibn Qudamah says (ثم أتى الحجر الأسود إن كان فاستلمه إن استطاع‏,‏ وقبله. معنى ‏”‏استلمه‏”‏ أي مسحه بيده) “Then approach the Black Stone, rub it if possible and kiss it. The meaning of ‘astalamahu’ means to rub it with one’s hand.”

        was-salam

      • Shibli Zaman

        UPDATE: I went today at 2:30AM and it was significantly easier, but not “easy” by any stretch. However, I would strongly recommend sisters and families go at this time. You can go there a little earlier like 1:45AM, pray Tahiyyah, pray a little Tahajjud, ask Allah to make it easy for you and give it your best shot.

        Also, I discovered a very critical tip. DO NOT WEAR SOCKS!!! It becomes completely impossible to hold your ground if you are wearing socks. I realized too late that I was wearing socks and inadvertently ended up literally doing the “moon walk” several times right when I was 2 feet away from the Black Stone.

        Jazah Allahu khayran to brother Rami for this nice blog. The bottom line is that it works, ma sha’ Allah.

        was-salam

        • http://muslimmatters.org/author/amad/ Amad

          jazakallahkahir Shibli for the updates… it’s good you are preserving these ideas when still fresh in your memory…

          re: moonwalk… that’s funny you mentioned it. My wife and I were tired of carrying our little 4-year old, so she basically sat on her knees and we just slid her around… she had a blast!

  • muuni

    i shall try it when i go umrah i.A..

  • mrs khalida khanam ali

    Assalamoalaikum-warahmatulla-wabarakatohu
    I have throughly laughed and enjoyed reading your advise in touching atleast the hajr-e-aswad. I have just returned from Umrah with my husband, and i am recovering from the trip. I haven’t even been out since my body is so aching from soving and pushing, during and after touching the ‘STONE’.
    Your tactictics are exactly what my husband used to get me there. He didn’t bother himself doing it as he was just procting me from pushing. During all this he lost is Ehram then he just managed to pull it up by his feet. I wear glasses and during all this he told me to take it off but i just couldn’t. Although it is a good advise for glass wearers. After we came out my white hejab was yellow i still haven’t washed it yet and it smells devine. Another thing i noticed when i took my glasses off i could see the Kabba even more clearly
    where as i thought i won’t beable to. But allhamdullilah we enjoyed our Umra throughly and hope Allah-subhana-talla invites us again soon for Hajj and all the Muslims of the world. Where else will we see all the proud Muslimms of the world. Jazakalla.

  • Dayang

    Reading this post and the comments was fun.=) So many ways,just to avoid the ‘unislamic attitudes’, inside the house of Allah.Ironic.
    It also brought back the memories I had when I tried kissing hajarul aswad during my umrah last year.I did it on my last day there.There is actually a ‘service’ by a group of ladies (mainly by Southeast Asian for SEA) to help you get through the crowds.They would usually hang around the stone area.They surrounded me and helped me pushed through the crowds until I get to the stone.People was pushing so super ‘hard’ and I have NEVER felt anything like it.But once you get your chance,I couldnt feel the chaos around me and I didnt even feel the struggle when I got out from the crowd.I guess I was speechless.I
    didnt know that it is a sunnah to actually touch and kiss it.My curiosity is what drove me to see and kiss it.If I had known it,I think I would appreciate it more.But Alhamdulillah still.Oh,I so hope that I got another chance to go there again.Would like to try this method=)

  • Udd268

    Please comment below when I went to umrah this year 2012 and kissed the stone from my mouth I spoke the name of ALLAH straight after kissing the stone I just could not controll
    Myself saying the word ALLAH i stopped saying it after a while when I got back to
    The hotel I shouted the word ALLAH I could not control myself I had a drink in my hand and spilled the energy drink all over my clothes after a while I stopped this stone has some supernatural powers this made me very closer to my religion please comment what u think
    Happened to me

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