"Black Stone The Black Stone (, """", ""Black Stone"") is a rock set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba, the ancient building located in the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is revered by Muslims as an Islamic relic which, according to Muslim tradition, dates back to the time of Adam and Eve. The stone was venerated at the Kaaba in pre-Islamic pagan times. According to Islamic tradition, it was set intact into the Kaaba's wall by the prophet Muhammad in 605 CE, five years before his first revelation. Since then it has been broken"
"to make the pilgrimage to Mecca. After a Muslim makes the trip to Mecca, he/she is known as a hajj/hajja (one who made the pilgrimage to Mecca). The main rituals of the Hajj include walking seven times around the Kaaba termed ""Tawaf"", touching the Black Stone termed Istilam, traveling seven times between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah termed ""Sa'yee"", and symbolically stoning the Devil in Mina termed Ramee. The pilgrim, or the ""haji"", is honoured in the Muslim community. Islamic teachers say that the Hajj should be an expression of devotion to God, not a means to gain social standing."
"Stoning of the Devil The Stoning of the Devil ( , ""stoning of the """" [place of pebbles]"") is part of the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. During the ritual, Muslim pilgrims throw pebbles at three walls (formerly pillars), called ""jamarāt"", in the city of Mina just east of Mecca. It is one of a series of ritual acts that must be performed in the Hajj. It is a symbolic reenactment of Abraham's hajj, where he stoned three pillars representing the temptation to disobey God and preserve Ishmael. On Eid al-Adha (the"
"to establish the Hajj, or pilgrimage. These narratives differ in when these events occurred, if and how there was supernatural involvement, the inclusion or omission of the Black Stone, and whether Ishmael assisted his father. Of those that say Ishmael took part in the construction, most describe Abraham visiting Ishmael a third time in Mecca, during which they raise the Kaaba. Some versions say Abraham has Ishmael look for a final stone, but Abraham does not accept the one he brings back. Instead an angel has brought the Black Stone, which Abraham puts into place. Ishmael is left at the"
"apparent similarity of the Black Stone and its silver frame to the external female genitalia. John Lewis Burckhardt wrote a sympathetic account of the Hajj and of his sojourn in Mecca in 1813 or 1814 under Ottoman hegemony, 'During all my journeys in the East, I never enjoyed such perfect ease as at Mekka'. He also wrote, 'But the holy Kaaba is rendered the scene of such indecencies and criminal acts, as cannot with propriety be more particularly noticed. They are not only practised here with impunity, but, it may be said, almost publicly; and my indignation has often been"
"base in Hajar (modern Eastern Arabia). According to Ottoman historian Qutb al-Din, writing in 1857, the Qarmatian leader Abu Tahir al-Jannabi set the Black Stone up in his own mosque, the ""Masjid al-Dirar"", with the intention of redirecting the ""hajj"" away from Mecca. This failed, as pilgrims continued to venerate the spot where the Black Stone had been. According to the historian al-Juwayni, the Stone was returned twenty-three years later, in 952. The Qarmatians held the Black Stone for ransom, and forced the Abbasids to pay a huge sum for its return. It was wrapped in a sack and thrown"
"Mecca in 930. In the assault on Islam's holiest sites, the Qarmatians desecrated the Well of Zamzam with corpses of Hajj pilgrims, and took the Black Stone from Mecca to al-Hasa. According to historian al-Juwayni, the stone was returned 22 years later in 951 under mysterious circumstances. Wrapped in a sack, it was thrown into the Great Mosque of Kufa in Iraq, accompanied by a note saying ""By command we took it, and by command we have brought it back."" The theft and removal of the Black Stone caused it to break into seven pieces. The sack of Mecca followed"
"both often perfumed by the mosque's custodians. This can cause problems for pilgrims in the state of ihram (""consecration""), who are forbidden from using scented products and will require a ""kaffara"" (donation) as a penance if they touch either. Islamic tradition holds that the Black Stone fell from Jannah to show Adam and Eve where to build an altar, which became the first temple on Earth. Muslims believe that the stone was originally pure and dazzling white, but has since turned black because of the sins of the people who touch it. Its black colour is deemed to symbolize the"
"site of pilgrimage. Some identify it with the Biblical ""valley of Baca"" from Psalms 84 (). At the time of Muhammad (AD 570–632), his tribe the Quraysh was in charge of the Kaaba, which was at that time a shrine containing hundreds of idols representing Arabian tribal gods and other religious figures. Muhammad earned the enmity of his tribe by claiming the shrine for the new religion of Islam that he preached. He wanted the Kaaba to be dedicated to the worship of the one God alone, and all the idols were evicted. The Black Stone (al-Hajar-ul-Aswad), still present at"
"pilgrims travel to Muzdalifah, sometimes arriving at night because of over-crowding. After arriving at Muzdalifah, pilgrims pray the ""Maghrib"" () and ""‘Ishā’"" () prayers jointly, whereas the Isha prayer is shortened to 2 rakats. At Muzdalifah, pilgrims collect pebbles for the Stoning of the Devil (). The open-roofed mosque at Muzdalifah is known as ""The Sacred Monument"" (). Muzdalifah Muzdalifah () is an open, level area near Mecca in Saudi Arabia that is associated with the ""Ḥajj"" (, ""Pilgrimage""). It lies just southeast of Mina, on the route between Mina and Arafat. The stay at Muzdalifah is preceded by a"
"people were killed in what has been called a ""stampede"" during the 2015 pilgrimage (Hajj) of Muslims to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, she said: ""They talk about changing the way [the hajj] is administered, about making people travel in smaller groups. What they don’t say is that the crush happened because these people were fighting to stone the devil. Why do they need to stone the devil? Why do they need to kiss that black stone? But no one will say this. The media will not print it. What is it about, this reluctance to criticize religion? ... This refusal to"
"Jamaraat Bridge The Jamaraat Bridge (; transliterated: ""Jisr Al-Jamarat"") is a pedestrian bridge in Mina, Saudi Arabia, near Mecca used by Muslims during the Hajj ritual Stoning of the Devil. The purpose of the bridge is to enable pilgrims to throw stones at the three ""jamrah"" pillars either from the ground level or from the bridge. ""Jamaraat"" is the plural of ""jamraah"", the Arabic term for each of the pillars involved in the stoning ritual. It literally means a small piece of stone or a pebble. The bridge was built in 1963, and has been expanded several times since then."
"the location of the ritual of the Stoning of the Devil, performed between sunrise and sunset on the last day of the Hajj. Mina is the place where pilgrims throw stones, commemorating the occasion that the Prophet Ibrâhîm (Abraham) stoned the Devil that came between him and the command Allah had set him. Many pilgrims at hajj walk around the Ka`bah seven times, then visit the Well of Zamzam. Usually, they spend their first night in the Valley of Mina. This ritual occurs from the eighth to the twelfth day of the Ḥajj. At Mina, men and women are not"
"rites including the Stoning of the Devil ( """") which takes place at the Jamaraat Bridge in Mina, a district a few miles east of Mecca. The Jamaraat Bridge is a pedestrian bridge from which pilgrims can throw pebbles at the three ""jamrah"" pillars. The stoning ritual is the last major ritual and is often regarded as the most dangerous part of the Hajj, with its large crowds, confined spaces, and tight scheduling. The 2015 Hajj took place against a background of regional turmoil (including wars in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Libya), the hottest temperatures in Mecca in 20 years,"
"Black Stone. The ""Kaaba"" was originally intended as a symbolic house for the one monotheistic God. However, after Ibrahim's death, people started to fill the ""Kaaba"" with pagan idols. When Muhammad conquered Mecca after his exile, he removed the idols from the ""Kaaba"". The inside of the ""Kaaba"" is now empty. It now stands as an important pilgrimage site, which all Muslims are supposed to visit at least once if they are able (""Hajj""). Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day while facing in the ""Kaaba""'s direction (""qibla""). Islamic mythology Islamic mythology is the body of myths associated"
"2006 Hajj stampede The 2006 Hajj stampede resulted in the deaths of at least 364 pilgrims on 12 January 2006 during the Hajj in Mecca. The Hajj is an annual pilgrimage in Mecca undertaken by able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime. It consists of a series of rites including the Stoning of the Devil ( ', ""stoning of the ' [place of pebbles] which takes place in Mina, a district of Mecca. The stoning ritual is the last major ritual and is often regarded as the most dangerous part of the Hajj, with stampedes occurring in the past."
"Day as one of the four chosen days. The ritual of ""Tawaf"" involves walking seven times counterclockwise around the Kaaba. Upon arriving at ""Al-Masjid Al-Ḥarām"" (, The Sacred Mosque), pilgrims perform an arrival ""tawaf"" either as part of Umrah or as a welcome tawaf. During tawaf, pilgrims also include Hateem – an area at the north side of the Kaaba – inside their path. Each circuit starts with the kissing or touching of the Black Stone (Hajar al- Aswad). If kissing the stone is not possible because of the crowds, they may simply point towards the stone with their hand"
"cubes of a bottle-green material were embedded. There are reportedly a few white or yellow spots on the face of the Stone, and it is officially described as being white with the exception of the face. The Black Stone was held in reverence well before the preaching of Islam by Muhammad. It had long been associated with the Kaaba, which was built in the pre-Islamic period and was a site of pilgrimage of Nabateans who visited the shrine once a year to perform their pilgrimage. The Kaaba held 360 idols of the Meccan gods. The Semitic cultures of the Middle"
"of the Hajj, Muslim pilgrims to Mecca throw seven stones at a pillar known as the ""Jamrah al-’Aqabah"", symbolizing the stoning of the Devil. This ritual is based on the Islamic tradition that, when God ordered Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael, Satan tempted him three times not to do it, and, each time, Abraham responded by throwing seven stones at him. The hadith teach that newborn babies cry because Satan touches them while they are being born, and that this touch causes people to have an aptitude for sin. This doctrine bears some similarities to the doctrine of original"
"stone the devil at all was questioned by Egyptian physician and feminist writer Nawal El Saadawi, who said that the crush happened because people were fighting to do this, and was dubious of talk about changing the way the Hajj is administered and making people travel in smaller groups. As Hajj Begins, More Changes and Challenges In Store altmuslim.com, 13 December 2006 Jamaraat Bridge The Jamaraat Bridge (; transliterated: ""Jisr Al-Jamarat"") is a pedestrian bridge in Mina, Saudi Arabia, near Mecca used by Muslims during the Hajj ritual Stoning of the Devil. The purpose of the bridge is to enable"
"they were the culprits; he attributed the act to ""some Jew or Greek, who risked his life to gratify a furious bigotry"". The Black Stone plays a central role in the ritual of ""istilam"", when pilgrims kiss the Black Stone, touch it with their hands or raise their hands towards it while repeating the takbir, ""God is Greatest"". They perform this in the course of walking seven times around the Kaaba in a counterclockwise direction (""tawaf""), emulating the actions of Muhammad. At the end of each circuit, they perform ""istilam"" and may approach the Black Stone to kiss it at"
"to build the Kaaba, the mountain asked Ibrahim to intercede with God so that it would not be returned to Khurasan and would stay in Mecca. According to some scholars, the Black Stone was the same stone that Islamic tradition describes as greeting Muhammad before his prophethood. This led to a debate about whether the Black Stone's greeting comprised actual speech or merely a sound, and following that, whether the stone was a living creature or an inanimate object. Whichever was the case, the stone was held to be a symbol of prophethood. A hadith records that, when the second"
"of Muhammad's first revelation of the Quran (specifically, a cave from Mecca), Mecca is regarded as the holiest city in the religion of Islam and a pilgrimage to it known as the Hajj is obligatory for all able Muslims. Mecca is home to the Kaaba, by majority description Islam's holiest site, as well as being the direction of Muslim prayer. Mecca was long ruled by Muhammad's descendants, the sharifs, acting either as independent rulers or as vassals to larger polities. It was conquered by Ibn Saud in 1925. In its modern period, Mecca has seen tremendous expansion in size and"
"foot. Later, Abraham was commanded to build the Kaaba (which he did with the help of Ishmael) and to invite people to perform pilgrimage there. The Quran refers to these incidents in verses and . It is said that the archangel Gabriel brought the Black Stone from Heaven to be attached to the Kaaba. In pre-Islamic Arabia, a time known as ""jahiliyyah"", the Kaaba became surrounded by pagan idols. In 630 CE, Muhammad led his followers from Medina to Mecca, cleansed the Kaaba by destroying all the pagan idols, and then reconsecrated the building to Allah. In 632 CE, Muhammad"
"site for Sikhs and is welcome to people of any faith. Mecca in Saudi Arabia is the central religious place in Islam. Mecca is regarded as the holiest city in Islam, and a pilgrimage to it, known as the Hajj, is one of the pillars of Islam. Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the city. Sikhs do not believe in pilgrimages; Muslims, in contrast, consider Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) a crucial part of the faith. During the Mughal Empire, Sikh gurus were persecuted along with other non-Muslims. The fifth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Arjan was executed by Jahangir. There were occasional"
"to enter the city and gave his oath that he came in peace. Once inside the city walls the Qarmatian army set about massacring the pilgrims, taunting them with verses of the Koran as they did so. The bodies of the pilgrims were left to rot in the streets or thrown down the Well of Zamzam. The Kaaba was looted, with Abu Tahir taking personal possession of the Black Stone and bringing it back to al-Hasa. The attack on Mecca symbolized the Qarmatians' break with the Sunni world; it was believed to have been aimed to prompt the appearance of"
"to its earlier association with fertility rites of Arabia. A ""red stone"" was associated with the deity of the south Arabian city of Ghaiman, and there was a ""white stone"" in the Kaaba of al-Abalat (near the city of Tabala, south of Mecca). Worship at that time period was often associated with stone reverence, mountains, special rock formations, or distinctive trees. The Kaaba marked the location where the sacred world intersected with the profane, and the embedded Black Stone was a further symbol of this as an object as a link between heaven and earth. It may have been associated"
"congregation prayer in Islam was offered, the first being held in Medina. According to legend, when the Hajr Al Aswad, (Black Stone), was stolen from Mecca by the Qarmatians, it was kept in this mosque for nearly 22 years. Most of the mosque's original structure has been lost and it remains in danger of collapse. Only five small mud-brick arches remain. The visible ruins probably date from around the 9th century AD. The mosque's current structure's design is similar to the design of Masmak fort in Saudi Arabia. Jawatha Mosque Jawatha Mosque () (also incorrectly spelled Al-Jawana) is located in"
"changes from year to year. Ihram is the name given to the special spiritual state in which pilgrims wear two white sheets of seamless cloth and abstain from certain actions. The Hajj (sometimes spelt Hadj, Hadji or Haj also in English) is associated with the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad from the 7th century, but the ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca is considered by Muslims to stretch back thousands of years to the time of Abraham. During Hajj, pilgrims join processions of hundreds of thousands of people, who simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of the Hajj, and perform"
"on several occasions. In the 10th century, an observer described the Black Stone as being one cubit () long. By the early 17th century, it was recorded as measuring . According to Ali Bey in the 18th century, it was described as high, and Muhammad Ali Pasha reported it as being long by wide. The Black Stone is attached to the east corner of the Kaaba, known as ""al-Rukn al-Aswad"" (the Corner of the Black Stone). Another stone, known as the ""Hajar as-Sa’adah"" (Stone of Felicity) is set into the Kaaba's opposite corner, ""al-Rukn al-Yamani"" (the Yemeni Corner), at a"
"Abu Kubais Abu Kubais is a sacred mountain which resides on the eastern frontier of the sacred city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Although no one really knows the exact origin of this name, it is believed to be called al-Amin in pagan times because an alleged ""black stone"" resided there according to a fable. According to another legend, this mountain was also called the Treasure Cave (Magharat al-kans) and this was believed to be the very first place where the first of men stayed and were buried after their death. According to tradition, this is the place where this"
"and once in control of the Bahrayni state, they launched raids along the pilgrim routes crossing the Arabian Peninsula: in 906 they ambushed the pilgrim caravan returning from Mecca and massacred 20,000 pilgrims. Under al-Jannabi (ruled 923–944), the Qarmaṭians came close to raiding Baghdad in 927, and sacked Mecca and Medina in 930. In their attack on Islam's holiest sites, the Qarmatians desecrated the Zamzam Well with corpses of Hajj pilgrims and took the Black Stone from Mecca to al-Hasa. Holding the Black Stone to ransom, they forced the Abbasids to pay a huge sum for its return in 952."
"from the Black Stone (""al-Ḥajar al-'Aswad"") on the corner of the Kaaba. If possible, Muslims are to kiss or touch it, but this is often not possible because of the large crowds, so it is acceptable for them to simply point or hold up their hand to the Stone on each circuit. They are also to make the Takbir prayer (""Bismillah Allahu Akbar"") each time they approach. For men, it is recommended to do the first three circuits in a hurried pace, followed by four rounds of a more leisurely pace. At the end of the circling, Muslims go to"