Hajar al aswad

[HOPE]

Peace to all,

I've always enjoyed reading  Ali Shariati's writings, full of wisdom, in my opinion. I want to share with you a chapter from his book HAJJ.  In the book, he writes about what the Hajj experience has taught him.


         Allegiance and the Black Stone

Circumambulation must begin at the point where the BLACK STONE is located.  This is where you enter the universe's system.  You join the other people and assimilate among them as a drop entering the ocean.  This is the way to survival, the way to find your 'orbit'!  If you do not join the people, you will not be able to pursue the orbit nor approach Almighty Allah.  Firstly, with your right hand you must touch or point to the BLACK STONE.  Then, immediately, you must be assimilated among the people.  What does this stone symbolize?  It symbolizes a hand - a right hand!  And - whose right hand?  The right hand of Allah!

In the past, individuals and tribes made contracts with the chiefs of other tribes.  This was done to assure their maintenance and survival in the desert.  The contract was known as an allegiance  How was it actualized?  The individual involved had to extend his right hand to shake and hold the right hand of the other in order that he becomes his ally.  Automatically, it was understood that his previous allegiances were cancelled.

At the Black Stone, the moment of selection, you must choose your path, goal and future.  When joining the people, you must shake hands with Allah who is extending His right hand - therefore taking the oath to become Allah’s confederate.  You will be free from all previous allegiances; no longer will you be an ally of the powers, the hypocrites, the tribal chiefs, the rulers on the earth, the aristocrats of Quraish, the landlords, nor money.  You are free!

             Quran 48:10  The hand of Allah is over their hands.

Touch Allah’s hand.  He is superior to all who have tied your hands in previous allegiances!  Upon acquiring the status of being free (after shaking Allah’s hand and re-asserting your “original promise” to Him), it is your duty to join the people.  Do not stop, continue on.  You must find and select your orbit.  Enter the system and move with the others  As you circumambulate and move closer to Kaaba, you feel like a small stream merging into a big river.  Carried by a wave, not by your feet, you are detached from the ground.  Suddenly you find yourself floating and carried on by this flood.  As you approach the middle, the pressure of the crowd squeezes you so hard that you are endowed with a new life.  You are now part of the people; you are now a man alive and eternal!  You move not ‘by yourself’ but ‘with others'.  You join them not ‘diplomatically’ but ‘with love’.

See the Allah of Ibrahim.  By relating you to Himself, Allah relates you to others.  In such a deep, delicate and beautiful way He relates you to the people by the attracting forces of His love.  Although you are here to see Allah, you find yourself so busy with the people.  Allah has invited you from far distances to come to His house for a private visit, but now He tells you to join he people.  You are not to enter His house, nor to stop and stare at the house.  You must continue in your circumambulation, remaining shoulder to shoulder with the people. Kaaba is only the center of the orbit; therefore if you stop, move your position or turn your head, you are ‘out’ of the orbit!  Once again, do not stop and do not go to the right or to the left.  Qibla is in front of you; look ahead and continue going ahead.

Attracted by the forces of the world’s sun (Kaaba), you are on your orbit.  You have become a part of this universal system.  Circumambulating (Tawaf) around Allah, you will soon forget yourself.  What prevails is love and attraction; you are only one of the many people who are “attracted”!

Going around and around, you see no one but Him.You are ‘nothing who feels His existence’ and simultaneously   an ‘existence who feels nothing’.  You are like a particle in this circular movement in an orbit, a motion, a Tawaf and a Hajj!  Nevertheless, all of this is symbolic of Allah.  Your position is that of ‘submission’.

By becoming departed from yourself, you have assumed a new form as a ‘particle’ that is gradually melting and disappearing.  At its peak, love is absolute; you are a devotee in love!  If love had to be described in terms of motion, what type of movement would it be?  Very simply, it is best expressed  o fa butterfly!  In summary, it may be said that Kaaba is the center of love while you are the compass rotating around it.

Hajar was an example for humanity.  Allah, the great love and ally of man, ordered her to leave her home with her nursing child.  She was told to go to the fearful valley of Mecca where no plant, not even thistles, will grow.  Out of love for Allah, she understood and accepted this order.  It seems strange, a lonely woman with her lonely child cast into the depth of this valley among such ugly and inactive volcanoes.  Without water?  Without shelter?  Without anyone?  But why?  All of this because Allah wanted absolute reliance upon Him!  This rationale is not comprehendable by our wisdom nor does it appear logical.  Water is necessary for existence, the baby needs milk, a man needs friends, and a mother needs help.  This is true, yet love can replace all of those needs!  One can live with love if the spirit recognizes it.  Oh lonely maid, a helpless nursing mother, you and your child must rely upon Allah.  Feeling secure with love, rely upon Him!

[HOPE]

continuation,


Ibrahim’s Position

After completing the 7th round of circumambulation, the state of Tawaf ends.  Seventh? Yes, it is a reminder of the seven layers of heaven.  Tawaf, your sacrifice for people, is an eternal movement on the path of people!  It is Hajj and NOT a pilgrimage.

At Ibrahim’s position you must read two units of prayers.       Where is this position?  It is a piece of stone with Ibrahim’s footprints on it.  It was on this stone that he stood and laid the cornerstone of Kaaba, (Hajar-ul-Aswad)  He stood there to construct the Kaaba.  Do you understand?  Are you not shivering?  Being in Ibrahim’s position signifies standing in his place!

Approximately ne hour ago, you were at the bank of this ‘river’ standing, thinking of yourself, watching the people and not being one of them, you were a useless particle reprimanded by Allah.  You were ‘mud’, ‘clay’ and ‘earth’.

But now, you are flowing and moving.  No longer are you stagnated nor putrefied. You are roaring, washing away the rocks, breaking the dams and finding your way to the gardens to grow heaven in the heart of the salty deserts!  You irrigate the earth, fields, flowers and plants.  In turn, you help the cultivation of thousands of seeds from which thousands of buds are impatient to germinate, to crack above the earth, exhibit their leaves and rise toward the sky.  If you do not move, you will become like clay, hard and solid; and you will simultaneously bury and destroy all of these potentials!

91:10  And he indeed is a failure who stunts it

While the river flows, it gives life to the dead nature as Jesus (pbuh) did.  But if you stay stagnated like dampness in a corner, enjoying yourself or suffering, you will become putrified.  Parasites will grow in you, your color will change and you will smell bad.

After an hour of swimming in this ‘stream of love’, you will abondon your self-centered mortal existence and adapt to a new life among the people’s ‘eternal existence’ on the ‘eternal orbit’ of Allah.  Now you are like Ibrahim!

Next, from the same point which you started Tawaf, you must step out of the Tawaf circle.  Like life after death, rise from the same point on the hoizon from which you disappeared.  The spirit of goodness, the spirit of Allah, which was in your original state of creation, is visible.  From where?  It appears at the place where you joined the Tawaf circle - under the right hand of Allah.  After denying and killing all of the previous and false egoes, you will discover your ’ authentic ego’.  Dressed in the clean white garb of Ihram, at the House of Allah and standing in Ibrahim’s position, step in his footprints.  Face to face with Allah. Start your prayer.

In the history of mankind, Ibrahim was the great rebel who opposed idolatry and established monotheism in this world.  Althogh physically tired of sufferings, the prophet of responsibility and leadership had a sharp mind.  His heart was full of love yet he carried an axe in his hand.  Faith shined from the center of Kufr.  A clear fountain of tawheed emerged from the sewage of polytheism.

The first to fight idolatry, Ibrahim was raised in the house of Azar who used to make the idols for his tribe.  Ibrahim fought not only against idolatry and Nimrod, but also against ignorance and oppression.    Help prevent the people from being burned by the fire of oppression and ignorance.  The same fire is ignited in the fate and future of every responsible individual who is indebted to enlightenment and guidance.  For those who behave like Ibrahim, Allah will make a rose garden from the fire of Nimrods!  You will not burn and leave behind your ashes.  It is a symbolic demonstration of how close you get to the fire during your struggle and performance of Jihad.  To throw yourself into the fire in order to save other people is a bitter experience, but even more painful is the Shahadat.


Ibrahim, sacrifice your son Ismail!  Cut his throat with your own hands to save the people’s neck from being cut.  Which people?  Those who have been sacrificed at the steps of the palaces of power or inside the temples of hypocrisy and misery.  To get courage to seize the sword from the hand of the executioner, cut Ismail’s throat with a knife!  Allah will pay Ismail’s ransom.  You do not kill your son or lose him.  This gesture is a lesson for the sake of your faith.  You must reach the point of your willingness to sacrifice your most beloved with your own hands.

Remember that you just left tawaf of love and are standing in Ibrahim’s position.  When Ibrahim reached this point, he had experienced a life full of struggle - fighting with Nimrod, the idols, facing the tortures, the heap of fire, Satan, the sacrifice of his son Ismail and migration homelessness, loneliness, passing from the stage of prophecy to the stage of leadership, rejecting ‘individuality’ and adopting ‘totality' and from being worker in he house of Azar, the idol maker, to becoming the builder of Kaaba, the house of unity!

Here Ibrahim stands.  Having left many difficult years behind him, all his hair is gray.  Yet at the end of his life, he is about to build a house; he is about to lay down the black stone.  Ismail helps him by carrying the stones and handing them to his father.  The house of Allah is being constructed!  Ismail is saved from being sacrificed while Ibrahim is saved from the fire.  Now they have a responsibility toward the people.  Allah has commanded them to be the architects of ‘the oldest temple of unity’ on earth, ‘the first house of people’ in history, ‘the free house’ of freedom and the Kaaba of love and worship.  Haram is a symbol of “True Privacy and Modesty”.

Now you are in Ibrahim’s position!  It is the highest point to which Ibrahim could ascend; it is the nearest point to Allah.  Ibrahim, the builder of the Kaaba, architect of the house of freedom, founder of tawheed, and fighter against the idols, was tortured by Nimrod.  Leader of the tribe, struggler against ignorance and Kufr, conscientious of love and responsibility, Ibrahim escaped the temptations of Satan and the Khannas who inspires evil suggestions into the hearts of people.

Ibrahim built a house - NOT FOR HIMSELF NOR FOR HIS SON - but a house for the PEOPLE.  It is a shelter for those who are homeless, a shelter for those who have been forced to leave, a shelter for those who are wounded on this earth and a shelter for those who are fleeing.

In Ibrahim’s position, you shake hands with Allah.  Live the way Ibrahim did and be the architect of the Kaaba of faith of your time.

Save your people; help them step out of the lagoon of a stagnated and useless life.  Awaken them from their deep sleep so they will no longer suffer oppression and live in the darkness of ignorance.  Help them move; hold their hands and lead them.  Call them to Hajj for Tawaf

[Sardar Miyan]

As you said the point of Hajar Aswad is the starting poit for circumbulation of Kaaba but I do not knoe why the Hajis kiss yhe stone? some say it is from Janna.As per Secondary source Hazrat Omer told at the Hajar Aswad " Merely because the Prophet used to kiss I also do but here is nothing unusual with you"Allahu Alam

[HOPE]

Salaam Sardar,

You are right brother, kissing the stone is because the Prophet did so and it is based on a hadith ; otherwise the stone has no devotional significance at all.  It is Allah’s right hand on earth,  is also based on a hadith yet I find this explanation more plausible and the way Shariati describes it in his book is very inspiring.  I highly recommend this book to you.  You can also read it online.



http://www.al-islam.org/hajj/shariati/ 

[islamist]

Salaam Sardar,

You are right brother, kissing the stone is because the Prophet did so and it is based on a hadith ; otherwise the stone has no devotional significance at all.  It is Allah’s right hand on earth,  is also based on a hadith yet I find this explanation more plausible and the way Shariati describes it in his book is very inspiring.  I highly recommend this book to you.  You can also read it online.

http://www.al-islam.org/hajj/shariati/ 

Hope, salaam alaikum,

Shariati is an amazing writer.  I like his writings.  But no stone can get any  reverence from others in Islam, be it from anywhere, including 'Heaven'

Say: "Not equal are things that are bad and things that are good, even though the abundance of the bad may dazzle thee; so fear Allah, O ye that understand; that (so) ye may prosper." (5:100)

Satan made their (sinful) acts seem alluring to them (8:48)

It is difficult to believe second khalifa Umar did not care to ask prophet the reason for kissing the stone when he is reported to have seen (as reported in the hadees) prophet kissing the stone/ or to verify the reason from those who know at the time of this incident!

[HOPE]

Salaam Islamist,

But no stone can get any  reverence from others in Islam, be it from anywhere, including 'Heaven'

I agree.  I've seen people kissing the Quran, too.  I would not go as far as accusing them of worshipping a stone though.  For me it shows lack of awareness, consciousness.  People do things without realizing why they do it.  You are right Umar should have questioned the Prophet.  If he didn't why do we expect a pilgrim to question it.  It is good enough for him if the Prophet has done it.  It is not as dangerous as believing hadith can abrogate  Quran

All the rites of Hajj are so symbolic if one is conscious of why they are doing what they are doing.

I am glad you appreciate Shariati's writings too.  Hajj book spoke to my soul directly!

Peace

[islamist]

You are right Umar should have questioned the Prophet.  If he didn't why do we expect a pilgrim to question it.  It is good enough for him if the Prophet has done it.

You understood my point differently! 

What I meant was this.  The hadees (in which second khalifa Umar is reported to have said he was kissing the stone because he  had seen prophet doing so) can not be true because if Khalifa Umar had actually seen prophet kissing the stone, he would have verified the reason for doing so from the prophet himself or those around him at the same time! 

[HOPE]

Peace Islamist,

I stand corrected.  Actually the addressee of my statement were those who claim the stone-kissers as idol-worshippers.  As you said we do not even know if khalifa Umar had actually witnessed the action.

[Peaceful]

You understood my point differently! 

What I meant was this.  The hadees (in which second khalifa Umar is reported to have said he was kissing the stone because he  had seen prophet doing so) can not be true because if Khalifa Umar had actually seen prophet kissing the stone, he would have verified the reason for doing so from the prophet himself or those around him at the same time! 

It would be safe to assume that any Hadith attributed to the Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman or Ali were, in the majority of cases, concocted to establish religious laws.

Umar is the best example. Is it not ironic that only Umar pointed out the mysterious Stoning(rajm) law? Did everyone else just so happen to forget?

Also, this Black Stone. Maybe a later witness to the Hajj wanted a reason for Stone Veneration and falsely attributed it to Umar, because his word held authority in that era. Salam

[Joseph Islam]

Peace to you all.

Great points raised on this thread. For my humble perspectives on this, please see link below.

KISSING THE BLACK STONE - VENERATION OR AN IDOLATROUS PRACTICE?
http://quransmessage.com/articles/black%20stone%20FM3.htm

Regards,
Joseph.

[islamist]

Salaaam!  You have concluded the article very nicely as "Practices that are not sanctioned by the Quran but are legitimised as having a religious connotation must be seriously questioned in light of God's scripture. Kissing the Black Stone or showing any form of veneration to it is no different"

[miracle114]

Salaam Walaikum
Allah says he will fuel he’ll with men and stones.
All praise and worship is for God alone.
The symbols of Allah have been highlighted. The black stone is not one of them. Of the mentioned symbols are Sai, the Ka’aba and the sacrificial animals.

That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols [i.e., rites] of Allāh - indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.

Al-Hajj, Ayah 32

Aggression is discouraged by Allah.

O you who have believed, do not violate the rites of Allāh or [the sanctity of] the sacred month or [neglect the marking of] the sacrificial animals and garlanding [them] or [violate the safety of] those coming to the Sacred House seeking bounty from their Lord and [His] approval. But when you come out of iḥrām, then [you may] hunt. And do not let the hatred of a people for having obstructed you from al-Masjid al-Ḥarām lead you to transgress. And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allāh; indeed, Allāh is severe in penalty.

To call the black stone the hand of Allah without authority from Allah is attributing a lie to Allah. Allah is Most Merciful but also severe in punishment and retribution but Forgiving of Mistakes.

Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you’ll.

Al-Ma'idah, Ayah 2