‘Umar. He said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) faced the Stone, then placed his lips upon it and wept for a long time. Then he turned and suddenly found ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, weeping. He said: "O ‘Umar, it is here that tears are poured forth." The statement of al-Khiraqi: "If it is in its place," means if the Stone is in its position and has not been taken away, as the Qarmatians (9) once took it away when they overcame Makkah. If that happens—and we seek refuge in Allah—he stands opposite its location and touches the corner. If the Stone is present in its location, he touches and kisses it. If he cannot touch and kiss it, he stands level with it—meaning alongside it—faces it, and proclaims the greatness and oneness of Allah (Takbir and Tahlil). The same applies if he is riding. It has been reported by al-Bukhari (10), from Ibn ‘Abbas, who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) circumambulated on a camel, and every time he came to the Stone, he gestured toward it with something in his hand and said Takbir. It was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he said to ‘Umar: "You are a strong man; do not harm the weak when you circumambulate the House. If you see a clearing by the Stone, draw near to it; otherwise, say Takbir and move on" (11). If he is able to touch the Stone with something in his hand, such as a staff or the like, he should do so, for Ibn ‘Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) circumambulated during the Farewell Pilgrimage and touched the corner with a mihjan (staff) (12). This is all
(9) The Qarmatians: A sect of the Shi'a. Their leader, Abu Tahir al-Janabi, led them to the Haram in the year 317 AH on the Day of Tarwiyah. He slaughtered the pilgrims in a terrible massacre and took the Black Stone to the center of his rule, Hajar. The Muslims recovered it after twenty-two years. Al-Kamil 8/207; Siyar A'lam al-Nubala 15/320. (10) In: Chapter on He Who Gestures Toward the Corner..., Chapter on Takbir at the Corner, and Chapter on the Sick Person Who Circumambulates While Riding, from the Book of Hajj; and in: Chapter on Gesturing in Tawaf..., from the Book of Divorce. Sahih al-Bukhari 2/186, 190, 7/66. It was also reported by al-Tirmidhi, in: Chapter on What Was Said Regarding Tawaf While Riding, from the Chapters of Hajj. ‘Aridat al-Ahwadhi 4/41; al-Nasa’i, in: Chapter on Touching the Corner with a Staff, from the Book of Manasik. Al-Mujtaba 5/185, 186; al-Darimi, in: Chapter on Tawaf While Riding a Mount, from the Book of Manasik. Sunan al-Darimi 2/43; and Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 1/264. (11) Reported by al-Bayhaqi, in: Chapter on Touching in Crowds, from the Book of Hajj. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 5/80; Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 1/28; and ‘Abd al-Razzaq, in: Chapter on Crowding at the Corner, from the Book of Hajj. Al-Musannaf 5/36. See: Nasb al-Rayah 3/39. (12) The mihjan: A staff with a curved head. The hadith was reported by al-Bukhari, in: Chapter on Touching the Corner with a Staff, from the Book of Hajj. Sahih al-Bukhari 2/185; and Muslim, in: Chapter on the Permissibility of Tawaf on a Camel..., from the Book of Hajj.
