15/41. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1270c — The Stone Cannot Harm or Benefit
It is recommended to kiss the black stone during circumambulation (Tawaf)
Black Stone Hadith: Worship Allah, Follow the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
Sahih Muslim : 1270c
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1270c
حَدَّثَنَا خَلَفُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، وَالْمُقَدَّمِيُّ، وَأَبُو كَامِلٍ وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ كُلُّهُمْ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ، - قَالَ خَلَفٌ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، - عَنْ عَاصِمٍ الأَحْوَلِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَرْجِسَ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ الأَصْلَعَ - يَعْنِي عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ - يُقَبِّلُ الْحَجَرَ وَيَقُولُ وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأُقَبِّلُكَ وَإِنِّي أَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ حَجَرٌ وَأَنَّكَ لاَ تَضُرُّ وَلاَ تَنْفَعُ وَلَوْلاَ أَنِّي رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَبَّلَكَ مَا قَبَّلْتُكَ . وَفِي رِوَايَةِ الْمُقَدَّمِيِّ وَأَبِي كَامِلٍ رَأَيْتُ الأُصَيْلِعَ .
'Abdullah bin Sarjis Narrated from:
I saw the bald one, i. e. 'Umar b. Khattib (Allah be pleased with him). kissing the Stone and saying: By Allah. I am kissing with full consciousness of the fact that you are a stone and that you can neither do any harm nor good; and if I had not seen Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) kissing you. I would not have kissed you. The rest of the hadith is the same.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1270cIn-book reference : Book 15, Hadith 275USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 7, Hadith 2914
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1270c
This Black Stone hadith is very direct. Abdullah b. Sarjis saw Umar kissing the Stone while saying that he knew it was a stone and that it could neither harm nor benefit. Umar then explained the reason for his action: if he had not seen Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم kiss it, he would not have kissed it. The teaching is clear and balanced. The action is part of following the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, while the belief stays pure: harm and benefit are not sought from the stone. For anyone searching for Hajar Aswad hadith or kissing Black Stone Sunnah, this narration gives a strong lesson in obedience without confusing the object with the Lord who is worshipped.
What we learn from this hadith
- Umar openly rejected the idea that the Stone itself harms or benefits.
- His kiss was based on the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم action, not on the Stone’s power.
- Following the Sunnah does not mean attaching divine qualities to created things.
- Clear belief should remain present even during sacred rites.
