Knowra Black Stone Black Stone The Black Stone is a dark stone set into the eastern corner of the Kaaba in Mecca. Muslim pilgrims traditionally touch or kiss it during circumambulation, though the rite is not worship of the stone.
Tawaf : The ritual circumambulation of the Kaaba performed during Hajj and Umrah. Pilgrims begin and end each circuit near the Black Stone, greeting it when possible.
Islamic pilgrimage : Religious journeys to sacred places undertaken as acts of devotion in Islam. The Black Stone’s significance is expressed within pilgrimage practice.
Islamic tradition : The body of beliefs, practices, and transmitted accounts that developed within Islam. The stone’s origins and ritual status are known primarily through Islamic accounts.
Qarmatian sack of Mecca : The 930 attack on Mecca by the Qarmatians, during which they removed the Black Stone. The stone’s removal and later return mark the most consequential disruption of its custody.
Istilam : The ritual greeting of the Black Stone by touching, kissing, or gesturing toward it. This rite specifies how pilgrims honor the stone when approaching it.
Islamic monotheism : The Islamic doctrine that God is one and has no partners. It distinguishes reverence for the stone from worship, which is directed to God alone.
Adam in Islam : The first human and a prophet in Islamic tradition, created by God. Some traditional accounts connect the stone’s heavenly origin with Adam.
Qarmatians : A radical Isma'ili movement that established a state in eastern Arabia and attacked Mecca in 930. They took the Black Stone from Mecca and held it for roughly two decades.
Hajj : The annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, required once for Muslims who are able to undertake it. The Black Stone is encountered during the Kaaba circumambulation of this pilgrimage.
Sunnah : The normative example of Muhammad preserved through accounts of his words, actions, and approvals. Reports that Muhammad kissed or touched the stone inform the ritual practice.
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