What is the ruling on crowding at the Black Stone and the Maqam Ibrahim?
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Question:
Is there any advice for those who crowd around the Black Stone and the Maqam Ibrahim?
Answer:
Crowding. If it leads to harming people, or to touching or crowding women, which is a source of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), then this is haram (forbidden). Being close to the House and touching the Black Stone is a sunnah (recommended practice), so one should not commit a forbidden act in order to obtain a recommended practice. Therefore, do not crowd, for one who crowds is sinful. Yes, one should perform tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka'bah), even if it is at the end of the tawaf, and avoid the crowding. Touching the Black Stone is not obligatory (wajib). If one is unable to touch it without crowding, he should point to it, and that is sufficient, and praise be to Allah. Our religion is ease; it is not a religion of hardship and difficulty.
Is there any advice for those who crowd around the Black Stone and the Maqam Ibrahim?
Answer:
Crowding. If it leads to harming people, or to touching or crowding women, which is a source of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), then this is haram (forbidden). Being close to the House and touching the Black Stone is a sunnah (recommended practice), so one should not commit a forbidden act in order to obtain a recommended practice. Therefore, do not crowd, for one who crowds is sinful. Yes, one should perform tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka'bah), even if it is at the end of the tawaf, and avoid the crowding. Touching the Black Stone is not obligatory (wajib). If one is unable to touch it without crowding, he should point to it, and that is sufficient, and praise be to Allah. Our religion is ease; it is not a religion of hardship and difficulty.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما حكم الزحام عند الحجر وعند الملتزم؟ للشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.