The black line to mark the beginning of the tawaf

The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, I read in some newspapers that one of the Shaykhs said that the beginning of the tawaf and the placement of a black line is an error,

The Shaykh:
Yes.

The questioner:
She read in the newspapers that one of the Shaykhs said that the beginning of the tawaf and the placement of a black line to mark the beginning is an error because it causes congestion and harm. Is this correct?

The Shaykh:
Yes, this has a point of view. This line is an innovation; it did not exist before. I wish it had not been innovated or placed, because it caused confusion among the people. They would stand on the line and pray, blocking the path, or those performing tawaf would stop when they reached it and block the path. So this line caused harm. Perhaps Allah will hasten its removal, because the study of it is currently underway and it will be removed, if Allah wills. Yes.