What is your opinion regarding what many of the circumambulators do when they stand on the line opposite the Black Stone for the purpose of saying the takbir?
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The questioner : The question says:The questioner : It says: What is your opinion regarding what many of the circumambulators do when they stand on the line opposite the Black Stone for the purpose of saying the takbir, believing that it is necessary to say the takbir on the line and that it is not permissible to pass it until after the takbir, which becomes a cause of crowding and annoyance to the circumambulators?
The Shaykh : I say: This line placed opposite the Black Stone is a blessing from Allah (Mighty and Majestic) upon all pilgrims and those performing the lesser pilgrimage, because a person cannot be certain of being opposite the Black Stone without this line. How often we used to stand wondering if we were opposite the Black Stone, if we had moved forward, or if we had lagged behind? But when this line came, we became certain that we began the circumambulation from where it begins and ended it where it ends.
As for the issue of standing, we circumambulated in times of ease and in times of tightness, and we did not find what some people say. And although Hajj is truly like the sea with its waves, we did not encounter anyone [standing]. Some of the common people from outside the country may perhaps stand. But even so, if the crowding is severe, they cannot manage to stand for long, because the people push them. In the past, people used to stand in a wider area than this area, because each one of them thought he was opposite the Black Stone, so he would stand and greet the Black Stone. But now, the standing place is restricted to this line, so I see that it is a blessing from Allah, and one of the good deeds of the government, may Allah guide it (Mighty and Majestic). In the past, there were two lines, one to the right of the Black Stone and the other to its left. They intended for a person to be cautious at the beginning of the circumambulation by starting from the left line, and to be cautious at its end by reaching the right line. But a problem arose, because with these two lines, the Black Stone is what? Between them, so the problem occurs. You find some people starting from the second, right line, so the first lap is deficient. And some people end the last lap at the left line, so the last lap is deficient. Then it was decided that the two lines should be removed and made into one line. And if you want to know the necessity of people for this line, look at its end from the side of the gate of al-Safa, where the one standing at its end from the side of the gate of al-Safa says: Glory be to Allah, this is opposite the Black Stone! Because he thinks that being opposite the Black Stone is before this by meters. And if he thinks this and stands in the last lap before reaching the end, the last lap is not valid, and he returns without a valid circumambulation. So the important thing is that this—praise be to Allah—has very good effects and is a preservation of the circumambulation without parallel. And if people stand for three seconds, they cannot stand for long with the crowding of people upon them. And I say that, showing you this: I have not seen this thing, meaning: that many of them greet, meaning: they point with their hand while walking, and the one who stands stands for seconds, not even one minute. Yes.
The Shaykh : I say: This line placed opposite the Black Stone is a blessing from Allah (Mighty and Majestic) upon all pilgrims and those performing the lesser pilgrimage, because a person cannot be certain of being opposite the Black Stone without this line. How often we used to stand wondering if we were opposite the Black Stone, if we had moved forward, or if we had lagged behind? But when this line came, we became certain that we began the circumambulation from where it begins and ended it where it ends.
As for the issue of standing, we circumambulated in times of ease and in times of tightness, and we did not find what some people say. And although Hajj is truly like the sea with its waves, we did not encounter anyone [standing]. Some of the common people from outside the country may perhaps stand. But even so, if the crowding is severe, they cannot manage to stand for long, because the people push them. In the past, people used to stand in a wider area than this area, because each one of them thought he was opposite the Black Stone, so he would stand and greet the Black Stone. But now, the standing place is restricted to this line, so I see that it is a blessing from Allah, and one of the good deeds of the government, may Allah guide it (Mighty and Majestic). In the past, there were two lines, one to the right of the Black Stone and the other to its left. They intended for a person to be cautious at the beginning of the circumambulation by starting from the left line, and to be cautious at its end by reaching the right line. But a problem arose, because with these two lines, the Black Stone is what? Between them, so the problem occurs. You find some people starting from the second, right line, so the first lap is deficient. And some people end the last lap at the left line, so the last lap is deficient. Then it was decided that the two lines should be removed and made into one line. And if you want to know the necessity of people for this line, look at its end from the side of the gate of al-Safa, where the one standing at its end from the side of the gate of al-Safa says: Glory be to Allah, this is opposite the Black Stone! Because he thinks that being opposite the Black Stone is before this by meters. And if he thinks this and stands in the last lap before reaching the end, the last lap is not valid, and he returns without a valid circumambulation. So the important thing is that this—praise be to Allah—has very good effects and is a preservation of the circumambulation without parallel. And if people stand for three seconds, they cannot stand for long with the crowding of people upon them. And I say that, showing you this: I have not seen this thing, meaning: that many of them greet, meaning: they point with their hand while walking, and the one who stands stands for seconds, not even one minute. Yes.