Questions about the Black Stone?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. Does this imply that it was a white stone and then the name changed to the Black Stone?
The Shaykh : But when did it turn black, O Abd al-Rahman?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, but when? The sins of the children of Adam turned it black a long time ago.
The questioner : It is confusing to me that we call it the Black Stone when it was white?
The Shaykh : At that time, before it turned black, we would call it the White Stone. Now we call it the Black Stone. And the strange thing is that some ignorant people do not call it the Black Stone; they call it the Blessed Stone, and this is a mistake. The Companions called it the Black Stone. Are you more reverent toward it than the Companions? We say "Black," and there is no objection to that. In fact, if you compare it to the stones of the Ka'bah with which it was built, you will find it black. Yes, O Salim.
The questioner : May Allah forgive you, O Shaykh. If it had descended from Paradise, we would look into the meaning that it does not contradict the words of 'Umar, because it has sanctity in itself and does not benefit except by the permission of Allah?
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed, there is no doubt. But do we believe and hold that it descended from Paradise? That is the point of discussion. Yes.
The questioner : O Shaykh, the army that comes to demolish the Ka'bah, the army that comes to raid the Ka'bah, is it not the army that will emerge from the Levant to fight the Mahdi, who will be swallowed by the earth, leaving only one man from them?
The Shaykh : Allah knows best.
The questioner : Because he will emerge and pledge allegiance at the Ka'bah?
The Shaykh : The hadith is general, and with such general statements, a person cannot judge anything specific. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that there will be thirty liars in his Ummah, all of whom will claim to be prophets. We cannot say that it is so-and-so, or so-and-so, and so-and-so, and that they complete the number. It is best to leave such matters general.
The Shaykh : But when did it turn black, O Abd al-Rahman?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, but when? The sins of the children of Adam turned it black a long time ago.
The questioner : It is confusing to me that we call it the Black Stone when it was white?
The Shaykh : At that time, before it turned black, we would call it the White Stone. Now we call it the Black Stone. And the strange thing is that some ignorant people do not call it the Black Stone; they call it the Blessed Stone, and this is a mistake. The Companions called it the Black Stone. Are you more reverent toward it than the Companions? We say "Black," and there is no objection to that. In fact, if you compare it to the stones of the Ka'bah with which it was built, you will find it black. Yes, O Salim.
The questioner : May Allah forgive you, O Shaykh. If it had descended from Paradise, we would look into the meaning that it does not contradict the words of 'Umar, because it has sanctity in itself and does not benefit except by the permission of Allah?
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed, there is no doubt. But do we believe and hold that it descended from Paradise? That is the point of discussion. Yes.
The questioner : O Shaykh, the army that comes to demolish the Ka'bah, the army that comes to raid the Ka'bah, is it not the army that will emerge from the Levant to fight the Mahdi, who will be swallowed by the earth, leaving only one man from them?
The Shaykh : Allah knows best.
The questioner : Because he will emerge and pledge allegiance at the Ka'bah?
The Shaykh : The hadith is general, and with such general statements, a person cannot judge anything specific. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that there will be thirty liars in his Ummah, all of whom will claim to be prophets. We cannot say that it is so-and-so, or so-and-so, and so-and-so, and that they complete the number. It is best to leave such matters general.