Response to Some Doubts of the Orientalists
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
The Orientalists claim that Islam retained some elements of polytheism, such as kissing the Black Stone. How do you respond to them?
Answer:
This is not polytheism; this is a matter that Allah has established for us for a profound wisdom, and we do not imitate the pre-Islamic age of ignorance in this, nor do we worship in the manner of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. Allah directs His command to His servants as He wills , so when He commands them with something, it becomes an independent legislation with no connection to the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. Indeed, among the matters of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance were good matters that Islam approved, and among the matters of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance was the blood money of one hundred camels, which Islam approved, and among the matters of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance was the oath of accusation, which Islam approved, as well as kissing and touching the stone. This involves exalting Allah and seeking His pleasure, and it is not seeking blessing from the stone or seeking from the stone, but rather it is obedience to Allah in touching the stone and the Yemeni Corner.
And Allah has tested His servants with this: do they obey or do they disobey? When Allah commands them with something, do they comply? Touching the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner is something Allah approved among them as a trial and test: do they hear and obey? Do they comply with what Allah has legislated for them or not? Therefore, when 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) kissed the Black Stone, he said: "I know that you are a stone that neither harms nor benefits, and were it not that I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kiss you, I would not have kissed you."
Just as honoring the guest was a matter of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, and honoring the guest remained in Islam. All of this and other noble morals that Allah loves and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged, and all the good traits from the matters of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, remained in Islam and were approved by Islam.
The Orientalists claim that Islam retained some elements of polytheism, such as kissing the Black Stone. How do you respond to them?
Answer:
This is not polytheism; this is a matter that Allah has established for us for a profound wisdom, and we do not imitate the pre-Islamic age of ignorance in this, nor do we worship in the manner of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. Allah directs His command to His servants as He wills , so when He commands them with something, it becomes an independent legislation with no connection to the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. Indeed, among the matters of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance were good matters that Islam approved, and among the matters of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance was the blood money of one hundred camels, which Islam approved, and among the matters of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance was the oath of accusation, which Islam approved, as well as kissing and touching the stone. This involves exalting Allah and seeking His pleasure, and it is not seeking blessing from the stone or seeking from the stone, but rather it is obedience to Allah in touching the stone and the Yemeni Corner.
And Allah has tested His servants with this: do they obey or do they disobey? When Allah commands them with something, do they comply? Touching the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner is something Allah approved among them as a trial and test: do they hear and obey? Do they comply with what Allah has legislated for them or not? Therefore, when 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) kissed the Black Stone, he said: "I know that you are a stone that neither harms nor benefits, and were it not that I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kiss you, I would not have kissed you."
Just as honoring the guest was a matter of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, and honoring the guest remained in Islam. All of this and other noble morals that Allah loves and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged, and all the good traits from the matters of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, remained in Islam and were approved by Islam.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.