The Ruling on Touching the Black Stone, Kissing It, and Touching the Yemeni Corner

A brother asks and says: If I do not touch the Ka'bah or the Black Stone or the Yemeni Corner, or if I do not drink from Zamzam, will my Hajj be affected?
Answer: No, he owes nothing in this matter. Allah has prescribed for us during the tawaf to touch the Black Stone with the right hand and kiss it if that is facilitated; this is the best, because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did so So this is the sunnah (recommended practice). Likewise, the Yemeni Corner: if it is facilitated for him to touch it, he touches it with his right hand and says: . As for the rest of the parts of the Ka'bah, it is not recommended to touch them, kiss them, or do anything else with them. One simply performs tawaf around the Ka'bah and around the Stone from behind the Stone until he completes the seven circuits. Whenever he passes the Black Stone, he kisses it and touches it if it is facilitated without crowding or hardship. Whenever he passes the Yemeni Corner, likewise, he touches it without kissing it. The Yemeni Corner is not kissed, but it is touched with the hand and one says: "In the name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest." The Black Stone: when he reaches it, he touches it with his hand and kisses it. If it is not facilitated for him to touch it with his hand and kiss it, or with a stick he has with him and kiss it, then if that is not facilitated, he points from a distance and says takbir (Allahu Akbar), and that suffices him. He does not crowd the people or harm the people, neither at this nor at that. Rather, he walks in his tawaf until he completes it. If it is facilitated for him without crowding or hardship, he touches the Black Stone and kisses it, and touches the Yemeni Corner and does not kiss it, following the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and proceeding according to his methodology (peace and blessings be upon him). If that becomes difficult due to the large number of people, he points to the Black Stone while he is walking in his tawaf.
As for the Yemeni Corner, it is not reported that one points to it; rather, one passes by it and that suffices. And one says between the two corners: , at the end of every circuit, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did. The rest of the Ka'bah is not touched during tawaf, neither the Sham Corner nor the others—the Iraqi Corner—none of them, nor the wall of the Stone. It is not prescribed to touch them. If he touches them, it does not harm him. If he touches them with his hand while walking, it does not harm him. But it is not prescribed that he touch this to draw near and in obedience. What is prescribed is touching the Black Stone and kissing it, or touching the Yemeni Corner. This is what is prescribed. As for the rest of the parts of the Ka'bah, it is not prescribed for him to kiss them, touch them, or touch the known wall of the Stone or anything else. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered the Ka'bah, in its middle, he went around its sides and supplicated and said takbir, and he placed his hands on its wall from the inside and supplicated to his Lord (peace and blessings be upon him). He placed his hands and his chest on it and supplicated to his Lord. As for from the outside, it is not established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he did that. It is narrated from him that he stood at the Multazam and supplicated and pressed his chest and his hands against the wall, but it is not authentic. It has not been established through a sound path. Rather, one stands at the Multazam if it is facilitated and supplicates between the corner and the door. Some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them and grant them satisfaction) did that. The matter is broad in that regard. Between the corner and the door, after the first tawaf or otherwise, one supplicates and asks his Lord from His bounty, (Glorified and Exalted is He). There is no harm in that. He places his hands and his forearms and his cheek on the wall of the Ka'bah between the corner and the door and supplicates to his Lord. If he leaves that, there is no harm, because there is no established sunnah (recommended practice) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in that. Rather, it came from the action of some of the Companions, and a marfu' (report traced to the Prophet) hadith was narrated in it, but there is weakness in its chain. So the matter is broad in that, if Allah wills. As for the rest of the wall of the Ka'bah, it is not recommended for the one performing tawaf to touch it or press his chest against it or against the covering. All of this is not prescribed. Yes.
The presenter: So the severe crowding that Your Eminence describes is considered not prescribed, and that is for the sake of kissing the Black Stone or touching it?
The Shaykh: It means an excuse. It becomes an excuse for leaving the sunnah (recommended practice), especially for women. Women are more at risk, so they do not crowd, neither at the Yemeni Corner nor at the Black Stone. Rather, they should be at the edges of the tawaf area so that they do not crowd the people. Because they are a fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and an 'awrah (the part of the body that must be covered), the matter is stricter regarding them. So they do not crowd the men, neither at the Yemeni Corner nor at the Black Stone nor elsewhere. Rather, they should be at the edges of the tawaf area. That is safer for them and safer for the people. And crowding is an excuse for everyone. One does not crowd in a way that is difficult for him and for the people. Rather, he walks with the people calmly and does not harm anyone, neither men nor women. Every one of the pilgrims strives for that ....... He strives very hard that he does not harm any of the people, neither in the tawaf nor in the sa'y (walking between al-Safa and al-Marwah), neither at the Black Stone nor at the Yemeni Corner. He strives very hard that he does not harm anyone. Even if he does not kiss the Stone, and even if he does not touch the Yemeni Corner, that suffices him, and praise be to Allah. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.