Istilam of the Black Stone (touching, kissing, or pointing to al-Hajar al-Aswad)
Istilam al-Hajar al-Aswad
Overview
Istilam is greeting the Black Stone — kissing it, touching it, or (when crowded) simply pointing to it with a takbir — at the start of each of the seven circuits of tawaf. It is a sunnah, never a reason to harm oneself or others in the crush.
Du'a
At each istilam of the Black Stone
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allahu akbar
Allah is the greatest.
Said each time you touch, kiss, or point to the Black Stone — at the start of every circuit. (Some also add 'Bismillah'.)
Source · Sahih al-Bukhari 1613, 1607
Grade · Sahih (Sahih al-Bukhari).
Qur'an
No specific ayah commands istilam of the Black Stone. The general Qur'anic command to circumambulate the House is Surah al-Hajj —'وَلْيَطَّوَّفُوا بِالْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ'('and let them perform tawaf around the Ancient House').
'وَلْيَطَّوَّفُوا بِالْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ'Reference · Qur'an 22:29
Hadith
Kissing, and that it is following the Prophet (ﷺ) rather than venerating the stone: narrated Abis ibn Rabi'ah (RH) that Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) kissed the Black Stone and said, 'I know that you are a stone that can neither benefit nor harm; had I not seen the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) kissing you, I would not have kissed you.' Touching with the hand then kissing the hand (when the stone can be reached but not kissed): narrated by Nafi' (RH) that Ibn Umar (RA) used to touch the Stone with his hand and then kiss his hand, saying he never abandoned it since he saw the Prophet (ﷺ) do so. Pointing with the hand or a staff and saying takbir (when unable to reach it, e.g. riding or in a crowd): 1607 — narrated Ibn Abbas (RA) that in his Hajj the Prophet (ﷺ) performed tawaf on a camel, and whenever he reached the Black Stone corner he would point toward it with something in his hand a crooked staff (mihjan) and pronounce the takbir.
References · Sahih al-Bukhari 1597 · Sahih Muslim 1270 · Sahih Muslim 1268b · Sahih al-Bukhari 1613
Grade · Sahih al-Bukhari 1597: Sahih — muttafaq 'alayh ('Umar (RA)), Sahih Muslim 1270: Sahih — muttafaq 'alayh ('Umar (RA)), Sahih Muslim 1268b: Sahih (Sahih Muslim; touching with the hand and kissing it, Ibn 'Umar (RA)), Sahih al-Bukhari 1613: Sahih (al-Bukhari; Ibn 'Abbas (RA) pointing with the mihjan)
Applies to
All Hajj types (tamattu, qiran, ifrad) and every tawaf (arrival, ifadah, umrah, farewell, and voluntary). No count difference between Hajj types — one istilam at the start of each circuit.
If missed
No penalty. Omitting the istilam does not affect the validity of the tawaf or the Hajj — only the reward of the sunnah is missed. (The tawaf must still begin from the Black Stone line regardless of whether one touches or points to it.)
Timing & place
At the start of each of the seven circuits of any tawaf (and, per some, also on completing the seventh circuit). Not bound to a particular day or hour.
The Black Stone corner (Rukn al-Aswad) of the Ka'bah in Masjid al-Haram — the starting line of every circuit. In recent years that line is marked from above rather than on the floor: the marble strip that used to run across the mataf from the corner was taken up because pilgrims slowed down and looked at their feet as they reached it, and the corner is now indicated by a green light set high on the mosque wall in line with the Black Stone, with gilded lantern emblems added to the Kiswah above the Stone in 2016 as a second marker. Line yourself up with the green light, start the circuit there and end it there. The light is a crowd-management aid, not part of the rite — a circuit begun level with the Stone is valid whether or not you can see the marker.
Common mistakes
- •Pushing, shoving and harming others to kiss the Stone (touching is dropped in favour of pointing when it cannot be done calmly)
- •Believing the kiss is obligatory or that tawaf is invalid without it
- •Seeking blessing (barakah) from the Stone itself instead of intending glorification of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and following the Prophet (ﷺ)
- •Touching or pointing with the left hand (the right hand is used)
- •Kissing the pointing hand when only pointing from a distance (the hand is kissed only when it has actually touched the Stone)
- •Treating the Yemeni Corner like the Black Stone — the Yemeni Corner (Rukn al-Yamani) is only touched with the right hand (no kissing) and is not pointed at if it cannot be reached
- •Saying nothing at the istilam — the sunnah is to say 'Allahu akbar' (or 'Bismillah, Allahu akbar')
Across the madhabs
No four-madhab divergence on classification: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali all classify istilam of the Black Stone (touching, kissing, or pointing) as a sunnah of tawaf. Omitted here because the schools agree.
Notes
Istilam literally means to greet or touch. Only two of the four corners are dealt with: the Black Stone (touch + kiss + point) and the Yemeni Corner (touch only, no kissing, no pointing). The two Shami and Iraqi corners are not touched. Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone the sunnah supplication is'رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ'(Surah al-Baqarah 2:201). Kissing the Black Stone is an act of following the Prophet (ﷺ) (ittiba'), not attributing benefit or harm to the Stone, as Umar's (RA) statement makes explicit.