The black stone was a meteorite that was sent down by Allah Almighty to Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael, peace be upon both of them, to give the precise location of where the Kaaba was to be built by them. We believe that Prophets Abraham and Ishmael built the Kaaba. The black stone is placed in one of the corners of the Kaaba, and it serves as a starting and ending point for the Circumambulation (tawaaf) 7 times around the Kaaba, which is also 100% supported in the Bible’s previous Scriptures. All of Islam’s Rituals are 100% supported by the previous Scriptures. See history of Kaaba here.
But as the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him ) said
“Demolishing the Kaaba completely is much easier upon Allah Almighty than shedding the blood of a single Believing Muslim.”
So nothing is Holy about either the Kaaba or the Black Stone. They are not objects of worship. They are only part of Allah Almighty’s House of Worship.
Christians regularly to justify their idolatrous practices – such as prayers to Mary – by claiming that Muslims “worship” the Black Stone at the Kaaba in Makkah. The Black Stone – Hajar al- Aswad – is NOT mentioned in the Quran. The Black Stone is located about five feet from the ground on the East corner of the Kaaba (this corner is known as “al-rukn al-Aswad”).
While there are traditions about kissing or touching the Stone, its real significance is as marker of the point at which one starts the Tawaaf (circumambulation of the Kaaba as part of hajj or omra.) Even the traditions which talk about kissing or touching the stone are VERY CLEAR that the Stone is JUST A STONE!
Narrated ‘Abis bin Rabia: Umar came near the Black Stone and kissed it and said “NO DOUBT, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE A STONE AND CAN NEITHER BENEFIT ANYONE NOR HARM ANYONE. Had I not seen Allah’s Apostle kissing you I would not have kissed you.” BUKHARI: Volume 2, Book 26, Number 667:
Narrated Zaid bin Aslam from his father who said: “Umar bin Al-Khattab addressed the Corner (Black Stone) saying, ‘BY ALLAH! I KNOW THAT YOU ARE A STONE AND CAN NEITHER BENEFIT NOR HARM. Had I not seen the Prophet touching (and kissing) you, I would never have touched (and kissed) you.’ Then he kissed it and said, ‘There is no reason for us to do Ramal (in Tawaf) except that we wanted to show off before the pagans, and now Allah has destroyed them.’ ‘Umar added, ‘(Nevertheless), the Prophet did that and we do not want to leave it (i.e. Ramal).’”BUKHARI: Volume 2, Book 26, Number 675:
Abdullah b. Sarjis reported: I saw the bald one, i. e. ‘Umar b. Khattib (Allah be pleased with him). kissing the Stone and saying: BY ALLAH. I AM KISSING WITH FULL CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE FACT THAT YOU ARE A STONE AND THAT YOU CAN NEITHER DO ANY HARM NOR GOOD; and if I had not seen Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) kissing you. I would not have kissed you. The rest of the hadith is the same. MUSLIM: Book 007, Number 2914:
The Stone is not be worshipped or regarded as anything but a marker.
The Black Stone has had an interesting history during the Islamic period. In 930 AD a ruler of Bahrain – who belonged to a branch of Ismailism known as the Karmatians – sacked Makkah and carried the Black Stone away for some 70 years until it was ransomed.
In the process, the Black Stone was cracked. It is now held together by a silver band. The fact that Islam was able to function without the Black Stone for 70 years is one of the best illustrations that it is but a marker for Tawaaf – and NOT an object of worship.