Upon reaching the Yemeni corner during Tawaf – 1
Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the Fire
Abu Dawud
The Yemeni Corner of the Ka’bah
Question
My question concerns Saint Kabaa. I went to Umrah two years ago and, fortunately, I formed tawaf very close to the walls of Kabaa. To my astonishment, I saw that the Yemeni part of Kabba had a strange stone as an object bearing marks. I want to know what is this object, what is its name, and we have the right to kiss it, the same way we kiss the black stone.
Answer
Praise be to Allaah.
In the book al-Taareekh al-Qadeem Makkah wa Bayt-Allaah al-Kareem (The Ancient History of Mecca and the Noble House of Allah) of Muhammad Taahir al-Kurdi al-Makki (vol 3, p. 256), it is said that the stone in the Yemenite corner (al-Rukn al-Yamaani) dates back to the time when ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah please him) rebuilt the Ka’ba, and remained until our time, and all those who rebuilt the Ka’ba have kept this stone as it was. He says that in 1040, at the time of Sultan Murad IV, who rebuilt the Ka’ba, the edge of the stone of this corner was broken and molten lead was poured in its place. the stone had been assembled, using glue and nails, at the time of the Fatimids. Perhaps what you have seen is the lead or the marks of these nails, with color changes due to the scent or touch of the hands of people who make Tawaaf. What is prescribed is to touch this corner, without kissing it or saying it, Allahu Akbar. If you can not touch it, you should not indicate it, because it has not been reported by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) touched the Yemeni corner, but he did not say Allahu Akbar. So, on this basis, it is not the Sunnah to say Allah Allah when touched.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti ‘, 7/283.
Sheikh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: (The pilgrim) touches the Yemeni corner with his hand in each (Tawaaf) circuit, but he should not kiss it.
If he can not touch it, he should not point it out. Manaasik al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah, p. 22
The hadeeth narrated by al-Haakim of Ibn ‘Umar indicates that when the Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), he surrounded the Ka’ba (Tawaaf) and touched the Black. Stone and the Yemeni Corner in each circuit. Sahih al-Jaami ‘, no. 4751.
Regarding the virtue of touching the Yemeni corner, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Touching the black stone and the Yemenite corner indeed erases sins.” (Reported by Ahmad Ibn ‘Umar classified as sahee by al-Albaani in Sahih al-Jaami ‘, No. 2194).
And Allah knows better.
