Al-Ḥajaru al-Aswad, also known as the "Black Stone" or Kaaba Stone, is a revered Muslim relic that, by Islamic history, dates back to the period of Adam and Eve. It is the eastern cornerstone of the Grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, home to the Kaaba, an ancient house of prayer made of holy stone. The black stone has been worn smoothly by millions of pilgrims' hands and shattered into several pieces fixed into a silver frame on the side of the Kaaba.
This theory is currently being investigated, even though it has frequently been referred to as a meteorite. It is the eastern cornerstone of the Grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, home to the Kaaba, an ancient house of prayer made of holy stone.
The Stone stands 1.5 meters (5 feet) above the ground and has a diameter of around 30 cm (12 inches). Many pilgrims attempt, if they can, to pause and kiss the Black Stone, representing the kiss the stone received from the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as they round the Kaaba as part of the Tawaf ceremony of the Hajj. On each of their seven rounds around the Kaaba, they have to point to it if they are unable to reach it. Due to damage sustained during the Middle Ages, the stone has fragmented into several parts. A silver frame, secured to the Stone with silver nails, holds the pieces together.
Diverse viewpoints exist on the true nature of the Black Stone. Muslims claim that when looking for stones to build the Kaaba, Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (Ismail) discovered the Stone. They made it a cornerstone of the structure, realizing its value.
Secular historians argue that the Stone is probably a meteorite because of the history of stone worship in pre-Islamic Arabia, particularly the worship of meteorites. This theory can't be tested without taking the Stone off and inspecting it, something the Stone's guardians would not allow.
The Black Stone's kind and character have been the subject of much research by geologists worldwide, but their efforts have been hindered by cultural and religious prohibitions that have prevented anybody from drilling the stone for scientific purposes.
The Black Stone's nature has been hotly contested. It's been called a stony meteorite, an agate, a piece of natural glass, or basalt stone, to name a few.
This theory is currently being investigated, even though it has frequently been referred to as a meteorite. It is the eastern cornerstone of the Grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, home to the Kaaba, an ancient house of prayer made of holy stone.
The Stone stands 1.5 meters (5 feet) above the ground and has a diameter of around 30 cm (12 inches). Many pilgrims attempt, if they can, to pause and kiss the Black Stone, representing the kiss the stone received from the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as they round the Kaaba as part of the Tawaf ceremony of the Hajj. On each of their seven rounds around the Kaaba, they have to point to it if they are unable to reach it. Due to damage sustained during the Middle Ages, the stone has fragmented into several parts. A silver frame, secured to the Stone with silver nails, holds the pieces together.
Diverse viewpoints exist on the true nature of the Black Stone. Muslims claim that when looking for stones to build the Kaaba, Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (Ismail) discovered the Stone. They made it a cornerstone of the structure, realizing its value.
Secular historians argue that the Stone is probably a meteorite because of the history of stone worship in pre-Islamic Arabia, particularly the worship of meteorites. This theory can't be tested without taking the Stone off and inspecting it, something the Stone's guardians would not allow.
The Black Stone's kind and character have been the subject of much research by geologists worldwide, but their efforts have been hindered by cultural and religious prohibitions that have prevented anybody from drilling the stone for scientific purposes.
The Black Stone's nature has been hotly contested. It's been called a stony meteorite, an agate, a piece of natural glass, or basalt stone, to name a few.
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