The Black Stone | November 23, 2004

The most sacred object in the Ka'Ba is a black stone embedded in the southeastern corner of the building, about five feet above the pavement. It is referred to as the "cornerstone" or "foundation" of the house and as "the right hand of God on earth." The black stone is pre-Islamic, and while its origin is unknown, myths affirm that it fell from heaven. Muslims kiss or touch it on occasion, as, for example, in the performance of the pilgrimage (Hajj), but they insist that it is not an idol and that prayers are addressed to Allah, not to the black stone. In 930 A.D. Qarmartians stole the stone, and some twenty years passed before they returned it.