Hazar al-Aswad, (the black holy stone) in Mecca is an important component of worship to all Muslims around the world. This stone is very familiar and a vital part of worship especially those who go for the pilgrims to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia.
Millions of people visit the Ka’ba of Mecca and touch this Hazar al-Aswad (Holy Black stone) at least once in their lifetime as a part of their religious obligation.
Once they go to Hajj, they surely touch and kiss this stone. In fact, every year people die on stamping as they push through the crowd to touch and kiss this Hazar al-Aswad. Muslims believe that the black stone takes away their sins when they kiss it. Some Muslim scholars called this stone is the hand of Allah. Consequently, it turned into idolatry, which led people into a great deception. Does Allah need a hand? What about legs?
Interestingly, Islamic Pundits never revealed the truth that the Qarmatian militant group once robbed this precious stone and took it to their possession. Nevertheless, not many Muslims are aware of this untold history. Islamic scholars kept silent on this issue for an obvious reason.
This happened in 930 CE when the Qarmatians militant group attacked Mecca and desecrated Islam’s most sacred site Ka’ba. Their leader Abu Tahir al- Jannabi theft the Black Stone and desecration of the Zamzam well with corpses during the Hajj season. This group not only plundered the Ka’ba but also emptied it relics by stripping it off its precious objects and decorations. Even its expensive doors were taken away along with the Black Stone was dislodged and carried off.
According to Islamic sources, the Qarmatians were a militant Ismaili Shi’a group who broke away from the Shite Islamic school. On this rebellious attack, the Qarmatians clearly declared war against Abbasid. They massacred (killed) 30,000 people in Mecca inside and out. With this, they threw some of the dead bodies into the Zamzam well, known as the holy well.
Qarmatan movement was one of the important and extensive movements against feudalism in the second half of the third century. It led to the formation of the Qarmatian government in eastern Arabia, Lahsa, and Bahrain. It was a major military and political base against Abbasid’s caliphates and a big blow to the community of Islam.
To make it clear, the Qarmatians were an extremist Muslim sect from the area of eastern Arabia, particularly the island of Bahrain. Many sources have cited them as a rather warlike group, during the 900s. The Qarmatians rejected the claim of Fatimid Caliph Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah to inmates and clung to their belief in the coming of Imam Mehdi, and they revolted against Fatimid and Abbasid Caliphates like no other.
The Islamic sources said that the Qarmatians took away the Black Stone from Mecca and broke into pieces, putting them in their toilets as an insult and mockery to the Abbasid. Most importantly, they held it as a ransom and forced the Abbasids to pay a huge amount for its return in 952. And guess what, the Abbasid indeed paid a big amount to get it back from their possession.
This history is completely unknown to the majority of Muslims or purposely veiled by Islamic scholars who do not have the courage to unveil the truth.
I wonder what would people do when they discover that the stone they want to kiss or touch was once used in the toilet!
It is important to know that, we can never find the almighty God in worshipping Black Stone or any object. He can live in our hearts if we want Him. If we seriously seek Him, we can find Him according to His promise. Surely, He does not live in Mecca or Medina or in an unknown far-distance place. He is in fact, near to us. He reveals Himself through His word (Kalamatullah), who came from heaven to earth, to pay the price for our sins, to die the death we should have died.
It is Isa Al-Mashee, who alone can take away our sins, not the Black Stone. Would you not turn away from the deception of the religious mindset to the living God who loves you? My prayer is that you will find a way to come to Him with complete submission. May Allah open the eyes of your heart and shower you with heavenly blessings.
Amen.
