Black Stone
The Black Stone (called Al-Hajarul Aswad in Arabic) is one of the most sacred holy relics in Islam. It is generally believed to be a fragment of a meteorite, roughly 50 cm in diameter. It is found in the Kaaba, a sacred site in the Islam. It is the cornerstone of one of the four corners of the religious construction, though it can be recognized instantly because it is surrounded by a silver band. The Stone is actually broken into several pieces, and the band holds them together. Silver nails are used to fasten the silver band to the Stone. The Stone is covered by the Black Cloth, or Kiswa.
The critical damage to the Stone occurred during the desecration of the Idols at the Kaaba by Muhammed and his followers (628 CE), when they were busy smashing the 360 idols of the pagan pantheon and calendar system that was worshipped and studied there. Since the Stone was originally installed by Muhammad, and this act led to his title 'The Wise', it was repaired and put in place as a reminder of Allah's vastness and mankind's smallness, as explained in the Hadith of Muslim.
Some Muslims believe that this stone fell from the sky during the time of Adam, and that it has the power to cleanse worshippers of their sins by absorbing them into itself. The Black Stone is believed to have originally been colored white, but it turned black because of the sins it has absorbed over the years.
As part of the Kaaba, the Black Stone resides in the city of Mecca. Some Muslims who have come to Mecca for the hajj try to kiss or caress the stone and Kaaba, or at least point to it, when they arrive during the pilgrimage. Islam dictates that pilgrims circle the Kaaba seven times.
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