A Crowd Of Pilgrims Preventing Our Touching It That
Time, We Raised Our Hands To Our Ears, In The First
Position of prayer,
and then lowering them, exclaimed, “O Allah (I do this), in Thy Belief,
and in verification of
Thy Book, and in Pursuance of Thy Prophet’s
Example—may Allah bless Him and preserve! O Allah, I extend my Hand to
Thee, and great is my Desire to Thee! O accept Thou my Supplication,
and diminish my Obstacles, and pity my Humiliation, and graciously
grant me Thy Pardon!” After which, as we were still unable to reach the
stone, we raised our hands to our ears, the palms facing the stone, as
if touching it, recited the various religious formulae, the Takbir, the
Tahlil, and the Hamdilah, blessed the Prophet, and kissed the
finger-tips of the right hand. The Prophet used to weep when he touched
the Black Stone, and said that it was the place for the pouring forth
of tears. According to most authors, the
[p.165] second Caliph also used to kiss it. For this reason most
Moslems, except the Shafe’i school, must touch the stone with both hands
and apply their lips to it, or touch it with the fingers, which should
be kissed, or rub the palms upon it, and afterwards draw them down the
face. Under circumstances of difficulty, it is sufficient to stand
before the stone, but the Prophet’s Sunnat, or practice, was to touch it.
Lucian mentions adoration of the sun by kissing the hand.
Then commenced the ceremony of Tawaf,[FN#6] or circumambulation, our
route being the Mataf—the low oval of polished granite immediately
surrounding the Ka’abah. I
[p.166] repeated, after my Mutawwif, or cicerone,[FN#7] “In the Name of
Allah, and Allah is omnipotent! I purpose to circuit seven circuits
unto Almighty Allah, glorified and exalted!” This is technically called
the Niyat (intention) of Tawaf. Then we began the prayer, “O Allah (I do
this), in Thy Belief, and in Verification of Thy Book, and in
Faithfulness to Thy Covenant, and in Perseverance of the Example of the
Apostle Mohammed—may Allah bless Him and preserve!” till we reached the
place Al-Multazem, between the corner of the Black Stone and the Ka’abah
door. Here we ejaculated, “O Allah, Thou hast Rights, so pardon my
transgressing them.” Opposite the door we repeated, “O Allah, verily the
House is Thy House, and the Sanctuary Thy Sanctuary, and the Safeguard
Thy Safeguard, and this is the Place of him who flies to Thee from
(hell) Fire!” At the little building called Makam Ibrahim we said, “O
Allah, verily this is the Place of Abraham, who took Refuge with and
fled to Thee from the Fire!—O deny my Flesh and Blood, my Skin and Bones
to the (eternal) Flames!” As we paced slowly round the north or Irak
corner of the Ka’abah we exclaimed, “O Allah, verily I take Refuge with
Thee from Polytheism, and Disobedience, and Hypocrisy, and evil
Conversation, and evil Thoughts concerning Family, and Property, and
Progeny!” When fronting the Mizab, or spout, we repeated the words, “O
Allah, verily I beg of Thee Faith which shall not decline, and a
Certainty which shall not perish, and the good Aid of Thy Prophet
Mohammed—may Allah bless Him and preserve!
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