Radio Islam and Agencies | 23 November 2016

The Committee for Islamic Affairs in Saudi Arabia’s Shoura council is currently studying a proposal presented by one of its members for allocating specific women-only timings for kissing the Black Stone ritual during Hajj and Umrah proceedings.

The proposal put forth by Modhi Aldeghaither includes setting three specific times during the day for a period of two hours each to allow women a chance to kiss the Black Stone during Tawaf of the Kaaba.

The proposal is expected to undergo a vote within the committee prior to further discussions among the Shoura Council, according to a report from early November in the Saudi daily newspaper Okaz.

Most pilgrims to Makkah cherish the opportunity to directly kiss the iconic black stone. However, the scramble for the holy relic, which is not smoothly co-ordinated, coupled with the huge numbers of pilgrims present at any given time, have made direct kissing an exercise many are willing to forfeit.

Instead, most pilgrims simply – as is acceptable – gesture towards the black stone and take benefit from the holistic spiritual experience of being in the environs of the Ka’bah.

The Hajr Aswad is the eastern cornerstone of the Kaaba.

The heavenly stone was said to be white but over the years turned black because of people’s sins.

Making Istilaam of it forms part of every round of Tawaaf of the Ka’bah.

Today, the Black Stone consists of a number of fragments held together by a silver frame, which is fastened by silver nails to the Kaaba. The smaller fragments have been cemented together to form the seven or eight fragments visible today. The Stone’s exposed face measures about 20 centimetres by 16 centimetres. Its original size is unclear and the recorded dimensions have changed considerably over time.