The Beginning of the Stone (black stone) and the Reason for Kissing This Stone

إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى لَمَّا أَخَذَ مَوَاثِيقَ الْعِبَادِ أَمَرَ الْحَجَرَ فَالْتَقَمَهَا[1]- وَ لِذَلِكَ يُقَالُ أَمَانَتِي أَدَّيْتُهَا وَ مِيثَاقِي تَعَاهَدْتُهُ لِتَشْهَدَ لِي بِالْمُوَافَاةِ.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When Allah, the most Blessed, the most High, made solemn covenants with His servants, He commanded the Stone. The Stone fed it (the covenant) to itself. For this reason it is said, ‘This is my trust which I return, my covenant that I had undertaken, so you bear witness, in my favor,

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع لِمَ جُعِلَ اسْتِلَامُ الْحَجَرِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ حَيْثُ أَخَذَ مِيثَاقَ بَنِي آدَمَ دَعَا الْحَجَرَ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ فَأَمَرَهُ فَالْتَقَمَ الْمِيثَاقَ فَهُوَ يَشْهَدُ لِمَنْ وَافَاهُ بِالْمُوَافَاةِ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Why should one touch (kiss) the Stone?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘When Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, made a covenant with the children of Adam, He called the Stone from paradise and gave it a command. It swallowed up (fed it to itself) the covenant and it will testify

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع لِأَيِّ عِلَّةٍ وَضَعَ اللَّهُ الْحَجَرَ فِي الرُّكْنِ الَّذِي هُوَ فِيهِ وَ لَمْ يُوضَعْ فِي غَيْرِهِ وَ لِأَيِّ عِلَّةٍ تُقَبَّلُ وَ لِأَيِّ عِلَّةٍ أُخْرِجَ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَ لِأَيِّ عِلَّةٍ وُضِعَ مِيثَاقُ الْعِبَادِ وَ الْعَهْدُ فِيهِ وَ لَمْ يُوضَعْ فِي غَيْرِهِ وَ كَيْفَ السَّبَبُ فِي ذَلِكَ تُخْبِرُنِي جَعَلَنِيَ اللَّهُ فِدَاكَ فَإِنَّ تَفَكُّرِي فِيهِ لَعَجَبٌ قَالَ فَقَالَ

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya and others have narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad from Musa ibn ‘Umar from ibn Sinan from abu Sa‘id al-Qammat from Bukayr ibn A’yan who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, ‘For what reason has Allah placed the Black Stone at the corner where it is and not in othe