I saw 'Umar kissing the Black Stone and saying; I am kissing you and I know that you are just a stone; if I had not seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ kissing you, I would not have kissed you.
Tafsir of Hadith from Musnad 'Umar b. al-Khattab (ra)
This narration from Musnad Ahmad (176) demonstrates the profound wisdom of Sayyiduna 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) regarding the rituals of Hajj and 'Umrah.
The Nature of Ritual Acts
'Umar's statement clarifies that the Black Stone possesses no inherent sanctity or power, being merely a stone. This eliminates any possibility of shirk or associating partners with Allah.
The act of kissing it is purely a ritual obedience (ta'abbud) following the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, not an act of worship directed to the stone itself.
Following the Prophetic Example
'Umar emphasizes that his action is based solely on having witnessed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ performing this act. This establishes the principle of following the Sunnah even when the wisdom behind certain acts is not immediately apparent.
It teaches Muslims that acts of worship are validated by divine revelation and prophetic practice, not by human reasoning alone.
Scholarly Commentary
Imam al-Qurtubi states: "In this statement, 'Umar combined knowledge and action, showing that rituals are performed out of obedience, not because the objects themselves have power."
Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani comments: "This hadith contains a refutation of those who might attribute shirk to Muslims regarding the Black Stone, and establishes the proper understanding of tawhid in worship."