Question:
Orientalists claim that Islam retained a vestige of paganism, such as kissing the Black Stone. How do you respond to them?
Answer:
This is not paganism; this is something prescribed for us by Allah for a profound wisdom, and in this, we are neither imitating the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic period of ignorance) nor worshipping through Jahiliyyah forms of worship. Allah directs His commands to His servants as He wills, the Glorified and Exalted. When He commands them to do something, it becomes an independent legislation that has no connection to the Jahiliyyah.
Indeed, there were good matters from the Jahiliyyah that Islam approved of: the blood-money (diyah) of one hundred camels was a matter of the Jahiliyyah and Islam approved it; the qasamah (oath of accusation) was from the Jahiliyyah and Islam approved it; and similarly, kissing and touching the Black Stone. This involves the glorification of Allah and seeking His pleasure—it is not seeking blessings from the stone itself or making requests of the stone. Rather, it is obedience to Allah in touching the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner.
Allah tested His servants through this to see whether they would obey or disobey. When Allah commands them to do something, they comply. Allah instituted the touching of the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner among them as a trial and a test: would they hear and obey? Would they comply with what Allah has legislated for them or not?
This is why when Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, kissed the Black Stone, he said: “I know that you are a stone that neither harms nor benefits, and had I not seen the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, kissing you, I would not have kissed you.”
Likewise, among the customs of the Jahiliyyah was honoring the guest, and honoring the guest remained in Islam. All of this, along with other noble moral traits that Allah loves and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, urged [us] to follow—as well as all good traits from the Jahiliyyah—remained in Islam and were approved by it.