completed his Hajj and removed his state of untidiness.” (1) He did not mention the arrival circumambulation, which indicates that it is not obligatory.
It is called the arrival circumambulation because it is the first thing a person does upon arriving in Mecca. Therefore, he should begin with it before anything else, even before unloading his baggage. When the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, entered Mecca, he would proceed to the House, make his camel kneel, and circumambulate it.
However, if this is difficult for a person and he wishes to go to his lodging and unload his baggage, there is no harm in that. The matter is only one of recommended sunnah practice.
“He aligns himself fully with the Black Stone, touches it, and kisses it. If that is difficult, he kisses his hand; and if touching it is difficult, he gestures towards it…”
His statement, “He aligns himself with the Black Stone,” means that he stands parallel to it.
The Black Stone is the one located in the southeastern corner of the Ka‘bah. It is described as “black” because of its blackness. It is mistaken for someone to call it “the Most Fortunate Stone,” for this is an innovated designation. Its name is the Black Stone. Yet some common people call it “the Most Fortunate Stone,” thereby making this stone one of the fortunate—indeed, the most fortunate of them—for “the most fortunate” is a definite superlative, indicating that none can rival it in good fortune. This is excess.