He should face the Black Stone (1) squarely (2), touch it (3), and—if possible—kiss it, taking care not to harm anyone by pushing or jostling. If that is not possible, he may touch it (4) and then kiss his hand; otherwise he should simply point (5) toward it.
He then proceeds with the circumambulation, keeping the House on his left. He is under no obligation to slip between the two corners or to walk sideways [before beginning the circuit] (6), nor is such behavior recommended. Whenever he touches the Stone he says,
“In the name of Allah; Allah is greatest” (7),
and, if he wishes, he may add,
“O Allah, out of faith in You, in confirmation of Your Book, in fulfillment of Your covenant, and in following the sunnah of Your Prophet Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.” (8)
(1) In manuscript B: “fa-yastaqbiluhu,” and in D: “wa-yastaqbiluhu.”
(2) Al-Furu‘ 6/34: “There are two opinions on facing it—that is, the Black Stone—with one’s face; according to our shaykh this is the sunnah.”
(3) Manuscript A has: “yastalimuh.”
(4) Manuscript A has: “istilamuhu.”
(5) The phrase “wa illā ashar” (otherwise he gestures) appears in B as “wal-isharah” (the gesture).
(6) The passage in brackets is absent from B.
(7) Reported by Abd al-Razzaq (no. 8894) from Ibn ‘Umar—may Allah be pleased with them both—as a mawquf narration.
(8) I have not located it with this wording. Ibn al-Mulqin says: “This hadith is gharib through this chain; after investigation I know of no one who transmitted it as a marfu‘ report,” and al-Hafiz adds: “I have not found it in this form.” A similar wording is related by al-Shafi‘i in al-Umm 2/186: Sa‘id narrated to us from Ibn Jurayj, who said: I was informed that some Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, asked, “Messenger of Allah, what should we say when we touch the Stone?” He replied, “Say: Bismi-llah, Allahu akbar, imanan bi-llah, tasdiqan …”