Khalaf related:

“Hammād ibn Zayd reported to us, from ʿĀṣim al-Aḥwal, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sarjis, who said: ‘I saw the bald one—meaning ʿUmar—kiss the Stone and say, “By Allah, I am kissing you while I know full well that you are only a stone; you can neither harm nor benefit. Had I not seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ kiss you, I would never have kissed you.”’

In the version narrated by al-Muqaddamī and Abū Kāmil he said: ‘I saw the little bald one…’ This report is recorded by Muslim alone, not by al-Bukhārī.

Imām Aḥmad also transmitted it through Abū Muʿāwiyah, from ʿĀṣim al-Aḥwal, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sarjis; and he narrated it again through Ghundar, from Shuʿbah, from ʿĀṣim al-Aḥwal with the same wording.

Imām Aḥmad further said: ‘ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Mahdī told us, from Sufyān, from Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā, from Suwayd ibn Ghaflah, who said: “I saw ʿUmar kiss the Stone and say, ‘I know you are a stone that can neither harm nor benefit, but I saw Abū al-Qāsim ﷺ treating you with special concern.’”’

Aḥmad then reported it through Wakīʿ, from Sufyān al-Thawrī with an added phrase: ‘He kissed it and embraced it.’

Muslim likewise collected it from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Mahdī without this addition, but in Wakīʿ’s version he included the words: ‘He kissed the Stone and embraced it, saying, “I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ treating you with special concern.”’

Imām Aḥmad also said: ‘ʿAffān related to us, Wahīb related to us, ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUthmān ibn Khuthaym related to us, from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ʿAbbās, that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb leaned over the Corner and said, “I know that you are only a stone. Had I not seen my beloved ﷺ kiss you and touch you, I would never have turned to you or kissed you.” He then recited, “Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example.” (Al-Aḥzāb 33:21)’.