“The Black Stone is a white ruby from among the rubies of Paradise. It was only the sins of the polytheists that blackened it. On the Day of Resurrection, it will be raised the size of Uhud, bearing witness for those among the people of this world who touched and kissed it.”

This is a strong corroborating report through Ibn Khuthaym. However, its route to him contains this Abu al-Junayd—whose name was al-Husayn ibn Khalid—of whom Ibn Maʿin said: “He is not trustworthy.” Ibn ʿAdi said: “Most of his hadiths are from weak narrators.”

I say: His shaykh here is Hammad ibn Salamah, who is trustworthy, and a group of trustworthy narrators reported it from Hammad, from ʿAtaʾ ibn al-Saʾib, as mentioned above. Ahmad and the others previously cited recorded it. This indicates that Abu al-Junayd erred concerning Hammad when he narrated it from him, from Ibn Khuthaym, contrary to the narration of the group. Thus, his report is rejected, both in its chain and its text.

The first part of it has a supporting narration from Anas, attributed to the Prophet, with the wording: “The Black Stone is among the stones of Paradise.” Al-ʿUqayli recorded it in al-Duʿafaʾ (p. 275), al-Tabarani in al-Awsat (1/118/1), and al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan (5/75), through the route of Shadh ibn Fayyad: ʿUmar ibn Ibrahim narrated to us from Qatadah, from him. Al-ʿUqayli identified its defect, saying: “It is narrated from Anas as attributed to the Companion.” Ibn Abi Hatim clarified this, saying in al-ʿIlal (1/276), on the authority of his father: “ʿUmar ibn Ibrahim erred. Shuʿbah and ʿAmr ibn al-Harith al-Misri narrated it from Qatadah, from Anas, as attributed to the Companion.”