Cairo – Sanaa Al‑Tawila
Sheikh Muhammad Metwally Al‑Sha‘rawi, the revered scholar, was not limited to preaching alone; he was known for many bold opinions and positions in which he feared neither authority nor prestige. His arguments were always grounded in evidence from the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Among his most significant positions was his stance on the proposal to move the Black Stone from its place.
The story dates back to 1954, when Al‑Sha‘rawi was a professor at the College of Sharia in Makkah. At that time, there was a proposal to relocate the Station of Ibrahim (Maqam Ibrahim) further back to widen the area for pilgrims performing tawaf, which had become crowded. Tuesday had been set as the day on which King Saud would oversee the relocation.
Al‑Sha‘rawi believed the proposal contradicted Islamic law. He immediately took action, contacting several Saudi and Egyptian scholars in the delegation, but they informed him that the matter had already been decided and that the new structure had been built. Undeterred, he sent a five‑page telegram to King Saud, presenting the issue from both a jurisprudential and historical perspective. He wrote:
“Those who use the Prophet’s action as evidence have erred, for the Prophet was a Messenger and a legislator. This is not a valid argument for us to rely on in order to move the Maqam from the place where the Messenger of Allah placed it.”
He also argued that Caliph Umar ibn Al‑Khattab—may Allah be pleased with him—did not move it. When a severe flood occurred during Umar’s time and swept the stone far from its place, Umar rushed from Madinah, gathered the Companions, and asked:
“I implore you—who among you knows the exact location of the Maqam during the time of the Messenger of Allah?”
A man stood up and said: “I do, O Umar. I had prepared for such an event, so I measured the distance of the Maqam relative to its surroundings.” Umar sent for the rope from the man’s house, verified the accuracy of his measurements, and returned the Maqam to its original position.
The telegram reached King Saud. He gathered the scholars and asked them to study Al‑Sha‘rawi’s message. They agreed with everything it contained. The King then issued a decree prohibiting the relocation of the Maqam, and ordered that Al‑Sha‘rawi’s proposals for expanding the tawaf area be studied. Among his suggestions was placing the stone in a small, unbreakable glass dome, instead of the large structure that had been constricting the pilgrims.
King Saud summoned Al‑Sha‘rawi, honored him, and gifted him a cloak, a watch, and a pen. The Sheikh fell silent for a moment, visibly moved, joy lighting his face as he said:
“Two days after King Saud issued the order not to move the Maqam… Allah honored me… and my eyes were blessed with seeing our master Ibrahim, the Friend of Allah, in a dream.”