Was it authenticated that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, made the supplication at the Multazam during ‘Umrah or was it one of the companions?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

The Hadeeths on embracing to the Multazam and making supplication are not authentic. However, some scholars like Al-Albaani considered those Hadeeths to be Hasan by way of corroborating narrations. As-Sunan by Abu Daawood includes two relevant Hadeeths, yet both of them are weak.

It is narrated on the authority of ‘Abdurrahmaan ibn Safwaan that he said, “When the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, conquered Makkah I dressed up and because my house was on the road. I went out to see what the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would do. I set out and saw the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, having departed from the Ka‘bah along with his Companions, after  touching it at the door of Al-Hateem and placed their cheeks on it  while the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was amidst them.” [Abu Daawood and Ahmad] However, one of the narrators of this Hadeeth is Yazeed ibn Abi Ziyaad who was rated as weak narrator by Ibn Ma‘een, Abu Haatim, and Abu Zur‘ah in addition to some other scholars. An-Nawawi judged the Hadeeth as weak. Ath-Thahabi said that it is Munkar Hadeeth..

The Companions and the Taabi‘oon were reported to have practised what can indicate validity of embracing the Multazam. Ibn ‘Abbaas was reported to have said, “The Multazam lies between the Corner and the Door.” [Ibn Abi Shaybah in Al-Musannaf]

Ash-Shaybaani said, “I saw ‘Amr ibn Maymoon embracing what is between the corner and the door.”

Mujaahid said, “They (i.e. the Companions) would embrace what is between the corner and the door and make supplications.”

Muhammad ibn Abdurrahmaan Al-‘Abdi said, “I saw ‘Ikrimah ibn Khaalid, Abu Ja‘far, and ‘Ikrimah the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbaas embracing what is between the corner and the door of Al-Ka‘bah. I also saw them there under the Meezaab in the Hijr."

Hanthalah said, “I saw Saalim, ‘Ataa’, and Taawoos embracing what is lying between the corner and the door.”

The statement of Mujaahid “They would embrace what is between the corner and the door and make supplications” indicates that some of the Companions  did that. Mujaahid is one of the most meritorious Taabi‘oon and he was old enough to have seen some of the Companions before they died. This is enough, Allaah Willing, to establish the validity of approaching Al- Multazam and supplicating there.

Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said, “If a person likes to approach Al-Multazam, which lies between the Black Stone and the door of the Ka‘bah, embrace it and supplicate Allaah asking for what one  needs can do that. Also, he  can do that before the farewell circumambulation, since there is no difference between embracing the Multazam during the farewell circumambulation or at any other time. The Companions would do that when they would enter Makkah. …. If one stands next to the door of the Ka‘bah and supplicates there without embracing the Multazam, this would be fine too.”

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said, “This issue has been contested among scholars though it was not proved to have been practised by the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. It was only some Companions who did it. Now, is it an act of Sunnah to embrace the Multazam? When? Should it be done upon arrival or departure or at any time? Scholars differ regarding this issue because no relevant practice was reported to have been done by the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. However, the Companions would embrace the Multazam when arriving there. Jurists said that one may embrace the Multazam that lies between the corner where the black stone and the door exist when leaving. Consequently, this practice is permissible unless a person harms or annoys others in the process."

Allaah Knows best.