Key Takeaways
- President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is trending after kissing the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad) at the Kaaba before being granted rare honour of entering Holy Kaaba in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
- Black Stone embedded at corner of Kaaba inside Grand Mosque serves as starting point for tawaf — ritual circling seven times during Hajj and Umrah; Tinubu kissed stone before entering Kaaba itself.
- Tinubu becomes second Nigerian president after Muhammadu Buhari to receive exceptional honour, granted by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of Two Holy Mosques — barriers painted green-white-green mounted around Kaaba ahead of visit.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is trending on X after kissing the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad) at the Kaaba before being granted the rare honour of entering the Holy Kaaba in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
According to PM News Nigeria, President Tinubu kissed the Hajar al-Aswad, commonly known as the Black Stone, at the Holy Kaaba in Makkah as part of a series of religious activities carried out during his time in the holy city.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu kisses the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad) at the Kaaba before being granted the rare honour of entering the Holy Kaaba in Makkah. pic.twitter.com/GutOrlfGkC
— Imran Muhammad (@Imranmuhdz) November 2, 2026
The Black Stone is embedded at one corner of the Kaaba inside the Grand Mosque and serves as the starting point for tawaf, the ritual in which pilgrims circle the Kaaba seven times during Hajj and Umrah. Tinubu kissed the stone before entering the Kaaba itself.
The Kaaba, located within the Grand Mosque in Makkah, is the focal point of Muslim prayers worldwide and a central site of the annual Hajj and lesser Hajj, also known as Umrah, which the President performed early Friday morning, offering prayers of gratitude to Almighty Allah.
Barriers painted in Nigeria’s national colours, green-white-green, were mounted around the Holy Ka’bah in Makkah ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the sacred site on Monday, Punch and GistAfri reported.
The President was also pictured kissing the Black Stone, which is associated with Tawaf when Muslim pilgrims walk seven times around the Ka’bah, before being led into the interior.
According to a statement issued on Monday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman granted Tinubu the privilege during his ongoing Umrah, with Sheikh Dahlulah Muthawal of Masjid al-Haram leading the President into the Kaaba.
The Presidency also revealed prayer points offered in Mecca for Nigeria’s peace, unity and prosperity, with Tinubu saying “This is history” after leading Nigerian delegation in prayer inside Kaaba.
The moment Tinubu kissed the sacred Black Stone in Kaaba has since trended on social media, with photos showing the President in white Ihram attire performing the ritual.
President Tinubu receives rare honour of entering the Holy Kaaba in Makkah after kissing the Black Stone pic.twitter.com/Bexq7JPgue
— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) November 2, 2026
