De Telegraaf – As the manhunt for terrorism suspect Chérif Chekatt intensified in France, people were asked to search for a shooter in which one detail in the report is very noticeable: the dark spot on his forehead.
The story behind the spot is at least as striking. Such a spot is called zebibah in the Arabic vernacular, and it literally means raisin. In reality it is a dark, callous prayer spot, which is seen as a ‘gift of god’ and is only for the most devout Muslims.
The stain arises because Muslims pray five times a day, making the forehead contact the prayer mat at least 34 times and develop a stain or bump over time.
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