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Comment by mkoubaa | Hacker News Reader

In all the years of using one I never thought it made anything sacred. It keeps my forehead clean and cushions my knees

This reminds me of the practice in Egypt where men would intentionally press their heads into the ground when praying in order to develop a callous, colloquially called a zebiba, showing off their piety. Is this still fashionable? When I traveled rural Egypt in 2008 it was omnipresent; one shopkeeper told me he no longer believed in religion, but he had to develop a zebiba nevertheless, otherwise no one would buy from his shop.

Interesting. TIL

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7469221.stm

I knew people who "groomed" a zebiba, for lack of a better term. I don't doubt that some people who have one are not doing it for show (otherwise who are they emulating?). Whether or not it's fashionable depends on your social circle, I assumr

(I'm a Muslim). I mean... Strictly speaking as far as i am aware the mat/rug is not sacred itself. It is just a place to put your head +knees comfortably.

In fact the Prophet Muhammad SAW did not use a prayer mat and instead he placed his head on the soil (ground/earth).

Also note; Shias place their head on a stone/rock to mimic this practice: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbah

Yes, the prayer rug is not sacred, per se, but it can be embued with a measure of sacredness by our practices upon it.

Please know that Zikr (remembering/repeating one of the many Names of God) is the highest form of worship. (Zikr is commanded three times in the Quran-i-Kerim.)

Al-lah, Yah-weh, Di-os, De-us, Brah-man, ...

Many Names in our various languages for the one Creator, one human race, one religion of God: compassionate service to all mankind that comes in many forms across our planet's cultures and epochs.

Always love. Teach to always love. Never hate. Teach to never hate.

Yeah I think the author of this article had some subjective understanding and experience. I don't mean to diminish it but it's definitely something I and other (but not all) Muslims find foreign

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