On This Day
683 – During the Siege of Mecca, the Kaaba catches fire and is burned down.
The Kaaba (Arabic: ٱلْكَعْبَة, romanized: al-Kaʿbah, lit. ’The Cube’, Arabic pronunciation: [kaʕ.bah]), also spelled Ka’bah or Kabah, sometimes referred to as al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah (Arabic: ٱلْكَعْبَة ٱلْمُشَرَّفَة, romanized: al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah, lit. ’Honored Ka’bah’), is a building at the center of Islam’s most important mosque, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.[1][2] It is the most sacred site in Islam.[3] It is considered by Muslims to be the Bayt Allah (Arabic: بَيْت ٱللَّٰه, lit. ’House of God’) and is the qibla (Arabic: قِبْلَة, direction of prayer) for Muslims around the world when performing salah.
In early Islam, Muslims faced in the general direction of Jerusalem as the qibla in their prayers before changing the direction to face the Kaaba, believed by Muslims to be a result of a Quranic verse revelation to Muhammad.[4]
According to Islamic mythology, the Kaaba was rebuilt several times throughout history, most famously by Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail (Ishmael), when he returned to the valley of Mecca several years after leaving his wife Hajar (Hagar) and Ismail there upon Allah’s command. Circling the Kaaba seven times counterclockwise, known as Tawaf (Arabic: طواف, romanized: tawaaf), is a Fard (obligatory) rite for the completion of the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.[3] The area around the Kaaba where pilgrims walk is called the Mataaf.
The Kaaba and the Mataaf are surrounded by pilgrims every day of the Islamic year, except the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah, known as the Day of Arafah, on which the cloth covering the structure, known as the Kiswah (Arabic: كسوة, romanized: Kiswah, lit. ’Cloth’) is changed. However, the most significant increase in their numbers is during Ramadan and the Hajj, when millions of pilgrims gather for Tawaf.[5] According to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, 6,791,100 external pilgrims arrived for the Umrah pilgrimage in the Islamic year AH 1439 (2017/2018 CE).[6]
Born On This Day
1391 – Edward, King of Portugal (d. 1438)
Edward (Portuguese: Duarte[a] ([duˈaɾt(ɨ)]; 31 October 1391 – 9 September 1438), also called Edward the King Philosopher (Duarte o Rei-Filósofo) or the Eloquent (o Eloquente), was the King of Portugal from 1433 until his death. He was born in Viseu, the son of John I of Portugal and his wife, Philippa of Lancaster. Edward was the oldest member of the “Illustrious Generation” of accomplished royal children who contributed to the development of Portuguese civilization during the 15th century. As a cousin of several English kings, he became a Knight of the Garter.[1][b]
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FYI
NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day
By Alex Dalenberg, Pocket Collections: The History of Halloween How an ancient Celtic harvest festival became ‘Spooky Season.’
By Lucas Reilly, Mental Floss: How the World’s Only Feudal Lord Outclassed the Nazis to Save Her People Dame Sibyl Hathaway protected her people with the unlikeliest of weapons: Feudal etiquette, old-world manners, and a dollop of classic snobbery.
What a surprise~
By Jeremy Schwartz and Jessica Priest, Pro Publica: Churches Are Breaking the Law by Endorsing in Elections, Experts Say. The IRS Looks the Other Way.
By Sarah A. Peterson-Camacho, Kings River Life: Season of the Ghost: The Ghosthropology Podcast
By Alan Siegel, The Ringer: “Thank You, and Goodbye” On October 30, 2002, a cancer-stricken Warren Zevon returned to the ‘Late Show With David Letterman’ stage for one last performance. Twenty years later, Letterman and more remember the gravitas and emotion of that stunning night.
Brad Dison: Paul Harvey – The Guardian Angel on Halloween – Rest of the Story
Royce Gracie – BJJ and MMA LEGEND | Black Rifle Coffee Podcast Ep 232
The Team House: FBI Hostage Rescue Team Operator | Greg Shaffer | Ep. 171
Shawn Ryan: The Story of Former Gang Member and Drug Dealer, Now Outlaw Music Artist, Struggle Jennings
Mike Glover: Tennessee Police Officer Shoots Partner Trying to Shoot Attacking Pit Bull
Mike Glover: Scout Kenai Setup for Bugging Out | Rig Tour
Periscope Film: 0:02 / 20:35 ” THE CHILD MOLESTER ” 1964 PUBLIC SERVICE EDUCATION & SAFETY FILM FOR PARENTS XD60504
Periscope Film: 0:06 / 12:49 “THE HAUNTED MOUTH” 1974 AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION EDUCATIONAL FILM w/ CESAR ROMERO XD72304
Recipes
Food Talk Daily: Chicken Casserole
Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.
DamnDelicious
RecipeTinEats
- Nutella Stuffed Cookies November 22, 2024Nutella Stuffed Cookies. Yes, they are as naughty and indulgent as they look. But so much easier to make than you think! No electric beater, just a wooden spoon. That moment when the melty Nutella floods in your mouth…. send help! Nutella Stuffed Cookies This is no ordinary cookie. This is a cookie that is... […]Nagi
- New Orleans Chicken Wings November 19, 2024Why settle for plain chicken wings when you can have bold, spicy, New Orleans sass?! Tossed in Creole seasoning and garlic butter then baked until golden, the smell alone will make you drool. Easy enough for dinner, excellent for parties. Get in my belly! New Orleans Chicken Wings Today’s recipe is inspired by New Orleans... […]Nagi
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for November 24 November 24, 2024Picture of the day The Scroll of Eighty-Seven Immortals, drawn by an unknown painter, measuring 30cm high and 292cm wide, is a line-drawing Chinese figure painting. Drawn on a long silk scroll with lines, the painting depicts 87 taoist immortals, including three supreme gods with halo, ten divine generals, seven deities and 67 celestial maidens […]
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for November 23 November 23, 2024Picture of the day Rainbow yarn for knitting displayed in front of a needlework shop in Graz, Austria
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Welcome to the Stump the Bookseller blog!
Stump the Bookseller is a service offered by Loganberry Books to reconnect people to the books they love but can’t quite remember. In brief (for more detailed information see our About page), people can post their memories here, and the hivemind goes to work. After all, the collective mind of bibliophiles, readers, parents and librarians around the world is much better than just a few of us thinking. Together with these wonderful Stumper Magicians, we have a nearly 50% success rate in finding these long lost but treasured books. The more concrete the book description, the better the success rate, of course. It is a labor of love to keep it going, and there is a modest fee. Please see the How To page to find price information and details on how to submit your Book Stumper and payment.
Thanks to everyone involved to keep this forum going: our blogging team, the well-read Stumper Magicians, the many referrals, and of course to everyone who fondly remembers the wonder of books from their childhood and wants to share or revisit that wonder. Isn’t it amazing, the magic of a book?