- published: 31 Jul 2013
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Hubal (Arabic: هبل) was a god worshipped in pre-Islamic Arabia, notably at the Kaaba in Mecca. His idol was a human figure, believed to control acts of divination, which were made by tossing arrows in front of the statue. The direction in which the arrows pointed answered questions asked of the idol. Access to the idol was controlled by the Quraysh. Devotees of Hubal fought against Muhammad's followers at the Battle of Badr. After Muhammad entered Mecca in 630, the image of Hubal was removed from the Kaaba.
The origins of the cult of Hubal are uncertain, but the name is found in inscriptions from Nabataea in northern Arabia (across the territory of modern Syria and Iraq). The specific powers and identity attributed to Hubal are equally unclear.
Hubal most prominently appears at Mecca, where an image of his was worshipped at the Kaaba. According to Karen Armstrong, the sanctuary was dedicated to Hubal, who was worshipped as the greatest of the 360 idols the Kaaba contained, which probably represented the days of the year.
Keywords: bravery, courage, grit, major, world-war-two
Maj. Henryk 'Hubal' Dobrzanski: [after receiving news about capitulation of gen. Kleeberg on 5th October 1939] So, in whole Poland it's only us
Maj. Henryk 'Hubal' Dobrzanski: [talking to a chaplain after one of the battles, with sarcasm] You don't think, that we all will live forever