(Oct. 22) -- Thousands of Muslims have been traveling to a remote town in a war-torn region of southern Russian hoping to see verses from Islam's holy book appear on the skin of a "miracle baby."
The parents of 9-month-old Ali Yakubov said the word "Allah" appeared on his chin soon after his birth, The Sun reported.
Skip over this content
Itar-Tass / Landov
Pink writing appears on the leg of 9-month-old Ali Yakubov. His parents say verses from the Quran appear and fade on the baby's body.
Since then, verses of the Quran in Arabic script have appeared -- and then faded away -- on the infant's back, arms, leg and stomach, his parents and local officials say.
"Normally those signs appear twice a week -- on Mondays and on the nights between Thursdays and Fridays," Ali's mother was quoted as saying.
She said that Ali's temperature typically rises before the writings appear.
The parents deny the words, which look like raised pink birthmarks, were inked on. Local doctors have not been able to explain the phenomenon.
Meanwhile, around 2,000 people per day have been traveling to the family's home in Kizlyar in Dagestan. One woman said she had come all the way from Ukraine to see the baby.
The Russian republic, located in the North Caucasus on the border of Chechnya, has been plagued by violence as security forces clash with militant Islamic separatists.
Believers say that makes the sacred writings on little Ali even more important.
"The fact that this miracle happened here is a signal to us to take the lead and help our brothers and sisters find peace," the head of the Kizlyar region, Sagid Murtazaliyev, told reporters, according to ABC News. "We must not forget there is a war going on here."
