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The Omani culture takes its roots from the strongly laid beliefs and principles of one of the most beautiful religions of the world – the Islam. But, it is really interesting to know that a majority of the Omanis follow a distinctly unique form of Islam, known popularly as Ibadhism. This form owes its name to its founder – Abdullah Ibn Ibadh, who was alive during 7th Century AD.
You will also be able to find people who are either Sunni Muslims or Shia Muslims. Despite being an Islamic nation, Oman respects the believers of other faiths and there is no restriction for those people to follow their customs and beliefs. Oman strictly adheres to the Five Pillars of Islam, the hdiths, thereby striving to reserve a place for themselves in the heaven with Allah.
The awqaf, that are religious gifts, are offered in the form of revenues as well as properties. The gifts are distributed under the administration of the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, whose responsibility includes maintaining the mosques and overlooking the benefits of the community.
The zakat is a charity tax which is paid to the needy. All the Muslims need to pay the zakat, but there is no particular limit. So, one can pay an amount within his reach.
The Muslims are urged to undergo fasting during the holiest of the months in the Islamic calendar, Ramadan, which again is one of the five pillars of Islam. These 30 days are very considered as the most pious of the days and those who observe the fast should restrain themselves from indulging in any kind of worldly pleasures – smoking, eating, consuming alcohol and sex, from sunrise to sunset. Ramadhan advances 10 to 11 days each year as it is governed by the lunar calendar.
Yet another strong feature of the Omani culture is the holy Muslim pilgrimage – the Hajj. This pillar of Islam is believed to be observed by all those believers of Islam at least once during their lifetime. Al-Medina, only of the holiest places of Islam, located in Saudi Arabia, is visited by the Islamic Hajj pilgrims before travelling to Mecca. The Omani Ministry looks over the pilgrimage requirements, thereby ensuring a safe and pleasant journey for the pilgrims.
Oman At Present
Even though the existence of Oman as an individual nation can be traced back to several thousands of years, the contemporary state - Sultanate of Oman – came into existence only two centuries ago. Oman underwent a change from being a territory during the past two centuries by making the UAE, which lies on to the north-western part of Oman, independent, at the same time merging Dhofar with it.
Language of Oman
Arabic is the official Omani language, and is spoken by a major portion of the population. This language was adopted from the Arab tribes who migrated to Oman before two millenniums. The Omani dialect shares very close resemblance to the standard Arabic, but the coastal dialects contains words borrowed from languages including Baluchi, Persian, Urdu and Gujarati as well as Portuguese.
The minority groups use Arabic and their mother tongues at home, and English is widely spoken as a second language and mostly used for business communication.
The rich and exhilarant traditions of the centuries’ old nation have left unambiguous marks on the current Omani society. The Sultanate’s culture is indeed a true reflection of the cosmopolitan past in had in its womb.
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