Joanna James
Oman, a beautiful Arab country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula is a place that celebrates its festivals in grand style. There are many national holidays scattered throughout the year. Islam is the state religion of Oman and most of these festivals commemorate important events for the Muslims. Since the Islamic calendar has only 354 days, the date that some of these festivals fall on, change every year.
Isra and Mi'raj is a grand festival celebrated on the 27th day of Rajab, which is the seventh month in the Islamic calendar. The festival is also known as the Night Journey, Ascension to Heaven and The Prophet's Ascension.
According to the Quran and hadith, the Night Journey begins with Prophet Muhammad travelling with angel Gabriel to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on the steed Buraq. It is believed that here he met and prayed with many prophets. This part of the journey is known as Isra.
Prophet Muhammad then ascended to paradise with angel Gabriel and spoke to God Himself. This part of the journey is what is known as Mi'raj. It is believed that initially, God required a man to pray 50 times a day. But after Prophet Muhammad went back to God a number of times and requested for this number to be reduced, it was brought down to five. This holy commandment has been faithfully kept by countless generations of Muslims throughout the ages.
These events are believed to have taken place 621 CE.
Eid al-Fitr is one of the most important religious holidays celebrated by Muslims across the world. Oman, being predominantly a Muslim country, celebrates the holiday grandly. This day marks the end of Ramadan, which is the holy month of fasting for the Muslims. Throughout this month Muslims conscientiously fast from the early hour of dawn to the golden hour of sunset.
The day that Eid al-Fitr falls depends on the sighting of the moon hence not all Muslims across the world celebrate it on the same day.
The festivities of the day include feasting with family and sharing money with the poor. It is surely a grand celebration and Oman becomes quite an attractive place to be in during this season. If you visit the country during the festival and stay at a centrally located hotel such as Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort you will be able to enjoy delightful shopping tours and visit the many attractions in Oman while being surrounded by excitement and holiday vibes.
Eid al-Adha which is also known as Id-ul-Zuh, Hari Raya Haji and the "Feast of the Sacrifice", seeks to honour Ibrahim's (Abraham's) great obedience to God's holy command to sacrifice his son. Ibrahim, however, did not have to sacrifice his son as God provided a male goat to sacrifice in his son's stead. To commemorate this event, Muslims sacrifice a cow or a ram during the holiday and divide it among the poor and needy, relatives and neighbours after sharing about one-third of it among the family. Muslims also share money and food with the poor during this festival. The days of Eid al- Adha are considered to be the holiest in the Muslim calendar.
The National Day of Oman which falls on the 18th of November celebrates the independence it received in 1650 after the invasion of the Portuguese in 1515. The day is celebrated quite grandly in the country. Traditional songs and dances add colour to the day while many firework displays light up the skies in the night. Camel races and marine festivals also are included in the events of the day.
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