Comments
If we have to sense the spirit of Onam at its best, we have to feel it in Kerala, just as we must feel Pongal in rural Tamil Nadu, Durga Puja in West Bengal, Christmas in Europe. What about Id? Where else but in the Gulf Arab states. I vote for the Sultanate of Oman for many reasons.
Ramadan Kareem
Oman is a charming country with people known for their hospitality. It is a peaceful nation, progressive in outlook, yet steeped in traditions. While the Omanis and expat Muslims fast through the holy month of Ramadan, non-Muslims are absolutely at liberty to pursue their normal routine except that eateries are closed during fasting hours and that sentiments of fasting people are expected to be respected.
As the holy month advances each year by a few days, this year’s Ramadan fell in the peak summer months of July and August when the resplendent sun shines in this part in all its glory and the temperature rises close to a scorching 50 degree Celsius. This stretched the fast to more than 14 hours, making it extremely challenging. Despite this, one can see the unalloyed joy emanating from the faces of Omanis on the advent of Ramadan and a tinge of sadness in its final hours, giving way to the month of Shawwal.
Spirit of Id
Ramadan is characterised by six hours of work a day for fasting Muslims, religious discourses and recitations from the Holy Quran, charity as part of Zakat and Sadaqa (compulsory and voluntary charity), community Iftar parties, buzzing traditional markets in rural segments, and huge crowds moving about with trolley loads of goods in giant shopping malls that offer discounts and raffles carrying high end sedans or SUVs as prizes. Many companies host Iftar parties for their employees and clientele. Restaurants offer an Iftar menu for a price, while in the mosques it is absolutely free.
The festivities of Id-al-Fitr bring about a fitting finale to the holy month. On the day of Id, a special prayer — Salat al-Id — is offered in the open where thousands gather. People wear new dresses and go around meeting their relatives and friends and exchange pleasantries. This, in fact, is the essence of Id.
Omanis feast on rice, mutton, Omani halwa and other sweets. A practice unique to rural Oman is placing mutton in buckets made of dried date and plantain leaves in specially dug fire pits on the night of Id and leaving them closed overnight. A couple of people wet their bodies with water and retrieve the hot mutton the next day for distribution during lunch.
The Three Gentlemen
A few days back, I was at an ATM in Muscat. It was 6.45 pm and it was my turn to operate it and pluck out my currency when I noticed three Omanis waiting patiently behind me. Iftar commences around 7 pm and at this time, many fasting persons can be seen rushing in their cars to break the fast. But not one of the three waiting gentlemen asked to bypass me, citing Iftar as a reason. However, I offered to wait and allowed all the three to complete their transaction. Each one thanked and blessed me profusely.
It is our turn now to greet our Muslim brothers and sisters, wherever they live. Id Mubarak!
(The author works as AGM-Powertech Engineering LLC. The views are personal.)
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.