Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and Sheikh Hilal

Sunday. August 29, 2010: I had two very interesting experiences today. First, I had a chance to visit Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. I’m just not sure how to describe the place other than by saying that it is truly a special one. Grand, majestic, extravagant, large beyond belief… descriptive words that only begin to scratch the surface. Go there for yourself and you will not regret it. It’s quite the ‘face-melter’ to say the least. A fun fact is that no Omani knows or cares to know how much the mosque cost to build…it is widely believed that only Sultan Qaboos himself has that figure. This adds to the divine nature of the place and ensures that one’s focus while at the mosque remains on worshiping God rather than any financial matters.  It is also one of the only mosques in all of Arabia that is open to non-Muslims. Women can pray there as well, just as long as they do it in a separate area from the men. For men, prayer services at the mosque are obligatory, for women they are an elective. No shoes are worn in the temple area, as the carpet, believed to the biggest one in the world, is hand crafted and possesses an intricate design unparalleled in the modern world. I was so inspired by this place that I am entertaining the idea of doing my independent study project on the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque.

            Today I also had the pleasure of sitting in on a lecture by Sheikh Hilal, a prominent religious figure in Oman. He spoke about Omani culture as well as Islam in general. Some interesting things he said:

-       The Sheikh often referenced both Jesus and Moses as prophets and after using either name always said ‘peace be upon him.’ Similarly he often eluded to the tolerant nature of Islam. He claimed that, “Islam forbids killing because everybody has a right to live.”

-       I asked him several questions after his lecture.
1.) Do you believe that the Koran is the direct word of God or is the Koran made up of stories that have developed out of the life of Mohammed to teach Muslims how to live a pious and peaceful life? He responded by looking me directly in the eyes and saying in a low tone…”No. The Koran is directly the word of God to Mohammed. We do not worship Mohamed, he is the respected messenger.”

-       2.) Do you believe that Islam spread from Mohammed outward…that is, from a central portal with Mohammed at the focal point, or did Islam arise on the fringes of societies popping up in random locations in Arabia?... ”Again, it developed out of Mohammed as he spread the word of God. He was illiterate and could not read but had a keen memory and was challenged by God to spread his word.”

Some blog topics to look forward too:

-       1/9…I move in with my home-stay family (currently I know noting about them)

-       10/9-15/9…The expected Eid Al Fitr Holiday

-       29/9-1/10…Trip to Salalah

-       7/10-14/10… Trip to Qatar/UAE (Dubai)

-       29/10-4/11…rural stay in Nizwa