Hey all , just read this article and i thought it would be helpful to everyone traveling to this area during month of Ramadhan .
" The month of Ramadan is a happy occasion; it is the month in which muslims believe that the Muslim holy book, the Quran, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
Muslims are called by their religion to celebrate the month by coming together in worship, big part of the spiritual experience is fasting. Fasting is simply not eating or drinking each day for 30 days from dawn until sunset.
Keep in mind that shops and business working hours will change. Everyone starts a bit late in the morning. And leave work earlier. During sunset time, it will be hard to find any Omani person. everyone will be at home in this time!
Restaurants will be closed all the day, opens by 5 or 6pm till the sunrise! So you can go to the food street at 3am and you will see the life activity is similar to the usual 8pm one!
Feel free to greet a Muslim by saying “Ramadan Mubarak” or “Ramadan Kareem” or simply “Happy Ramadan.” They absolutely love it when people acknowledge Ramadan and are happy about it.
Keep in mind that Muslims fast voluntarily (despite the tired, sad look on their faces). They are not forced to fast. In fact, they wait for this month the whole year, so you don’t have to feel sorry for them.
Eating in public is forbidden and illegal in Muslim countries. You can get caught by police by doing it! Just do it at home or the workplace. And if you have Muslims living with you, just try not to eat smelly foods. and ignore their stomach when it growls at your sandwich!
No Water
It’s true — they can’t drink water either. Again, this is part of the Ramadan test exercise of spiritual discipline.
Halitosis
While God "Allah" may tell the Muslims that the breath of the one fasting is like “fragrant musk” to him, they know that you might experience the same. Understand why they are standing a good foot away from you when speaking or simply using sign language to communicate.
Iftar Dinner
Consider holding a Ramadan Iftar dinner . Iftar is the Arabic word for the meal served at sunset when Muslims break the fast (it’s literally their ‘breakfast’). Although there is no specific type of meal designated for iftars, it is is tradition to break the fast with a sweet and refreshing date before moving to a full-on dinner. Also, Ramadan is a good time to have traditional meals and each islamic country have a specific dishes that served in Ramadan only. In Oman we have Harees, Falafel and Lokhemat. Drinking Coffee, Vimto (berry drink) or Laban (yogurt) is kinda a tradition too.
Sohoor dinner
It is the second meal at midnight or early morning before the sunrise. It is important to drink a lot of water and eat before fasting. Otherwise it will be harder to fast the next day!
Fasting is not an excuse
Although energy levels might be low, the point of fasting is not to slack off from our other duties and responsibilities. Muslims believe that they are rewarded for continuing to work and produce during their fasts. Fasting is not a reason to push meetings, clear schedules, or take a lighter load on projects. But unfortunately it may happen.
Ramadan is a time for community and charity. There are iftar dinners held at mosques every night (you are welcome to join the fun – even if you’re not fasting!) and night time prayer vigils throughout the month. Muslim give charity in abundance and make an extra effort to partake in community service. Throughout it all, they maintain an ambiance of joy and gratitude for life, they reflect on those in this world who have been given much less. This is a time for all of us–not just Muslims–to renew our spiritual intentions, increase our knowledge, and change ourselves for the better.
How non-Muslims can enjoy the spirit of Ramadan?
Ramadan is a month of spirituality, reflection, sharing and helping those in need. In fact, there are several ways in which even non-Muslims in the country can participate and imbibe the spirit of the month. Here are some tips on how you can join in:
Help the needy and give charity
Ramadan is a month of giving charity to the needy. This is the perfect occasion to hold a community charity drive to collect clothes, toys or books, etc. The collected items can then be handed over to one of many charities in the country.
Hold an Iftar
Hold an iftar for your Muslim friends and enjoy every step of the process of preparing this end-of-fast meal. Also invite those who are away from family and who have not eaten a home-cooked meal for a long time. Do ensure that all food is halal.
Fast for a day
Try fasting for a day. See how well you can control your needs and desires. It will also give you an understanding of what your Muslim friends and colleagues go through during Ramadan.
Time for some introspection
Ramadan is the perfect time to engage in introspection and to take a close look at our feelings, thoughts and action, and resolve to make improvements. How about giving up smoking?
By changing routines, Muslims have a chance to permanently establish a healthier lifestyle, especially towards habits like smoking and weight problems.
Muslims not only refrain from eating and drinking, they also refrain from smoking, sexual intercourse, thinking bad things, swearing, and getting into arguments and disputes with their fellow brothers.
Through family and community gatherings, Muslims strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood, in their own communities and throughout the world.
All-in-all, Ramadan is a great opportunity that will really benefit your body, and your connection to your community and family!
I hope this article has cleared up any misconceptions you might have had about the holy month of Ramadan!"
please feel free to ask anything related to Ramadhan in Oman , i'll be more than happy to share .
Ramadhan Mubarak to you all .
