Muscat: Eid al Adha, the festival of sacrifice, was celebrated by all nationalities in the Sultanate of Oman with due solemnity, religious fervor and enthusiasm.
In traditional attire, the faithful performed special Eid prayers in congregations and sacrificed amid the health protocol issued by the ministry of Health and the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs.
The Eid al Adha, which falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar, is celebrated throughout the Muslim world as a commemoration of Prophet Ibraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail to God.
Muslims believe that the very moment Ibrahim raised the knife, God told him to stop, that he had passed the test, and to replace Ismail with a sacrificial ram.
His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has already greeted the citizens, residents and all Muslims and prayed to the Almighty “to bring back this and similar auspicious occasions at a time all are enjoying good health, happiness and a long life full of faith”.
After offering prayers at the mosques, people exchanged Eid greetings without attempting to hug and said ‘Eid Mubarak’.
Citizens and residents said that since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, this was the first Edi which gave true happiness as they could pray at the mosques although there were restrictions.
“It was a joyous affair as all prayer areas and mosques opened doors following two consecutive years of restrictions. The hard time seems to be over”, said Mubarak al Wahaibi, a retired school teacher in Ruwi.
He was happy that the cool weather added to the fervor as the faithful did not have to sweat under the summer heat.
“The rains, although it brought devastation in some parts of the country, it gave us solace from scorching sun and humidity”, he said.
Hafees Ahmed, an Indian national, was excited in worshipping at the mosque with his fellow Muslims to celebrate the special day, which he called truly a blessing.
“The atmosphere was very religious and joyful. Honestly, it's all about brotherhood really coming together as a community although the traditional exchanging of Eid greetings was missing,” he said.
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