Islam arrives in Oman
In the year 629 the kings of Oman received a letter from the Prophet Mohammed exhorting them to convert to his new religion. Delegations between the kings and the Prophet were exchanged, the kings were convinced and converted freely.
In the year 629 the two kings of Oman, Abd and Jaifar, who were sons of Julanda and were living in Sohar, received a letter from the Prophet Mohammed exhorting them to convert to his new religion. Delegations between the kings and the Prophet were exchanged to study and consider this. Abd and Jaifar were convinced and converted freely, and it followed that Islam was accepted peacefully in Oman, without coercion.
The two kings of Oman united the Arab tribes and expelled the Persians. While the appointment of the governors of the Muslims was at that time the duty of the caliphs – first Abu Bakr, then Umar bin Al Khattab -- the political power remained in the hands of the Al Julanda dynasty until the time that Oman was annexed to Basra by the third caliph, Uthman bin Affan.
It is said that the Prophet once sent a man to another region of Arabia, where he was insulted and beaten. He returned to the Prophet and told him about it. Thereupon the Prophet praised the residents of Oman: "If you had come to the people of Oman, so would they neither have insulted nor beaten you."
Georg Popp
What makes this travel guide so special? This book is a product of the long-term personal friendship between the authors, Mr Georg Popp and Mr Juma Al-Maskari and their continuing fascination with the Sultanate of Oman. Combining their insights from European and Omani perspectives, they have produced a guide which is as much about culture and history as it is a practical guide for planning your itinerary.
