Islam is the state-religion in Oman. The country is 95% Muslim. 45% of the Muslim population of Oman follow

Sunni Islam Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagre ...

and 45% follow

Ibadi Islam The Ibadi movement or Ibadism ( ar, الإباضية, al-Ibāḍiyyah) is a school of Islam. The followers of Ibadism are known as the Ibadis. Ibadism emerged around 60 years after the Islamic prophet Muhammad's death in 632 AD as a moderate sc ...

. Islam spread to Oman in the early years.

History

The Ibadi denomination established itself in the region after fleeing from

Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is hand ...

in modern-day

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

.Diana Darke, Oman: The Bradt Travel Guide, pg. 27. Guilford: Brandt Travel Guides, 2010.. Christians and Jews have historically been able to practice their own religions openly in Oman. The society is tolerant, though social hierarchies do exist. In Ibadi communities, the traditional Arab coffee is served to Muslims first, with Christians being served after the poor Muslims; in Sunni communities, Christian guests may actually be served even before the respected Muslim leaders and clerics.

Denominations

Ibadism

Many people believe that Ibadism is an outgrowth of the

Kharijites The Kharijites (, singular ), also called al-Shurat (), were an Islamic sect which emerged during the First Fitna (656–661). The first Kharijites were supporters of Ali who rebelled against his acceptance of arbitration talks to settle the ...

movement, a variant form of Islam practiced by descendants of a sect that seceded from the principal Muslim body after the death of

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

in 632. Ibadies, however, deny this notion considering themselves an outgrowth ed by?the follower ''( tabe'e)'' and assert that leadership of Islam should be designated by an imam elected by the community from candidates who possess the appropriate spiritual and personal qualities. Ibadhi leadership is vested in an imam, who is regarded as the sole legitimate leader and combines religious and political authority. The imam is elected by a council of prominent laymen or ''shaykhs''. Adherence to Ibadism accounts in part for Oman's historical isolation. Ibadis were not inclined to integrate with their neighbours, as the majority of Sunni Muslims regard Ibadism as a heretical faith. The austere, puritanical nature of Ibadism has affected the practice of Islam in the country. Omani mosques are very simple, with almost no decoration except around the windows and often lack the

minaret A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گل‌دسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...

s common in other Muslim countries.Donald Hawley, ''Oman'', page 201. Moroccan explorer

Ibn Battuta Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battutah (, ; 24 February 13041368/1369),; fully: ; Arabic: commonly known as Ibn Battuta, was a Berbers, Berber Maghrebi people, Maghrebi scholar and explorer who travelled extensively in the lands of Afro-Eurasia, ...

described the cleanliness of Omani mosques, despite the fact that the entire community would congregate to eat inside, each person bringing their own food. The denomination frowns upon singing and dancing.

Shi'ism

The

Shi'as Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most n ...

live along Al Batinah and

Muscat Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is s ...

coasts. There are at least seven Twelver Shia mosques in

. In November, 2022 the largest Shia mosque in the country has been opened in Muscat. It has been built on a 30,000 square meter plot of land and with its building area measuring 12,820 square meters. The construction was ordered by the

Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs (Oman) The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs (MARA) is the governmental body in the Sultanate of Oman responsible for overseeing all matters related to awqaf and religious affairs. The current Minister of Awqaf and Religious Affairs is Abdullah ...

and inauguration was attended by Mohammed Saeed Al-Ma’amari, its minister. https://shiawaves.com/english/news/world/asia/88003-largest-mosque-for-shia-muslims-launched-in-muscat-of-oman/

Sunnism

In the 1800s, the

Jalan Bani Bu Ali Jalan Bani Bu Ali () is a commercial town and tourist destination in Oman. There are many shops and supermarkets, but most famous is the traditional souq. This suq is in the south of the town about 1km from the centre and is open on Friday morn ...

tribe converted to Wahhabism. They sporadically fought Ibadi communities but otherwise did not affect the overall religious demographics of Oman.

References

Citations

External links

*
Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs
{{Asia in topic, Islam in, state=collapsed