Islam arrives in Oman

The widespread Western opinion that Islam has only spread through the use of violence is refuted by the example of Oman, among others.

During Muhammad's lifetime (570–632), the coastal area of Oman was partly under the influence of the Persian Sassanids, while the interior of the country was under the rule of the Azd tribe.

Historically, it is certain that a learned Omani of the Christian faith was sent to Medina as an envoy of the Persian governor to learn more about the alleged prophet. He converted to Islam there and returned to Oman fully convinced. So there were possibly already Muslims in Oman when a messenger of Muhammad, the merchant Amr ibn Al As from the Quraish tribe of the Prophet, brought a letter from Muhammad to the sons of King Al Julandi ibn Mustakbar, Abad and Jaifar, who jointly ruled the country. It was the year 630 AD. The letter corresponded to those that Muhammad had sent to the rulers of Byzantium, Persia, Ethiopia, Egypt and Yemen. In these letters, he called on the rulers to recognise him as a prophet of God and to embrace Islam.

After questioning the envoy, who had already converted to Islam, and consulting with the tribal elders and jurists of the country, the two princes Abad and Jaifar accepted Muhammad's offer and joined his movement. When Muhammad heard about this, he is said to have said: »God bless the people of Ghubaira. They believe in me without ever having seen me." (»Ghubaira« is an old name for Oman that is still used in Zanzibar today.)