As I hurried along the security check area of Muscat international airport on the way to boarding my flight to Chennai on the eve of an Eid-ul-Fitr five years ago, I enthusiastically said, ‘Eid Mubarak’ wishing the security officials of Royal Oman Police manning the zone.
While a couple of them smiled and returned my wishes, one of them looked straight into my face and said, “not good.” That had me deeply embarrassed. What was ‘not good?’ Was there a false note in my wishing them?
The officer sensed my perplexed look and asked me, “Chennay?” “Yes Sir,” I replied. He reiterated his ‘not good’ once more. ‘Perhaps the X-ray machine spotted something that was ‘not good!’ ‘Did I err in carrying in my suitcase any prohibited article?’ I wondered.
He continued, “You’re going to Chennay for Eid holidays which is not good. You should have stayed in Oman now to celebrate Eid festivities with Omanis.” That brought a huge relief to me. With the smile restored on my lips, I told him, “You’re right Sir. But my family stays in Chennai and I’m going there to join my wife and children.” “Zein (Good). Insha Allah, enjoy,” he cheered me.
As I mused on his words, I could appreciate the typical Omani hospitality and the fervour with which Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated throughout the Sultanate of Oman. As one who has worked in Oman for 13 years, I have spent many Eids there when I lived with my family in Muscat. Later on, as my family relocated to Chennai, like many expats, I wouldn’t miss an opportunity of flying back home, capitalising on the long Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
Eid-ul-Fitr is always very special as it marks the end of the holy and fasting month of Ramadan and the advent of Shawwal. During Ramadan, I would enjoy taking a long evening walk in the lush-green ambience of the sprawling Al Sahwa park located close to the airport. From 5 pm onwards, Omanis and fasting expat Muslims would assemble there in large numbers with their family members and spread out on the lawns.
The moment the adhan call that heralds evening prayer is made over speakers from the nearby mosque, in the wink of an eye, the scene would change from a calm and quite setting to a bubbling action scene leading to ifthar when the fast is broken. I would watch the spectacle of this amazing transition.
Ramadan 2020 has been totally different the world over with COVID-19 playing spoilsport and lockdowns and social distancing norms in various countries including Oman preventing people from going ahead with large Iftar parties and mass gatherings for prayers. The exciting Ramadan shopping season is an eagerly awaited event in Gulf countries. But all these have been muted this year.
Life is a mixture of duality- day and night, happiness and sorrow, heat and cold, fasting and feasting and so on. As poet Shelley says, ‘If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” All we need to do is to maintain a sense of balance. Ramadan instils this concept so crisply. Let’s pray that the COVID-19 saga gets over soon and wish Muslim brothers and sisters in India and abroad, peace and prosperity on the holy and happy occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.