Recently, we took a trip to Khasab in the Musandam Peninsula of Oman. It is a small piece of Oman separated from the rest of the country, by the UAE and is only about 2 hour (stunning!) drive from Dubai. Once you pass the border, you have mountains directly on your right and the Gulf of Oman immediately on your left...
Khasab is a beautiful little town that still has a rustic, traditional feel to it and is just so tranquil, masha'Allah. It's got mountains, it's got beach; the people are down-to-earth, kind, and friendly...
Khasab Fort
Beach
Views from the Dolphin Tour
Searching for where to pray Jummah, a google search gave me a result of an "ancient mosque" with a picture similar to this:
Naturally, this really piqued our curiosity, but the same entry had comments that it was now closed. Other comments advertised it as being hard to get to, but a "private beach to camp out on".
We decided to pray at the Sultan Qaboos Masjid and drive here afterwards to see it. Following the GPS coordinates took us off road and after a point we didn't feel comfortable driving further. We decided to turn back and ask the locals at the hotel if a hike would get us to it.
When in doubt, ask a local...! Turns out that it isn't really an "ancient mosque", but the tomb of the patron saint of Khasab/Musandam. "Ras al-Shaykh Masood" has been a pilgrimage site for locals as far back as they could remember -- nobody could give us a date, but we were told that this maqam has been there since before the Portuguese. The brothers at the hotel discouraged us from driving or hiking with the kids, and instead connected us to a local speedboat that took us twenty minutes around the mountain and brought us to this serene sight off the Gulf of Oman...
The smaller building with a dome (left) is the maqam of Shaykh Masood.
The rectangular building to the right is a small masjid built beside it.
In front and all around, are graves (likely his family and students).
If you are ever in Khasab or can go, this is a place to visit, without a doubt! We don't know anything about Shaykh Masood, but anyone who has visited maqams knows that there is a smell and feeling of other-worldly serenity that is common at the resting places of the awliya. Even this faqira had enough of a heart to feel Shaykh Masood's high station with Allah and even our children made comments and asked questions because of what they saw and felt at the maqam. It was the highlight of our trip. Please go and please send our salam.
On the other hand....we did see some campers' tents pitched by the shore... perhaps they didn't realize that all those stones are Muslim grave markers! We heard that a group that was camping there recently hadn't noticed until at night the one of them that was on watch was throwing his flashlight around when he realized that they had pitched their tents beside a cemetery...he decided to wait till morning to tell the others. When the others woke up and saw the beautiful sunrise they started to talk about staying another night...that's when he told them what he discovered the night before...and they all packed up and bolted!
Campers: Aside from the spooky factor of sleeping in a cemetery on an unlit isolated beach... it is my humble request that out of respect for this man of God and the deceased, people not come here to party, drink (we found lots of broken glass bottles), and camp...
A small window inside the masjid, looking out.
Door to the maqam of Shaykh Masood.
Inside the maqam of Shaykh Masood.
There is something so beautiful about a maqam that is so simple and so isolated. We have seen some very famous and very ornamented maqams, but the simplicity here was really breathtaking. Sincerity is often found in the greatest simplicity.
*Pictures here are my own and I ask they not be used without my permission*
