Our hostess quoted several verses from the Koran to demonstrate that Islam was a religion of "peace, mercy and forgiveness and does not support terrorism".
When I started to choose a booklet she recommended one entitled "A brief illustrated guide to understanding Islam".
I followed her advice and she drew my attention to a chapter headed "What does Islam say about terrorism?", which concluded: "The vast majority of [Muslims] have nothing to do with the violent events some have associated with Muslims. If an individual Muslim were to commit an act of terrorism this person would be guilty of violating the laws of Islam."
It was an encouraging introduction to Islam Omani-style (following the Ibadi school, founded by the great Omani sage Jabir ibn Zaid al-Azdi, rather than being Sunni or Shia).
Certainly, as we wandered round the mosque afterwards, the atmosphere - as in every other mosque I have visited around the world - was peaceful and friendly.
It was built by the oil-rich Sultan Qaboos, absolute ruler of Oman, as a gift to his people and, clearly, no expense has been spared.
Abu, the ex-army sergeant-major who showed us around, poured out impressive statistics. The main chandelier in the men's prayer hall is European crystal, weighs eight tonnes and has 8112 lamps. The 4000sq m carpet took 600 women in the Iranian city of Isfahan four years to make.
The complex is big enough that on important religious occasions 20,000 people can pray in the halls and courtyards. The men's prayer hall alone can accommodate 10,000 though, Abu added, "We are squeezed together very tightly."
The much smaller women's hall can take 1750.
Yet, despite its size and splendour, this grand mosque is less ostentatious than other modern mosques I have seen, partly because the dominant colours are muted browns and creams and partly, I think, because of the extensive, tranquil gardens.
"The Sultan likes those colours," Abu explained. "They are the same colours he has used in other buildings.
I saw these later when we visited the massive palace in Muscat - one of nine around the country - which Abu said was "only used for receptions for foreign visitors, the Sultan does not live there".
Creams and browns were even more obvious in the newly opened Royal Opera House built because "the Sultan learned to like opera when he lived in England for many years. He has very English tastes".
Only partially. There's no doubt that during Sultan Qaboos' 42-year reign Oman has become a very welcoming part of the often turbulent Middle East, with excellent infrastructure and good education and health services.
But democracy is not, so far, one of the English ideas to have been adopted. And so far Oman seems to have missed the upheavals of the Arab Spring.
I asked several locals if they thought that might change and the response was probably best summed up by one man, "The Sultan has no son and he is over 70 years old.
"Under the constitution, when he dies a successor must be chosen by the Al Bu Said family council.
"That is when things could change. People keep quiet because they respect him. But Arabs are learning to like democracy."
CHECKLIST
Getting there: Etihad Airways' partnership with Air New Zealand connects from Auckland, via Australia, to Abu Dhabi.
Further information: See omantourism.gov.om.
