Sokoto cleric, followers observe Eid despite Sultan’s directive

Sultan

A Sokoto-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Musa Lukuwa, on Thursday led his followers in observing Eid al-Fitr prayers in defiance of a directive issued by Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, who had declared Friday as the official Sallah day.

Lukuwa conducted the two-unit Eid prayer at his Mabera mosque at about 9:10am, hours after the Sultan announced that the Shawwal crescent moon had not been sighted anywhere in Nigeria, thereby extending the Ramadan fast by a day.

In a message circulated on social media, the cleric justified his decision, citing confirmed reports of moon sightings in neighbouring Niger Republic.

“Niger Republic is very close to us — about 100 kilometres away.

“If we accept reports from cities like Kano or even Lagos, which are farther away, there is no reason to reject confirmed sightings from a neighbouring country,” ” he said.

He stressed that the action was not intended to undermine the Sultan’s authority but was based on religious conviction.

“We usually follow the Sultan’s directive in starting and ending Ramadan. However, when it is clear that the moon has been sighted, we must act in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet, even if it differs from the Sultan’s declaration,” he stated.

Providing historical context, Lukuwa referenced the era of Abubakar Mahmoud Gummi, when prominent scholars independently announced moon sightings before the responsibility was centralised under the Sultan to ensure unity among Muslims.

He maintained that the Sultan’s decision on this occasion was incorrect.

He reportedly informed congregants around midnight of the development and directed them to assemble for Eid prayers Thursday morning.

In Nigeria, the Sultan of Sokoto, who also serves as President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, is the recognised authority for declaring the commencement and end of Ramadan based on verified moon sightings across the country.