Nigeria

Sultan calls on Muslims to look out for new moon of Dhul Hijjah

Tuesday, July 21, 2020 at 10:23 AM by Oluwatobi Bolashodun

- The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has asked Nigerian Muslims to look out for the new moon of Dhul Hijjah

- Muslims were urged to look for the crescent from Tuesday, July 21, which is equivalent to 29th day of Dhul Qadah 1441

- Any Muslim who sights the moon is requested to report to the nearest district head

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The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has urged the Muslims across Nigeria to look for the new moon of Dhul Hijjah 1441 AH as the celebration of Eid draws close.

According to Daily Trust, the president of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) disclosed this in a statement signed by Professor Sambo Junaidu, the chairman advisory committee on Religious Affairs Sultanate Council, Sokoto.

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Junaidu noted that Tuesday, July 21, which is equivalent to 29th day of Dhul Qadah 1441, shall be the day to look for the new moon of Dhul Hijjah 1441 AH.

Muslims have been asked to report the sighting of the moon to the nearest district or village head for onward communication to the Council.

Sultan calls on Muslims to look out for new moon of Dhul Hijjah — Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III. Photo credit: Daily Trust/UGC
Source: UGC

The statement reads in part: “Tuesday, July 21, 2020, which is equivalent to 29th day of Dhul Qadah 1441 shall be the day to look out for the new moon of Dhul Hijjah 1441 AH.”

The monarch prayed for Allah’s help to all Muslims in the discharge of their religious duties.

Recall that there was a slight disagreement between the Sultan of Sokoto and governors of some states in the north over how the Eid-el-Fitr prayers should be observed.

Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar had given a directive that Muslims should observe the prayers at home as part of their observance of the COVID-19 protocols and to prevent the spread of the virus.

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However, some governors, especially in the northern part of the country, eased the lockdown, allowing Muslims to observe congregational prayers.

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Earlier, Legit.ng reported that astronomical calculations indicated that there was no possibility for sighting the crescent moon of Shawwal in the evening of Friday, Ramadan 29, corresponding to Friday, May 22.

The calculations showed that the moon will set before the sun on Friday, implying that Eid-el-Fitr would be on Sunday, May 24, after completing 30 days of fasting.

These calculations were done by astronomers at the observatory of Majmaah University near Riyadh.

The observatory sources said: “According to the scientific calculations that were published on the astronomical observatory site that sun will set at 6:39 p.m at 293 degrees, and the moon will set at 6:26 p.m. Friday, Ramadan 29, and this means the setting of the moon happens 13 minutes before sunset."