Sultan of Sokoto, Muhamad Saad Abubakar, has urged Muslims to begin seeking the Ramadan crescent moon tomorrow, Friday, April 1, 2022 – signalling the beginning of Ramadan.
The sultan said this in a statement issued on Thursday by Zubairu Haruna Usman-Ugwu, director of administration, Nigerian Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs.
According to the statement, if the moon is not sighted on Friday, the fast will begin on Sunday.
Muslims follow a lunar calendar with 12 months in a year that lasts 354 or 355 days.
The sighting of a crescent moon marks the beginning of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Ramadan is a time for reflection when Muslims around the world observe fasting for 29 or 30 days.
The statement reads;
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), under the leadership of its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alh. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, felicitates with the entire Muslim Ummah on the auspicious occassionof the forthcoming 1443 AH Ramadan fast. The council prays that Allah spares the lives of every Muslim to participate in the ibadah exercise and to maximise the benefits therein.
Consequent upon the advice of the National Moon Sighting Committee(NMSC), the President-General enjoins the Nigerian Muslim Ummah to search for the cresent of Ramadan 1443 AH immediately after sunset on Friday, April 1st, 2022, which is equivalent to 29th Sha’aban 1443 AH.
It stressed;
If the cresent moon is sighted by Muslims of impeccable character on the said evening, then His Eminence would declare Saturday, 2nd April, 2022, as the first day of Ramadan 1443 AH. If, however, the cresent is not sighted that day, then, Sunday, 3rd April, 2022, automatically becomes the first of Ramadan, 1443 AH.
In the same vein, the Council enjoins all Muslims to be more prayerful unto Allah, especially in this Month, (Ramadan), to help our nation, the world in general and our leaders in particular to overcome the current challenges confronting the Nation and the world.
More than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide will observe the month in which believers refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and engaging in marital activities from sunrise to sunset.
Ramadan is considered holy by Muslims since the Quran is said to have been revealed to their Prophet Muhammad during that month.
Fasting during Ramadan is also one of Islam’s five pillars and Ramadan is followed by the Eid al-Fitr celebration.
