A Sokoto-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Musa Lukuwa, on Thursday led his followers in observing Eid al-Fitr prayers despite a directive from the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, who had fixed Friday as the official Sallah day.
The cleric conducted the two-unit Eid prayer at his Mabera mosque around 9:10am, just hours after the Sultan announced that the Shawwal crescent moon had not been sighted anywhere in Nigeria, thereby extending the Ramadan fast by one more day.
In a message shared on social media, Lukuwa defended his action, pointing to verified 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 emphasised that his decision was not meant to challenge the authority of the Sultan but was guided by his religious beliefs.
“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.
Offering historical perspective, Lukuwa referenced the time of Abubakar Mahmoud Gummi, noting that scholars previously made independent pronouncements on moon sightings before the process was centralised under the Sultan to foster unity among Muslims.
He insisted that the Sultan’s declaration in this instance was incorrect.
According to reports, the cleric informed his followers around midnight and instructed them to gather for Eid prayers on 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 announcing the beginning and end of Ramadan based on verified moon sightings across the country.
While his pronouncements are widely adhered to in the interest of unity, disagreements over moon sightings, particularly when reports come from neighbouring countries,have occasionally resulted in differing observances among some clerics and communities in northern Nigeria.
This is not the first time Lukuwa and his followers have acted contrary to the Sultan’s official declaration, underscoring a broader debate within Islamic jurisprudence regarding the acceptance of moon sightings beyond national borders.
