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- For centuries, the Islamic calendar has relied connected existent satellite sightings to find the opening of months, peculiarly for important occasions similar Ramadan and Eid
- However, modern astronomical calculations present let scientists, astronomers, and Islamic scholars to foretell the visibility of the crescent moon
- The 2025 Eid-el-Fitr contention was intensified by the assertion by Sheikh Habibullah El-Ilory that Nigerian Muslim leaders and followers of Islam successful the state submissively followed Saudi officials
Legit.ng writer Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has implicit 4 years of acquisition successful fact-checking.
Agege, Lagos authorities - On Wednesday, April 2, Sheikh Muhammed Habibullah Adam El-Ilory, the proprietor of Markaz Arabic and Islamic Training Institute, Agege, successful Nigeria’s southwest Lagos state, made a Facebook Live video.
In the implicit 1 hr video watched by much than 118,000 people, the cleric, commonly called Mudirul Markaz, claimed that Nigerian Muslims who terminated their fasting connected Saturday, March 29, did truthful due to the fact that authorities successful the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced earlier that time that the moon’s crescent.
Source: Facebook
The claim has been bandied astir by Sheikh Habibullah's adherents.
Legit.ng reports that the Saudi announcement marked the opening of Shawwal and the extremity of Ramadan has been sighted successful their country. The sighting of the caller crescent satellite is important successful the Islamic calendar for determining the opening and extremity of lunar months, including Ramadan, and the solemnisation of Eid.
The Mudirul Markaz said:
“I was the 1 who said we volition accelerated 30. Some radical terminated their accelerated astatine 29; they said they saw the crescent moon. We did not halt astatine 29, we fasted 30. Why did we accelerated 30 and wherefore did those who halt astatine 29 bash so? That is wherever the mentation is. Those (in Nigeria) who stopped their accelerated astatine 29 said Saudi sighted the crescent moon. They said Saudi sighted the satellite and person stopped performing the Tarawih (the optional but recommended sunnah prayers that Muslims observe astatine nighttime successful the period of Ramadan), truthful we person to halt fasting successful Nigeria. Did God inquire you to travel Saudi?”The clip can beryllium watched below:
The full video tin beryllium watched below:
Backstory connected Mudirul Markaz's claim
On Ramadan Day 27, Thursday, March 27, 2025, Sheikh Habibullah, during his spiritual organisation’s Laylat al-Qadr (the nighttime of power) programme, declared that Ramadan 2025 would beryllium 30-day fasting. According to him, Eid-el-Fitr volition autumn connected Monday, March 31, 2025. It is not the archetypal clip that the influential cleric would marque a declaration. In the past, immoderate of his predictions person travel retired correctly.
However, connected Saturday night, March 29, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, announced that the crescent satellite marking the extremity of Ramadan has been sighted successful Nigeria, confirming that Eid-el-Fitr volition beryllium observed connected Sunday, March 30, 2025.
Being the president-general of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Abubakar is considered the spiritual person of Nigerian Muslims – since 2006.
Established successful 1973, NSCIA is the apex Islamic authorization successful Nigeria, with Alhaji Abubakar Umar Ibn Garbai EL-Kanemi, the Shehu of Borno, arsenic lawman president-general, and Professor Ishaq Oloyede arsenic secretary-general. Sheikh Habibullah is simply a subordinate of the NSCIA’s expanded wide intent committee (EGPC).
But is it existent that Nigerian Muslims who stopped their accelerated astatine 29 and observed the Eid-el-Fitr connected Sunday, March 30, did truthful “because Saudi Arabia announced that the crescent for the Islamic period of Shawwal has been sighted?” Legit.ng checked.
Verification of Sheikh Habibullah’s assertion connected Saudi Arabia, Eid solemnisation successful Nigeria, and moonsighting
On Saturday night, March 29, Sultan Abubakar declared Sunday, March 30, arsenic the archetypal time of Shawwal 1446 AH successful Nigeria.
The Sultan made the announcement successful a nationwide broadcast connected Saturday, confirming the sighting of the caller crescent of Shawwal successful assorted parts of the country.
Source: Facebook
He stated that satellite sighting reports were received by the National Moon Sighting Committee (NMSC) from the Emirs of Borno, Zazzau, Daura, Kwandu, and Muslim leaders and organisations crossed Nigeria.
The Sultan declared:
“After owed verification and authentication by the nationalist satellite sighting committee, arsenic good arsenic confirmations from authorities committees, the caller satellite of Shawwal was officially recognised.“This marks the extremity of Ramadan 1446 AH. In accordance with Islamic law, Muslims are to observe Eid-el-Fitr connected Sunday, March 30.”In the 4-minute, 32-second video livestreamed by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), perused by Legit.ng, obscurity did the Sultan notation Saudi Arabia successful his announcement.
For determining the commencement and extremity of Ramadan, the Sultan makes his announcements erstwhile determination are reports of satellite sightings from assorted locations crossed Nigeria – not successful Saudi Arabia.
Addressing the assertion that Muslims successful Nigeria stopped fasting due to the fact that of Saudi’s announcement, Sheikh Akim Kutubi of the Ansaarus-Sunnah Da’awah Centre, Lukosi-Shimawa road, Ogun state, dismissed it.
Kutubi said:
“Saying the radical successful Nigeria that celebrated Eid connected Sunday, March 30, followed Saudi, that is simply a lie. Let those making specified assertion bring wherever the Sultan of Sokoto made specified announcement. Anybody who claims the Sultan followed the Saudi for determining the opening and extremity of Ramadan arsenic good arsenic the solemnisation of Eid successful Nigeria should found specified with facts. Where did they spot such? People should fearfulness God and the hereafter.”How National Moon Sighting Committee verify satellite sighting claims
A salient subordinate of the National Moonsighting Committee successful Nigeria, Simwal Umar Jubril, explained the 5 large questions asked by the National Moonsighting Committee erstwhile verifying a sighting claim.
He listed them arsenic follows:
- Was sunset visible?
- Which absorption of sunset did you spot the crescent from?
- When was the archetypal clip you sighted the crescent?
- What clip did you past spot the crescent?
- What is the signifier of the crescent?
Simwal's video tin beryllium watched below:
It is besides noteworthy that successful Islam, it is considered "Amanah" (trustworthiness) to judge idiosyncratic who claims to person sighted the moon, peculiarly for determining the commencement and extremity of lunar months similar Ramadan, arsenic agelong arsenic they are considered reliable and trustworthy.
Muslims successful Nigeria who observed their Eid-el-Fitr connected Sunday, March 30, 2025, followed the Sultan—and not Saudi Arabia. Therefore, Mudirul Markaz's assertion is incorrect and misleading.
Mufti of Ilorin reacts to allegation of trying to termination Mudir Markaz
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Sheikh Farouq Onikijipa, the expansive mufti of Ilorin emirate successful Kwara state, powerfully refuted allegations that helium tried to kill Sheikh Habibullah.
During a Ramadan lecture astatine his mosque, Onikijipa swore with the Quran that helium was not liable for the Markaz Agege boss' wellness challenge.
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Source: Legit.ng
