Musa Lukuwa, a Sokoto-based Islamic scholar, on Thursday led some Muslim faithful in observing Eid-el-Fitr prayers in the state.
In a video posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday evening,
Lukuwa told his followers that the crescent moon marking the end of Ramadan had
been sighted and instructed them to observe the two-unit Eid prayer on
Thursday.
His position contrasts with that of the Sultan of Sokoto,
Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, who had earlier announced that the Shawwal moon was
not sighted in Nigeria and subsequently declared Friday for the Eid-el-Fitr
celebration.
Lukuwa, however, rejected the Sultan’s position, arguing
that the moon was sighted in neighbouring Niger Republic and should be
considered valid for Muslims in Nigeria.
“When it comes to Sunnah, you either follow it or you don’t.
Observing Eid on the first of Shawwal is the practice of the Prophet Muhammad
(SAW),” Lukuwa said.
“It is not permissible to celebrate Eid on the second day of
Shawwal if the first has been confirmed. Doing so goes against the teachings of
the Prophet.”
The cleric criticised what he described as undue reliance on
moon sightings from countries such as Saudi Arabia, insisting that geographical
proximity should be a determining factor.
“The distance from here to Konni in Niger Republic is less
than 100 kilometres, compared to over 500 kilometres to Kano and about 1,000
kilometres to Maiduguri. Yet people accept sightings from those cities but
question those from Niger,” the cleric said.
He added that scholars in Niger Republic had confirmed the
sighting of the Shawwal moon and were set to observe Eid on Thursday.
Lukuwa noted that his stance was not an act of defiance
against the Sultan but a difference in interpretation.
“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 said.
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