SOKOTO CLERIC DEFIES SULTAN, LEADS EARLY EID PRAYERS OVER MOON SIGHTING DISPUTE
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Agency Report
A Sokoto-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Musa Lukuwa, on Thursday led his followers in observing Eid al-Fitr prayers in defiance of the official directive issued by Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, who had declared Friday as the approved day for Sallah.
Lukuwa conducted the two-unit Eid prayer at his mosque in Mabera at about 9:10 a.m., hours after the Sultan announced that the Shawwal crescent moon had not been sighted anywhere in Nigeria, thereby extending the Ramadan fast by an additional day.
In a message circulated on social media, the cleric defended his decision, citing 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.
Lukuwa emphasised that his action was not intended to undermine the authority of the Sultan but was based on his religious conviction.
“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.
Providing historical context, the cleric referenced the era of Abubakar Mahmoud Gummi, when prominent Islamic scholars independently announced moon sightings before the process was centralised under the Sultan to ensure unity among Muslims.
He maintained that the Sultan’s decision on this occasion was incorrect and reportedly informed his followers around midnight, directing them to assemble 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 declaring the beginning and end of Ramadan based on verified moon sightings across the country.
His pronouncements are widely followed to promote unity among Muslims. However, disagreements over moon sightings, particularly when reports emerge from neighbouring countries, have occasionally resulted in differing observances among some clerics and communities, especially in northern Nigeria.
This is not the first time Sheikh Lukuwa and his followers have taken a position contrary to the Sultan’s official declaration, reflecting an ongoing debate within Islamic jurisprudence regarding the acceptance of moon sightings beyond national borders.
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