The National Moon Sighting Committee has agreed with the Southwest sub-committee on May 27 as the possible start date for this year’s Ramadan.
The two committees reached the agreement at an interaction in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital Thursday evening.
The interaction, which held at the Bodija headquarters of the Southwest League of Imams and Alfas, afforded the two committees to share experiences on moon sighting techniques and the need to harmonize start date for the fasting exercise.
At the end of the interaction, the two groups announced May 27 as the possible start date based on guide by astronomical science indicating that the moon would be most likely sighted the day before.
Members of the national committee, led by its chairman, Dr Hafiz Wali, said they were in Ibadan to meet with the league and the Southwest moon sighting committee with a view to harmonize start date of Ramadan between the northern and southern parts of Nigeria.
They said the move became necessary in view of the fact that it is only in Nigeria that the two parts of the country start and end Ramadan at different times due to moon sighting inaccuracies.
Dr. Wali said his committee would continue to work with regional committees to ensure that the Nigerian Muslim community operates a unified Ramadan process. He promised to transmit the agreement to the Sultan of Sokoto, who set up the national committee to achieve harmony of process. The Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar, is the President General of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (SCIA) in Nigeria.
The chairman of the moon sighting committee in Southwest, Sheikh Muhammed Habibullah Adam Abdullah El Iorry (the Mudir Marcas Agege, Lagos State), welcomed the synergy and promised to sustain the new relationship.
At the meeting were the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Professor Usman El Nafaty, the President of the League in the South West, His Eminence Sheikh Jamiu Keulere (the Chief Imam of Ekiti State), the Vice President and Chief Imam of Lagos State, (Garuba Ibrahim Ainola), the Secretary (Shaekh Ahmad Olagoke Aladesawe), and the host Chief Imam of Oyo State (Shaekh Abdul Ganiyy Agbotomokekere, among others.
After a lecture delivered by Malham Mohammad Yaqub, entitled: “Basics of Moon Sighting”, and its relevance to fasting, where he talked on the challenges being faced in sighting the moon on annual basis, the influence of science in determining the accurate and uniform time, both parties indicated that it the disparity between the commencement and ending date of Ramadan in the North and South West may have become a thing of the past.
In a unanimous resolution by Dr. Wali and Sheakh El Ilory, the League said that the moon is expected to be sighted at 6.45 p.m on Friday May 26 according to the Abuja weather forecast and that fasting would commence the following day provided there are no clouds blurring the sky.
El Ilory said: ”Though some are saying we are no longer following the Sunnah which is the sighting of Moon with ordinary eyes, thinking that we don’t have the right calculation, we are building on astronomical science. Modern time calculation through seeking of knowledge. Some are mocking us that we Muslims are not in unity because the North may see the moon one day and the South may sight it the second day, thereby making us to terminate the Ramadan on different days. The cooperation and scientific knowledge between the two regions have brought near same time and date, thus promoting unity”.
Shaeikh Keulere, in his own remark, said: “I hope to contribute my quota to move forward the entire Muslim Ummah in all states of my jurisdiction in particular and the nation in general. Essentially, we would be ready to work with all Islamic organizations and groups, sects and associations to further the frontiers of Islamic religion towards achieving greater peace, progress, unity and development in our midst and in our nation at large. Good initiatives towards achieving peaceful coexistence and societal peace among various other faiths shall be supported”.
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