Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar, President General of the National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), has instructed the Muslim Ummah to observe the crescent of Shawwal 1445AH starting from Monday.
The Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs of the Sultanate Council Sokoto, Prof. Sambo Janaidu conveyed the directive in a statement issued in Sokoto on Sunday.
The statement reads: “This is to inform the Muslim Ummah that Monday, April 8, equivalent to the 29th day of Ramadan 1445AH, will be the day to look for the new moon of Shawwal 1445AH.
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“Muslims are therefore requested to start looking for the new moon of Shawwal 1445AH on Monday and report its sighting to the nearest District or Village Head for onward communication to the Sultan.
“Furthermore, the public can report sightings of the new moon through the following telephone numbers: 08037157100, 07067416900, 08066303077, 08036149757, 08035965322, and 08099945903,” it stated.
The Sultan prayed for Allah’s continued assistance to Muslims in fulfilling their religious duties.
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Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar, immediately follows Ramadan, marking the commencement of the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.
The month symbolizes a new beginning and spiritual rejuvenation after a month of purification, offering ample opportunities to sustain the positive habits cultivated during Ramadan.
Shawwal is the tenth month of the lunar-based Islamic calendar. Shawwāl stems from the verb shāla which means to ‘lift or carry’, generally to take or move things from one place to another, so named because a female camel normally would be carrying a fetus at this time of year.
The first day of Shawwāl is Eid al-Fitr, fasting is prohibited. Some Muslims observe six days of optional fasting during Shawwāl beginning the day after Eid ul-Fitr since fasting is prohibited on this day.
