Sultan directs Muslims to search for New Moon

Moon sighting holds great significance for Muslims, especially during Ramadan, as it determines the beginning and end of the holy month.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Saad Abubakar, has called on the Muslims to start looking for the new Moon of Ramadan from Friday, February 28, 2025, equivalent to the Islamic calendar 29th of Sha’aban1446AH.

Professor Sambo Wali Junaidun, the Chairman Advisory Committee on Islamic Religious Affairs, Sultanate Council Sokoto state, said in a statement that if sighted, the information should be forwarded to the nearest district or village head for onward commutation to the Sultan.

Professor Junaidun said the monthly observation of the moon clarifies the Islamic calendar within a given year, thereby making the month of Ramadan moon sightings more acceptable to the general Muslims in the country.

Moon sighting holds great significance for Muslims, especially during Ramadan, as it determines the beginning and end of the holy month. The Islamic calendar follows a lunar system, meaning months begin with the sighting of the new crescent moon (Hilal).

The appearance of the crescent moon signals the beginning of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, during which Muslims observe fasting, prayer, and reflection.

Similarly, the sighting of the moon at the end of Ramadan marks Eid al-Fitr, the festival that signifies the conclusion of fasting and is a time of joy, charity, and gratitude.

Moon sighting follows the tradition of Prophet Muhammad, who instructed Muslims to begin and end Ramadan based on visual confirmation of the new moon.