A Sokoto-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ayuba Musa Lukuwa, on Thursday led his followers in Eid al-Fitr prayers, defying the directive of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar, who had declared Friday as the official Sallah day.
The cleric conducted the two-unit Eid prayer at his Mabera Mosque at about 9:10 a.m.
Lukuwa addressed his followers following the Sultan’s announcement that the Shawwal crescent moon had not been sighted anywhere in Nigeria.
In a message later circulated on social media, he justified the early Eid, citing reports of moon sightings in neighboring 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, there is no reason to reject confirmed sightings from a neighboring country,” he said.
The cleric emphasized that his decision was guided by religious teachings and was not intended to undermine the Sultan’s authority.
“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,” Lukuwa stated.
He also referenced the historical role of the late Abubakar Mahmoud Gummi in moon sightings before the responsibility was centralized under the Sultan to maintain unity within the Muslim community.
Lukuwa maintained that the Sultan’s decision was incorrect in this instance and instructed his followers to return for Eid prayers the following morning, after confirming the sighting around midnight.
This is not the first time Sheikh Lukuwa and his followers have diverged from the Sultan’s official position on Eid celebrations.
