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Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight - Islam (3) - Nairaland

Nairaland ForumNairaland GeneralIslamRamadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight (8543 Views)

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Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by Mirasteel: 8:19am On Feb 17
yomi531:
who dash una 2 billion 😂😂😂
If you get sense you will use Google.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by Zehdbe(m): 8:20am On Feb 17
i just hope every one read these because im seeing alot of dumb comments here
naptu2:
Sun, moon, calendar, Ramadan and funny ignorance

These ideas were fully formed in my mind by 1987, but I have seen new and very funny examples of ignorance every year since then.

Ignorance

Someone wished another person happy new year (back in the late 1980s) and the person thanked her, but said that he was not a Christian. Many people that were around were shocked. They said that she was referring to the New Year and that it had nothing to do with Christianity. In fact, some of them asked me what the New Year had to do with Christianity.

They were wrong. It's got a lot to do with Christianity.

This second example sounded very funny to me because, luckily, I had learnt the science behind it way back in the 1980s, before I heard the ignorance in the 2000s. Someone referred to the moon sighting for Ramadan and said that it was evidence that Muslims worshipped the moon. I laughed at him.

I had never heard this crazy idea before I started reading Nairaland. I assumed that every Nigerian knew the truth. After all, it was announced on the NTA Network News every year (as far back as I can remember). Some crazy person said that only the Sultan of Sokoto could see the new moon and he questioned why it was only the Sultan that was allowed to see the new moon. I felt sure that he was mad.

Year, month, day

I am not going to be very detailed about this first part because it is almost 40 years since I read about it and I can't remember the minute details.

Between 1985 and 1987 I read all about how our modern calendar was created. The calendar is based on the earth's revolution around the sun. The earth revolves around the sun in 365¼ days. The ¼ leads to a full day every 4 years and that's how we have our leap year (the extra day is in February).

The moon revolves around the earth in 27.3 days (it takes around 29.5 for us to see the new moon). This gives us our month.

It takes 23 hours and 56 minutes (basically 24 hours) for the earth to rotate on its axis. This gives us our day.

Hold on a second. I said that it takes around 27-29 days for the moon to rotate around the earth and this gives us our month, but 30 days have September, April, June and November; all the rest have 31, except February alone, so what's responsible for the difference?

Gregorian Calendar

It's all about how our calendar was created. Various religious and political leaders manipulated the calendar to suit their needs. Julius Ceaser created July and made it the longest month, Augustus Ceaser created August and made it the longest month and Pope Gregory The 13th (Pope of the Catholic Church in the 1500s) rearranged the calendar into the form that we know today. It is called the Gregorian Calendar (that's right, it is a Christian calendar).

All these changes altered the number of months in the Gregorian calendar (there are more changes that I did not list, for example, January is named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, but as I said, I won't be detailed in this section).

You can easily tell that it is a Christian calendar because of the dates. We are in 2024 AD. AD means Anno Domini, which means, "In the year of our Lord". The full form is anno Domini nostri Jesu Christi", which translates to "in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ". It marks the time from the death of Jesus Christ and some refer to it as "After Death". The term BC means Before Christ.


The Gregorian calendar is not the only calendar that exists and is being used. There is the Chinese calendar, the Ethiopian calendar, the Hijri (or Islamic) calendar, etc.

National Concord newspaper wrote the dates in both the Gregorian and the Hijri calendars on its front page in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Hijri Calendar

The Hijri calendar is based on the revolution of the moon around the earth. A year consists of 12 lunar months, that is 354 or 355 days.

Just as the dates in the Gregorian calendar are marked by the death of Jesus Christ (AD and BC), the dates in the Hijri calendar are marked by the migration of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina (this is known as the Hijrah).

It is because the Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar, that's why people are asked to look out for the new moon. They are not worshipping the moon, they are simply using it to tell the time. That is, they are using it to determine when a new month starts.

For example, Ramadan is one of the months of the Hijri calendar. Muslims are enjoined to fast during the month. That's why people look out for the new moon, because they want to determine when the month starts and ends.

Moon sighting

I am also not going to be very detailed in this section because this knowledge is from many decades ago.

All Muslims are asked to look out for the new moon that signifies the beginning of the new month. However, for the sake of unity and uniformity, Muslims are required to report a sighting to the leader in their area, so that the Muslim faithful can carry out the tasks (beginning of fast, celebration of Eid, etc) together. Anyone can sight the moon, but he is required to report such sighting to the leader who will announce that the moon has been seen.

In Nigeria, the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA) is the umbrella body for Muslims in the country. The Sultan of Sokoto is usually the president-general of the SCIA, while the secretary-general of the SCIA is usually a southerner (for a long time it was Dr Lateef Adegbite).

There is also a National Moon Sighting Committee. The National Moon Sighting Committee usually asks Muslims to look out for the new moon and it provides phone numbers that people can call if they see it.

Once it has been confirmed that the moon has been seen, the Sultan of Sokoto will make the announcement that the new month has begun and he will state where and when the moon was seen and who confirmed it.

This is all very simple and easy for a sensible person to understand.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by usmanpogo(m): 8:21am On Feb 17
naptu2:






Ladies and gentlemen, quick, come and see the type of people that I'm always talking about o!

Hahahahahahahahahaha

(We'll see more of them tomorrow).
Its a simple question, I'm certain you know the truth.
Fasting during the month of Ramadan is a practice that was observed by the pagan Arabs before the advent of Islam.

You can easily Google search all these things, even the Pilgrimage to Mecca is a pagan practice that was adopted into Islam.

Every well-discerning human can tell the difference between fiction and facts.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by Mirasteel: 8:22am On Feb 17
11doubledee:
Remember make una dey preach tolerance, love and peace.
Make una stop to dey cause trouble and violence everywhere including here on nairaland.
Me self wish only peace loving Muslims Ramadan kareem in advance grin grin grin grin
Tell that to your Christian brothers too that are causing problems all over the world.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by casdoruche: 8:22am On Feb 17
naptu2:






Ladies and gentlemen, quick, come and see the type of people that I'm always talking about o!

Hahahahahahahahahaha

(We'll see more of them tomorrow).
Are you a Muslim or not?

Stop beating about the bush. Or are you ashamed to proclaim your faith?
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by olax02(m): 8:23am On Feb 17
V
pdppower:
The killer bandits will also want to observe the fasting and claim they are doing an act of worship. Afterwards they will go into villages to kidnap and kill innocent people. May God's wrath descend on them in this holy month of Ramadan.
Ramadan Kareem to all Muslims in advance
just wait and see. This is the right time that US will be pounding them. No rest for the wicked. Grab my popcorn and drink, set to watch the movie.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by dederocs(m):
grin
After they will say traditionalists idolise...moon, crescent, stoning stone, kissing stone...what is that?
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by sweetkev(m): 8:24am On Feb 17
Basic123:
grin

Stop judging musllims with your religion standard.

Sultan is not like one God from judea that was killed brutally by roman soldiers years back.

Heis just a mortal a fulani man that hapoens to be a muslim leader.In Islam,no racial discrimination.

By the way,when will an Igbo man become a pope?

Also,alery me when an Igbo man becomes the daddy G.O of redeem and wimner
Stop lying. There is racial discrimination in Arab countries against black Muslims. It's what I've experienced and it's still going on till now. Ask the blacks residing there.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by MatrixCircle: 8:26am On Feb 17
Brainwashed angry angry
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by naptu2(op): 8:29am On Feb 17
usmanpogo:
Its a simple question, I'm certain you know the truth.
Fasting during the month of Ramadan is a practice that was observed by the pagan Arabs before the advent of Islam.

You can easily Google search all these things, even the Pilgrimage to Mecca is a pagan practice that was adopted into Islam.

Every well-discerning human can tell the difference between fiction and facts.




casdoruche:
Are you a Muslim or not?

Stop beating about the bush. Or are you ashamed to proclaim your faith?



naptu2:
🤣 I don't know why, but I've just remembered a very funny thread.


The Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) put out a notice that Muslims should look out for the new moon which would indicate the commencement of Ramadan, so I created a thread about it. This was a normal and regular announcement when I was a kid.

It seems like one of those trolls saw the thread and decided that I was a Muslim, so he decided to use that to provoke me.


Some days later I created a thread about the fact that Muhammad Ali was going to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. I watched a lot of wrestling matches when I was a kid and I remember watching a videotape of Gorilla Monsoon fighting against someone (can't remember who) and Muhammad Ali was sitting at ringside. Ali got into the ring at a point and challenged Gorilla and Gorilla put him in an airplane spin. I guessed that was why he was being inducted.

Anyway, I created the thread and this troll came there and posted something very offensive about Prophet Muhammad.

The highly entertaining thing for me was that the moderator was watching the thread at the time and the post vanished in the twinke of an eye. It was so fast that it was almost as if it never happened.

Obviously the troll had 2 objectives (1) to provoke me and (2) to derail the thread. He failed on both counts and he got a ban for his effort.

However he did succeed in entertaining me (I had a good laugh).

Muhammad Ali to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame
https://www.nairaland.com/8028272/muhammad-ali-inducted-into-wwe
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by JoeEeL(m): 8:32am On Feb 17
Orlandoo:
Bro, it's the people in higher authority that tells them what to do. Reno Omokri included. I noticed it when I commented on one of Omokri's thread which he created himself. Because he is an active member on this forum. I told nairaland members that they shouldn't take Reno serious, a comment made in the afternoon o, many people qouted me. Can you believe that the following morning my post was no where to be found. You ever wonder why every topic about Reno insulting the opposition always make front page.
Hmmn. Makes sense. Whats his handle? That Omokri sef just dey one kind.

Someone who was championing d case of the freeourgirls movement all of a sudden saying christian genocide no exist?

Just neither here nor there.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by usmanpogo(m): 8:39am On Feb 17
naptu2:






Like I said the last time

"Well-discerning humans can tell the difference between facts and fictions "

You're deflecting because you know I'm right and you've no logical defense.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by naptu2(op):
usmanpogo:
Like I said the last time

"Well-discerning humans can tell the difference between facts and fictions "

You're deflecting because you know I'm right and you've no logical defense.



casdoruche:
You are too ashame to say you are a Muslim



🤣 You can't possibly think that I'm going to take you seriously. Trolls exist for one reason alone, to entertain me. That post was a troll trap and you fell in.

I am going to have maximum fun at your expense.

Come back to my other thread tomorrow, I've got more for you.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by Orlandoo(m): 8:47am On Feb 17
JoeEeL:
Hmmn. Makes sense. Whats his handle? That Omokri sef just dey one kind.

Someone who was championing d case of the freeourgirls movement all of a sudden saying christian genocide no exist?

Just neither here nor there.
His handles are many here but the most prominent one is rescuenaija. Just go through it and see for yourself.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by Lukuluku69(m): 8:47am On Feb 17
naptu2:
Sun, moon, calendar, Ramadan and funny ignorance

These ideas were fully formed in my mind by 1987, but I have seen new and very funny examples of ignorance every year since then.

Ignorance

Someone wished another person happy new year (back in the late 1980s) and the person thanked her, but said that he was not a Christian. Many people that were around were shocked. They said that she was referring to the New Year and that it had nothing to do with Christianity. In fact, some of them asked me what the New Year had to do with Christianity.

They were wrong. It's got a lot to do with Christianity.

This second example sounded very funny to me because, luckily, I had learnt the science behind it way back in the 1980s, before I heard the ignorance in the 2000s. Someone referred to the moon sighting for Ramadan and said that it was evidence that Muslims worshipped the moon. I laughed at him.

I had never heard this crazy idea before I started reading Nairaland. I assumed that every Nigerian knew the truth. After all, it was announced on the NTA Network News every year (as far back as I can remember). Some crazy person said that only the Sultan of Sokoto could see the new moon and he questioned why it was only the Sultan that was allowed to see the new moon. I felt sure that he was mad.

Year, month, day

I am not going to be very detailed about this first part because it is almost 40 years since I read about it and I can't remember the minute details.

Between 1985 and 1987 I read all about how our modern calendar was created. The calendar is based on the earth's revolution around the sun. The earth revolves around the sun in 365¼ days. The ¼ leads to a full day every 4 years and that's how we have our leap year (the extra day is in February).

The moon revolves around the earth in 27.3 days (it takes around 29.5 for us to see the new moon). This gives us our month.

It takes 23 hours and 56 minutes (basically 24 hours) for the earth to rotate on its axis. This gives us our day.

Hold on a second. I said that it takes around 27-29 days for the moon to rotate around the earth and this gives us our month, but 30 days have September, April, June and November; all the rest have 31, except February alone, so what's responsible for the difference?

Gregorian Calendar

It's all about how our calendar was created. Various religious and political leaders manipulated the calendar to suit their needs. Julius Ceaser created July and made it the longest month, Augustus Ceaser created August and made it the longest month and Pope Gregory The 13th (Pope of the Catholic Church in the 1500s) rearranged the calendar into the form that we know today. It is called the Gregorian Calendar (that's right, it is a Christian calendar).

All these changes altered the number of months in the Gregorian calendar (there are more changes that I did not list, for example, January is named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, but as I said, I won't be detailed in this section).

You can easily tell that it is a Christian calendar because of the dates. We are in 2024 AD. AD means Anno Domini, which means, "In the year of our Lord". The full form is anno Domini nostri Jesu Christi", which translates to "in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ". It marks the time from the death of Jesus Christ and some refer to it as "After Death". The term BC means Before Christ.


The Gregorian calendar is not the only calendar that exists and is being used. There is the Chinese calendar, the Ethiopian calendar, the Hijri (or Islamic) calendar, etc.

National Concord newspaper wrote the dates in both the Gregorian and the Hijri calendars on its front page in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Hijri Calendar

The Hijri calendar is based on the revolution of the moon around the earth. A year consists of 12 lunar months, that is 354 or 355 days.

Just as the dates in the Gregorian calendar are marked by the death of Jesus Christ (AD and BC), the dates in the Hijri calendar are marked by the migration of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina (this is known as the Hijrah).

It is because the Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar, that's why people are asked to look out for the new moon. They are not worshipping the moon, they are simply using it to tell the time. That is, they are using it to determine when a new month starts.

For example, Ramadan is one of the months of the Hijri calendar. Muslims are enjoined to fast during the month. That's why people look out for the new moon, because they want to determine when the month starts and ends.

Moon sighting

I am also not going to be very detailed in this section because this knowledge is from many decades ago.

All Muslims are asked to look out for the new moon that signifies the beginning of the new month. However, for the sake of unity and uniformity, Muslims are required to report a sighting to the leader in their area, so that the Muslim faithful can carry out the tasks (beginning of fast, celebration of Eid, etc) together. Anyone can sight the moon, but he is required to report such sighting to the leader who will announce that the moon has been seen.

In Nigeria, the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA) is the umbrella body for Muslims in the country. The Sultan of Sokoto is usually the president-general of the SCIA, while the secretary-general of the SCIA is usually a southerner (for a long time it was Dr Lateef Adegbite).

There is also a National Moon Sighting Committee. The National Moon Sighting Committee usually asks Muslims to look out for the new moon and it provides phone numbers that people can call if they see it.

Once it has been confirmed that the moon has been seen, the Sultan of Sokoto will make the announcement that the new month has begun and he will state where and when the moon was seen and who confirmed it.

This is all very simple and easy for a sensible person to understand.


Contact details of members of the Moon Sighting Committee for Ramadan 2026.

https://www.nscia.com.ng/nmsc/
Thank you very much for this write up. May God Almighty continue to bless and guide you now and always.

Thank you.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by YorubaKinging: 8:49am On Feb 17
Sure. Thats why the mosques always have a Crescent moon image on top.

Better go and research before arguing

Basic123:
As a witnessshuh


You are too Ignorant!

What does Islam says about the moon

(Surah Fussilat 41:37): "And of His signs are the night and day and the sun and moon. Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon, but prostrate to Allah, Who created them, if it is Him you worship".


Muslims have 12 calender month,which is even more reasonable than gregorian calender because each month is exactly in line with the movement of the moon.One of the months is ramadan.
When they say,look out of the moon,it means,check wether a new montj called ramadan has heralded
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by usmanpogo(m): 8:52am On Feb 17
naptu2:
🤣 You can't possibly think that I'm going to take you seriously. Trolls exist for one reason alone, to entertain me. That post was a troll trap and you fell in.

I am going to have maximum fun at your expense.

Come back to my other thread tomorrow, I've got more for you.
I really admire how you never allow evidence interfere with your opinion.

You really have a gift 😂😂😂
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by VicM6: 8:55am On Feb 17
Where dem wan search for moon go like this now....
Anyway, if una don see moon for whr im dey, i will commence my fasting tomorrow.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by Lukuluku69(m): 8:56am On Feb 17
Psalms 104:19 (KJV) He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.

The word MONTH came from the word MOONTH meaning the MOON OF SO AND SO PERIOD.

So, basically it is the MOONTH/MOON OF JANUS for January

To reckon time with the MOON is a Divine instruction.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by naptu2(op): 8:56am On Feb 17
usmanpogo:
I really admire how you never allow evidence interfere with your opinion.

You really have a gift 😂😂😂
Have you asked yourself, "How does he know that I am trolling". It's simple, your question had nothing, nadda, zilch to do with my post.

You brought an unrelated question in order to provoke me because you thought that I was in your target group.

Unfortunately for you I'm not in your target group, I'm in the group that will use you for entertainment.

I'll invite you to my next thread.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by Lukuluku69(m): 8:59am On Feb 17
YorubaKinging:
Sure. Thats why the mosques always have a Crescent moon image on top.

Better go and research before arguing
No you do some research before you embarass yourself on the Internet.

The Crescent on the Minaret was introduced tmby the Ottoman when they wholly embraced Islam.

Before you reply, a simply Google search of it will tell you this basic simple fact.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by hotseat: 9:00am On Feb 17
Wow!

Muslims claiming of being victimized?

Kikikiki-kakakaka!!! kiokiokio-kwakwakwa!!!

Wonders, they say, shall never end.

I would rather reserve my comments before I "chop" the usual suspension by Seun Osewa and his deranged moderators.

Suffice it to say that the truth always speaks for itself between the victims and the perpetrators.




@hotseat
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by Lukuluku69(m): 9:03am On Feb 17
dederocs:
grin
After they will say traditionalists idolise...moon, crescent, stoning stone, kissing stone...what is that?
Psalms 104:19 (KJV) He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.

God says Mark your time and Seasons with the Moon. A new moon come in form of a crescent 🌙.

Don't attack everything you lack basic understanding of.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by usmanpogo(m): 9:07am On Feb 17
naptu2:
Have you asked yourself, "How does he know that I am trolling". It's simple, your question had nothing, nadda, zilch to do with my post.

You brought an unrelated question in order to provoke me because you thought that I was in your target group.

Unfortunately for you I'm not in your target group, I'm in the group that will use you for entertainment.

I'll invite you to my next thread.
If you had anything logical to say, you would have said it.
I can see you're committed to your current level of understanding.

Its frivolous to press further.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by naptu2(op): 9:09am On Feb 17
usmanpogo:
If you had anything logical to say, you would have said it.
I can see you're committed to your current level of understanding.

Its frivolous to press further.
You want to run? You are not going anywhere!

Do you think that the Venusians and Jupiterians also fast?

I have not freed you, you can't go anywhere until I am ready.
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by usmanpogo(m): 9:14am On Feb 17
naptu2:
You want to run? You are not going anywhere!

Do you think that the Venusians and Jupiterians also fast?

I have not freed you, you can't go anywhere until I am ready.
It's really fascinating what you have done with your education
Re: Ramadan 2026: Sultan Of Sokoto Asks Muslims To Search For The Moon Tonight by naptu2(op): 9:17am On Feb 17
usmanpogo:
It's really fascinating what you have done with your education
Aha! Good. Stick around, we'll have fun tomorrow.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Reply

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