Ramadan Nears as Sultan of Sokoto Urges Muslims to Watch for Crescent on Tuesday

By: Oluwaseun Lawal

The sky will be watched closely on Tuesday evening. Very closely.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, who also serves as President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, has asked Muslims across the country to begin searching for the new moon of Ramadan 1447 AH on February 17, 2026.

In a statement issued in Sokoto by the Sultanate Council and signed by Wazirin Sokoto and Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, Sambo Junaidu, the call was made formally. But the message felt simple. Step outside after sunset. Look up. And if the crescent is sighted, report it immediately through the official contact channels provided by the council.

Every report, the council said, will be carefully verified before any public declaration is made. No rush. Accuracy matters.

The moon sighting tradition is not new. It is a long-standing Islamic practice used to determine the start of the holy month. A system built on testimony, consultation, and religious responsibility. The Sultan urged Muslims to approach the exercise with honesty and fear of God — a reminder that this is more than just looking at the sky.

In Nigeria, it is traditionally the Sultan, as spiritual leader of Muslims and head of the NSCIA, who announces the official commencement and conclusion of Ramadan after consultations with scholars and moon sighting committees nationwide.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is observed as a sacred time of fasting from dawn to sunset. A month of prayer. Reflection. Discipline. Charity.

And it all begins with a thin crescent. Sometimes faint. But powerful enough to move millions.