Ahead of this year’s Eid-el-Kabir festival, the President-General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has enjoined the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria to look out for the crescent moon of Dhul-Hijjah 1445AH after sunset on Thursday, Dhul-Qa’dah 29, 1445AH, equivalent to Thursday, June 6, 2024.
Sultan Abubakar III gave the directive in a statement signed by the deputy secretary general of NSCIA, Prof. Salisu Shehu, on Wednesday.
He stated that: “Scientifically, the expected time for the conjunction of the moon is on Thursday, 6th June 2024 by 1:38 p.m. Nigerian time.
“It is important to note that the moon appears and can be sighted usually long (even bearing other environmental factors) after the conjunction has taken place.”
Reports explained that Dhul-Hijjah, the 12th and final month in the Islamic calendar, is one of the four sacred months in Islam during which Muslims across the world perform pilgrimage (Hajj) and celebrate the Eid-El-Kabir festival.
During the month, Muslim pilgrims from around the world congregate in the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj rituals, which begin on the eighth of the month, and celebrate Eid-el-Kabir from the 10th to the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah.