July 27, 2014
NewsRescue
The new Emir, HRH Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II has announced the sighting of the new moon, signifying a new lunar calendar month and the end of the Ramadan Holy month. From a tweet from Kwankwaso2015:
“The new moon of Shawwal has been sighted. His Royal Highness, Alh Muhammad Sanusi II declared tomorrow as 1st Shawwal.”
Happy Eid to Muslims in Nigeria!
It is not everyone that started this month that completed it. May Allah(s) have mercy on the Zakzaky Muslims of Kaduna, who lost 30+ members and immediate family. – Editor Hamza Suleiman
Controversy in date’s based on sighting and calculations
There are some debates on the sight-ability of the moon, however the following Hadith appear to promote moonsighting over calculations. It is important to mention that advanced astrologers with calculations as advanced as obtains today were in existence in the time of the prophet and as we all know, since Mayans and other ancient civilizations, yet the prophet of Islam chose the moonsighting method over calculations:
NARRATOR Abu Hurayrah
SAHIH MUSLIM
HADITH_No 2381 The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) made a mention of the new moon and (in this connection) said: Observe fast when you see it (the new moon) and break fast when you see it (the new moon of Shawwal), but when (the actual position of the month is) concealed from you (on account of cloudy sky), then count thirty days.
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar:
The Prophet said, “We are an illiterate nation; we neither write, nor calculate. The month is like this and this, i.e. sometimes of 29 days and sometimes of thirty days.”
Further reading: http://www.islamcan.com/islamic-articles/moon-sighting-or-calculation.shtml#.U9RyHPldVaM