SALLAH: Confusion in Ilorin as Ahmadiyah, Offa, Sobi Barracks, others hold Eid Prayer, defile Ilorin Emir =============== There is confusion in Ilorin Sunday morning as several central mosques in the metropolis held Eid-Fitr prayers contrary to the directive of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, who had much earlier directed that the Muslim Ramadan fast would end today, while the festival is slated for tomorrow (Monday). Thousands of Muslims troupe out this morning in Ilorin and other parts of the states to commemorate the day. Our correspondents, who moved round the metropolis and other local government areas, report that several central mosques did the two ‘Rakah’ prayers to commemorate the day. The most prominent in Ilorin is the popular Ahmadiyah Mosque, Tanke area of Ilorin. Also, similar prayer sessions held in Sango area, which has a predominant Hausa population. E-kwara’s correspondent reports that it is a similar situation at the Sobi Barraks, Ilorin, Offa and some parts of Ifelodun area. There was a full prayer in Masjid Noor and Nawarudin Primary School, Offa. There was another at eid praying ground, near the private residence of Chief Adesoye. It will be recalled that There was confusion yet again on Saturday night over whether the new moon of Shawwal was sighted in Nigeria to mark the end of the Muslim Ramadan fast. E-kwara recalls that this was also the case during the last sighting of the moon for the commencement of he Ramadan fast. Both the Emir of Ilorin and Sultan sharply disagreed on the accurate date of the commencement fast. The Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Sa’ad, who is also the President of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, had around midnight on Saturday announced the sighting of the new moon and therefore the end of Ramadan. ”The new month of Shawwal was sighted in different places within Nigeria and therefore tomorrow (Sunday) is the first day of Shawwal equivalent to 27 July 2014,” the Sultan said in an announcement aired on the Nigerian Television Authority [NTA]. But when contacted after the Sultan’s announcement, the Secretary-General of the organisation, Is-haq Oloyede, a professor of Islamic Studies, said he was not aware that the moon had been sighted. “I spoke to the Sultan about four times tonight and he did not tell me that the moon has been sighted,” Mr. Oloyede told PREMIUM TIMES. “In any case, any such claim is ridiculous and unscientific. It cannot be right. “The National Moon-Sighting Committee has not informed us of any credible sighting of the moon. Rather, they said the moon wasn’t sighted. The new moon was only born at 11:45 P.M. tonight (Saturday) and it will take several hours for it to be sighted. “Is our own sky different? Is our own moon manufactured in Nigeria?” Professor Oloyede urged Muslims to continue their fast on Sunday and prepare for Eid-Fitri on Monday in line with the verdict of the National Moon-Sighting Committee, [NMC].
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 11:37:11 +0000
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