Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria (MUSWEN), the umbrella body of Muslims in the South West region on Sunday, warned Muslim faithful against commencement of this year’s Ramadan fast without an official announcement.
MUSWEN Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Professor Muslih Tayo Yahya, gave this warning through a statement made available to newsmen in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Yahya, a retired Professor and one time Director, Academic Planning and Administration at the University of Jos, in the statement, advised Southwest State Muslim Communities as well as Muslim organizations to wait for an authoritative official announcement by the Sultan before commencing this year’s Ramadan fast.
He admonished all Muslims in the region to guard against any speculation about the commencement of this year’s Ramadan fast.
Yahya, while reacting to speculations making the rounds about the commencement of this year’s Ramadan fast, said the Ummah had transcended an era of unnecessary tangle over moon sighting at the commencement or completion of Ramadan fast in Nigeria.
“The Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria (MUSWEN) has admonished all Muslims in the country’s Southwest region to guard against any speculation about the commencement of this year’s Ramadan fast.
“Ummah had transcended an era of unnecessary tangle over moon sighting at the commencement or completion of Ramadan fast in Nigeria.
“The entire Nigerian Muslim Ummah is already blessed with a very competent leader in the person of His Eminence, Dr. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, the Sultan of Sokoto, who, by his venerable position as the President General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), is the only undisputable leader with the statutory authority to make official announcement on when to start or end Ramadan fast in Nigeria.
“His Eminence is very much aware that sighting the relevant crescent as a condition for commencing or ending Ramadan fast has a due process which he has never ignored in favour of personal whim.
“Emphasizing that NSCIA is the apex body of the entire Nigerian Muslims while MUSWEN is the umbrella body for the Southwest Muslims, Professor Yahya advised the Muslims in the six States of the Southwest region to avoid any distraction that may negatively tamper with the serenity already delightfully ventilated by the unity of the Ummah in the country.
“He reminded the Muslims in the region of the Qur’anic verse that instructed Muslims generally to “..obey Allah, obey the Messenger (of Allah) and those vested with authority among you” (Q. 4:59) and pleaded with the Southwest Muslims not to confront Allah by querying His issuance of that divine instruction.
“I advised the Southwest State Muslim Communities as well as Muslim Organizations that happen to be the major stake holders in MUSWEN to wait for an authoritative official announcement by the Sultan before commencing this year’s Ramadan fast.
“Southwest Muslims to expect the announcement of 1441 AH Ramadan commencement by His Eminence, the Sultan, through the electronic and print media, as usual, at the appropriate time.
“MUSWEN Executive Secretary urged all Imams and other Muslim clerics as well as the generality of Muslims in Nigeria not to relent in praying the Almighty Allah to rescue Nigeria and indeed the entire world from the catastrophe of the current ravaging pandemic called coronavirus.
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