NATIONAL MOON SIGHTING COMMITTEE OF THE NSCIA
Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs
National Headquarters
National Mosque, ABUJA
29 Muharram, 1436AH (22November, 2014)
His Eminence
Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni
Sultan of Sokoto & President-General
Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs
Through
Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, OFR, FNAL, FNIM
Secretary-General
Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs
National Headquarters
National Mosque
Abuja
As-salam alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu
THE 1ST DAY OF SAFAR 1436AH
We pray this letter finds His Eminence in good state of health and the spirit of Islamic brotherhood.
The National Moon-Sighting Committee (NMSC) of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) wishes to inform His Eminence that available reports on the visibility of the new crescent of Safar 1436AH observed on 29th Muharram 1436AH (22 November, 2014) by members of the NMSC as well as some individuals and members of other active moon sighting societies in 21 locations across fourteen States of the Federation all showed negative reports. These include Yobe (Potiskum), Bauchi (Bauchi), Gombe (Gombe, Kumo), Zamfara (Kaura Namoda), Lagos (Lagos Island) and Ogun (Ota). Others are Kwara (Ilorin), Kaduna (Kaduna, Saminaka, Lere), Nasarawa (Lafiya, Keffi), Niger (Bidda), Kebbi (Zuru, Dirin Daji, Bunza), Sokoto (Sokoto), Plateau (Namu – Qua’an Pan LGA) and FCT (Abuja). Your Eminence, Sir, this result was in line with astronomical calculations, which gave the conjunction time (moon birth) for Safar 1436AH to be at 1:32pm on Saturday, 22November, 2014. This indicated the closeness of the moon to the sun such that the sun glare overshadowed the new crescent of Safar, hence, its visibility was impaired.
Against this background, NMSC recommends that Sunday, 23rd November, 2014 is therefore 30th Muharram, 1436AH while Monday, 24th November, 2014 is 1st Safar, 1436AH insha Allah.
Please accept our highest assurances, respects and considerations at all times.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Hafiz S. Wali Imam Abdullahi Shuaib, FCPA, FCIDA, FAAE, ANIM
Chairman Secretary
