The League of Imams and Alfas in Yorubaland has clarified its position on the announcement of the commencement of Ramadan, emphasizing that their declaration was not intended to challenge the authority of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, the recognized spiritual leader of Muslims in Nigeria. The League issued a communiqué on Thursday, March 27, 2025, specifying Saturday, March 1, 2025, as the start date for Ramadan fasting in Yorubaland. This announcement, based on astronomical calculations, predicted the new moon’s visibility after sunset on February 28, 2025, thus marking the beginning of the holy month. The League’s Grand Mufti, AbdulAzeez Ishola, addressed concerns about a perceived challenge to the Sultan’s authority, explaining that their action was neither a political statement nor an attempt to undermine the Sultan’s position. He emphasized the League’s longstanding practice of issuing such announcements for the past 50 years, based on scholarly interpretations and astronomical observations.
Ishola highlighted the League’s traditional practice of announcing the commencement of Ramadan, a practice spanning five decades. He stressed that this year’s announcement, which gained significant attention on social media, was consistent with their established procedure. This procedure, he explained, is rooted in the Islamic tradition of scholarly interpretation and scientific observation, particularly in astronomy. The astronomical calculations predicting the new moon’s visibility formed the basis of their declaration, a practice consistent with their long-held traditions and not intended as a deviation from established Islamic practices or a challenge to the Sultan’s authority.
The League’s declaration, according to Ishola, resulted from precise astronomical calculations determining the new moon’s visibility. The calculations pinpointed the conjunction of the new moon on February 28, 2025, enabling the prediction of its visibility after sunset, thus signaling the start of Ramadan. This scientific approach, Ishola contended, underscores the League’s commitment to aligning religious observance with verifiable astronomical phenomena. He explained that the League consults with Muslim astronomers who specialize in calculating the movements of celestial bodies, ensuring the accuracy of their predictions regarding lunar phases and eclipses. This practice, he reiterated, is not unique to this year but has been a consistent part of the League’s approach for several decades.
Addressing the concerns surrounding the perceived challenge to the Sultan’s authority, Ishola reiterated the League’s respect for the Sultan’s position as the spiritual leader of Muslims in Nigeria. He explained that the League’s independent declaration was not meant to create a division within the Muslim community but was rather based on their established practice of astronomical observation and scholarly interpretation. This practice, he emphasized, has been in place for half a century and predates the current Sultan’s tenure. He underscored that the League’s actions are driven by their commitment to accurately determine the beginning of Ramadan through scientific methods and not by any political motivations or a desire to usurp the Sultan’s authority.
The League of Imams and Alfas, comprised of community leaders and Islamic scholars, views its communiqué as a scholarly contribution based on the Islamic emphasis on knowledge. The combination of religious scholarship and astronomical expertise informs their decision-making process concerning the commencement of Ramadan. This approach, they believe, aligns with the Islamic principle of seeking knowledge and using it to guide religious practices. The reliance on astronomical calculations, alongside religious scholarship, demonstrates the League’s commitment to a well-informed and scientific approach to determining important religious dates.
In concluding, Ishola reiterated that the Sultan of Sokoto remains the undisputed leader of Muslims in Nigeria and that the League’s actions were not intended to challenge his authority in any way. He attributed the widespread attention given to this year’s announcement to social media amplification, emphasizing that the League’s practice of independently determining the start of Ramadan has been a consistent tradition for decades. He affirmed the League’s commitment to unity within the Nigerian Muslim community, emphasizing their respect for the Sultan’s leadership while maintaining their established practice of using astronomical calculations and scholarly interpretation to guide their religious pronouncements.
