Naija and Gulf pipo don dey eye di sky as dem dey prepare for di start of Ramadan! Dis year, di Ramadan fit start for February 18 or 19, depending on wetin dem see for di moon. E be like say wahala don land as Saudi and UAE no gree on di crescent sighting. Na wetin I go yarn for una now!
Di top astronomers don talk sey dem no go fit see di crescent moon on February 17, wetin be di date dem dey expect moon-sighting to happen. Di Saudi authorities, dem dey plan to start Ramadan on February 18, while UAE experts don talk sey dem go start for February 19.
E get as di wahala be, because Saudi Arabia dey always use their own method of sighting, while UAE dey try follow di scientific calculations. Dis disagreement don make many people wonder wetin go happen dis year, especially as di two countries no dey feel each other again since diplomatic tension don rise.
For Saudi Arabia, dem dey call Muslims to look for di crescent after di maghrib prayer. Di Supreme Court dey urge people to report wetin dem see. If dem sight di moon, di fasting go start on February 18; but if dem no see am, Ramadan start go push to February 19.
As for di moon sighting for Nigeria, e dey depend on traditional local testimony. Sheikh Usman Lere, one popular imam, don talk sey dem go dey look for di moon self on di same day, February 17. If dem sight am, Nigerians go start to fast on February 18, but if e no show, na February 19 dem go begin.
Dis Ramadan season dey important well well, as e bring family and community together for charity, prayers, and reflections. Di fast dey last for 12 to 13 hours, from dawn to dusk. Na during dis time, Muslims dey chop ‘suhoor’ before fasting, and ‘iftar’ to break di fast.
Wetin make di whole moon sighting matter dey interesting be say many Muslim countries dey usually follow Saudi Arabia’s lead, but dis year fit be different because of di experts’ warnings. Na so e be for di Muslim world, everything dey hinge on di crescent. Di first day of Ramadan fit be different for different countries, all based on wetin dem see for di sky!
So make we dey observe di sky well well, as we dey pray for peace and understanding for our communities. E go sweet if we fit join together to celebrate Ramadan, no matter as di moon shine. Whether na by sight or by science, we go still dey waka together!
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
