Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has declared Friday as Eid-el-Fitr, following the sighting of Shawwal, 1444 AH in many places across the country.

According to the monarch, reports on the new moon were received and verified by the national moon sighting committee.

He therefore called on Muslims to live peacefully with one another irrespective of their differences.

He also prayed Allah to “guide our new leaders aright and continue to shower his Blessing on our country.”

The Saudi Arabia Government had also earlier announced Friday as the celebration of Eid-el-Fitr, an annual celebration which marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic Fasting month.

This was confirmed on Thursday via the Saudi Arabian Press Agency on its Twitter account, mentioning that the moon for a new month as being cited.

“Tomorrow, Friday, is the first day of Eid al-Fitr for this year,” the agency had tweeted.

According to the Muslim lunar calendar, the time of Eid al-Fitr is determined by the appearance of the crescent moon.

Families get together to celebrate the holiday.

One of the five pillars of Islam is the daytime fasting month of Ramadan.

Observant Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn until dusk and traditionally break their fast with friends and family in the evening.

Additionally, it is a time for prayer, with many followers gathering at mosques, particularly at night.

In Saudi Arabia, where Mecca and Medina are two of Islam’s holiest sites, fasting is a common practice.

Source: SR