Iran Declares Ramadan Continues; Nigeria's Lukuwa Defies Sultan

Iran has announced that Ramadan fasting will continue on Friday, with Eid al-Fitr celebrations scheduled to begin on Saturday. This declaration was made via state television and aligns with the lunar observations confirming the end of the fasting period.

The announcement follows a similar timeline confirmed by Iraq's top Shia cleric, Ali al-Sistani. In Nigeria, Sheikh Musa Lukuwa, a Sokoto-based Islamic scholar, has publicly defied the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, who declared Friday as the official Eid celebration day.

Lukuwa conducted two units of Eid prayer at Mabera Mosque, drawing a large number of followers. He rejected the Sultan's position, citing reports of moon sightings from neighboring Niger Republic, which he deemed trustworthy.

Despite this defiance, Lukuwa emphasized that his decision was rooted in religious obligation rather than a challenge to the Sultan's authority.