Sultan Declares July 16, 2026, as Safar 1448AH Start

The Sultan of Sokoto, Emin Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, announced that Thursday, July 16, 2026, will be the first day of Safar 1448AH. This declaration followed a report from the National Moon Sight Committee, which confirmed that there was no authentic sighting of the Safar moon on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, corresponding to the 29th of Muharram 1448AH.

The announcement was made in a press statement signed by Prof. Sambo Wali Junaidu, the chairman of the Sultan Council Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs.

The committee stated that they did not receive any reports from various moon sighting committees across the country confirming the sighting of the crescent moon. Therefore, Wednesday, July 15, 2026, will mark the completion of 30 days of Muharram 1448AH.

The Sultan, who is also the President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), accepted the committee's recommendations and provided the official basis for Muslims across Nigeria to begin observing the month of Safar.