The Politics of the Moon: Rabitah’s Quest for Division Disguised as Unity

 

The Politics of the Moon: Rabitah’s Quest for Division Disguised as Unity

By Adebisi Olaide Idris

In recent weeks, a new controversy has emerged within the Muslim community in Nigeria, particularly in Yoruba land. The League of Ulama and Imams, led by Rabitah, has declared that they will determine the start of Ramadan using astrological calculations. Their Mufti has claimed that their findings place the beginning of Ramadan, March 1st. 

They base this on the opinion of some scholars and an interpretation of Hadith by Abdullah Ibn Abbas, arguing that the key factor in determining the start of Ramadan is the birthing of the new moon rather than its sighting.

On the surface, this might seem like an effort to bring about unity among Muslims by ensuring that all start fasting on the same day using scientific methods. However, a closer look reveals a more dangerous agenda—one that could further divide Nigerian Muslims rather than unify them. Robito, which has historically been a force for division among Yoruba Muslims, is once again attempting to establish a separate identity, creating a rift between Yoruba Muslims and the rest of Nigeria’s Muslim population. This move undermines the authority of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, and threatens the unity of Muslims in Nigeria.

The claim that this move is meant to unify Muslims is laughable at best and hypocritical at worst. Rabiah has been one of the strongest forces in fragmenting the Yoruba Muslim community. They have championed the stratification of Muslims into sects—labeling some as Ahlus-Sunnah, others as Salafi, and others as Alakida, rather than promoting a single, united identity as Muslims.

Now, the same group that has sown division among Yoruba Muslims is claiming that they want to unify all Muslims under a common lunar calculation system. The contradiction is glaring. If Rabitah were truly concerned with unity, they would recognize the authority of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, which already has a moon-sighting committee comprising representatives from all parts of Nigeria, including the southwest. This committee ensures that the decision to begin Ramadan is not made by a single ethnic group or sect but by a collective of scholars who follow proper Islamic jurisprudence.

What Rabitah is doing is not about unity, it is about asserting an independent Yoruba Islamic authority, separate from the rest of Nigeria’s Muslim leadership.

 Arguments Against Astrological Calculations

Islam provides clear guidelines on how to determine the start of Ramadan, and those guidelines do not include astrological calculations. Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah:

فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ

“Whoever among you sights the month, let him fast it.” (Quran 2:185)

The key word here is sights. The command is not to calculate, predict, or estimate the moon’s birth. Rather, it is to observe the new crescent moon physically.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) reinforced this in a well-known Hadith recorded in both Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim:

صُومُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ وَأَفْطِرُوا لِرُؤْيَتِهِ، فَإِنْ غُمَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فَأَكْمِلُوا عِدَّةَ شَعْبَانَ ثَلَاثِينَ يَوْمًا 

“Begin your fast when you sight the crescent, and break your fast when you sight it. If it is cloudy, then complete the count of Sha’ban as thirty days.”

Nowhere in Islamic tradition did the Prophet (PBUH) command Muslims to rely on calculations or astrological predictions. Even when the moon’s visibility was obstructed by clouds, the solution provided was to complete the 30 days of Sha’ban—not to determine its birth through scientific means. This is a profound point: if Allah and His Messenger had wanted us to rely on astrological calculations, the Prophet (PBUH) would have instructed his followers to do so. Instead, he told them to rely on physical sighting.

Some may argue that modern instruments can now predict when the moon is born. However, this does not override the command to sight the crescent. The command is clear: see it. If it is unseen due to weather conditions, we complete 30 days—simple and straightforward.

Even more concerning is that Rabitah’s Mufti has attempted to justify their stance by citing a statement from Sheikh Dr. Yasir Qadhi, suggesting that calculations can be used. However, any such argument crumbles when placed against the weight of textual evidence from the Quran and Hadith.

The Danger of a Yoruba-Only Moon

At the heart of this issue lies a dangerous precedent: the idea of a Yoruba-only approach to Islamic leadership in Nigeria. By attempting to set their own date for Ramadan independent of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Rabitah is sending a clear message—they want Yoruba Muslims to operate separately from the rest of Nigeria’s Muslim population.

This is deeply problematic. Islam is not an ethnic religion. It is not Hausa Islam, Yoruba Islam, or Igbo Islam. It is Islam, universal in nature, with all Muslims united under a single religious framework. The Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, represents all Muslims in Nigeria—Hausa, Yoruba, Fulani, Kanuri, and beyond.

By breaking away to establish a separate moon-sighting system, Rabitah is not uniting Muslims; they are dividing them. They are creating a scenario where Yoruba Muslims will have their own Ramadan start date, separate from the rest of Nigeria. This will inevitably lead to confusion and division among Muslims, further weakening the community rather than strengthening it.

It is crucial that Yoruba Muslims do not fall into this trap. We are not Yoruba Muslims. We are Muslims in Nigeria. We follow the same Quran, the same Prophet (PBUH), and the same guidelines for determining the start of Ramadan. The attempt to establish a Yoruba-led moon calculation is nothing but a political move disguised as religious scholarship.

Standing for Unity

The Muslim Ummah in Nigeria has a responsibility to remain united. The Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, has a well-established process for moon sighting that includes representatives from all regions of the country. This system ensures fairness, unity, and adherence to Islamic principles.

Rabitah’s actions, on the other hand, only serve to divide the Muslim community further. Their history of sectarianism and their current push for astrological moon calculations should be seen for what they truly are—an attempt to carve out a separate Yoruba Islamic authority rather than a genuine effort for unity.

Yoruba Muslims must reject this division. We do not need a Yoruba-only moon. We need a united front that aligns with the broader Muslim community in Nigeria and follows the proper Islamic methods for determining Ramadan. The Prophet (PBUH) taught us how to do this, and it is our duty to follow his guidance, not the political ambitions of self-appointed scholars.

May Allah keep the Muslim Ummah united and guide us to what is best. Ameen.