By Muhammad Hamisu
Almost all the states in the Northern part of the country have declared Tuesday, June 16, which equivalent to Muharram 1, 1448AH as public holiday.
The declaration of the day as public holiday in the affected states was to enable Muslim Ummah to celebrate the ushering in of their new Islamic year 1448AH.
So far, the states that declared the day as public holiday included among others Kano, Sokoto and Kebbi.
Earlier, in a statement from the chairman of the Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs of the Sultanate Council, Sokoto, Prof. Sambo Wali Junaidu, quoted the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, declaring the day as 1st day of Muharram, 1448 AH, marking the beginning of the new Islamic year.
The statement said: “The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has declared Tuesday, June 16, 2026, as the first day of Muharram 1448AH, marking the commencement of the Islamic New Year.”
According to the statement, the declaration followed the sighting of the new moon of Muharram in various parts of the country and the acceptance of the reports by the Sultanate Council.
“The Sultan congratulated Muslims across Nigeria and the world on the occasion of the Islamic New Year and urged them to use the period for prayers, reflection and renewed commitment to the teachings of Islam,” said the statement.
He also called on the people of the country to continue praying for peace, security and prosperity in the country.
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar and one of the four sacred months in Islam. The beginning of Muharram marks the start of a new Islamic year.