In just a few hours, the government through the Ministry of Religious\nAffairs will hold the Sidang Isbat to determine 1 Syawal 1447 Hijriah or\nEid al-Fitr Day 2026. This forum determines when Muslims in Indonesia\nend their Ramadan fasting worship.<\/p>\n
Sidang Isbat is an official forum organised by the government to\nestablish the beginning of Hijriah months, such as Ramadan, Syawal (Eid\nal-Fitr), and Dzulhijjah (Eid al-Adha). Its purpose is to provide\ncertainty for worship times in accordance with Islamic law while\nmaintaining uniformity in society.<\/p>\n
In practice, Sidang Isbat combines two main methods: hisab and\nrukyat. Hisab uses astronomical calculations to determine the moon\u2019s\nposition mathematically. Meanwhile, rukyat involves direct observation\nof the hilal or the first crescent moon after sunset.<\/p>\n
The combination of both reflects efforts to balance scientific and\nreligious approaches, while accommodating various views in determining\nthe Hijriah calendar.<\/p>\n
History of Sidang Isbat<\/p>\n
The determination of religious holidays has been a concern of the\ngovernment since the early days of independence. During President\nSoekarno\u2019s administration, Government Regulation Number 2\/Um of 1946 was\nborn, regulating holidays, including Eid al-Fitr.<\/p>\n
Since then, the Minister of Religious Affairs has been authorised to\nset holidays each year. The tradition of Sidang Isbat then developed as\nthe official mechanism used to this day.<\/p>\n
Several records indicate that Sidang Isbat began to be routinely held\nin the 1950s decade, while other sources mention 1962 as the start of\nits implementation. The session is usually held on the 29th of Sya\u2019ban\nto determine the start of Ramadan, and on the 29th of Ramadan to set 1\nSyawal.<\/p>\n
During the tenure of Minister of Religious Affairs Saifuddin Zuhri,\nSidang Isbat was further strengthened through Ministerial Decree (KMA)\nNumber 47 of 1963. Its status was then reinforced through subsequent\nregulations, including Law Number 3 of 2006 on Religious Courts.<\/p>\n
Determination Mechanism<\/p>\n
Sidang Isbat begins with a presentation of the hilal\u2019s position by\nthe Ministry of Religious Affairs\u2019 Hijriah Calendar Unification Team\nbased on hisab calculations.<\/p>\n
In parallel, hilal observations are conducted at hundreds of points\nacross Indonesia. For determining Syawal 1447 H, observations are\ncarried out at around 117 locations spread from west to east\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Next, the Minister of Religious Affairs leads a closed session\ninvolving various parties, from representatives of Islamic community\norganisations, ambassadors of friendly countries, to institutions such\nas BMKG, BRIN, and astronomy experts.<\/p>\n
The decision is made by considering hisab data and rukyat reports.\nThe results are then announced to the public through a widely broadcast\npress conference.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, differences in determining the start of Hijriah months\nbetween the government and some Islamic mass organisations often occur.\nHowever, such differences are expected to be addressed with mutual\nrespect to maintain harmony.<\/p>\n
Analysis of Eid 2026 Determination<\/p>\n
Director of Islamic Religious Affairs at the Ministry of Religious\nAffairs, Arsad Hidayat, stated that based on hisab, the hilal\u2019s position\nat the end of Ramadan 1447 H does not fully meet the visibility criteria\nset by MABIMS member countries (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and\nSingapore).<\/p>\n
On 29 Ramadan 1447 H, corresponding to 19 March 2026, the hilal\u2019s\naltitude in Indonesia ranges from 0\u00b054\u2019 to 3\u00b07\u2019. Meanwhile, the\nelongation angle ranges between 4\u00b032\u2019 and 6\u00b06\u2019.<\/p>\n
However, the MABIMS standard requires a minimum altitude of 3 degrees\nand elongation of 6.4 degrees. This means that although some regions may\npotentially meet the minimum altitude, the elongation aspect still does\nnot meet the imkanur rukyat criteria.<\/p>\n
This finding aligns with predictions from the Bosscha Observatory at\nBandung Institute of Technology (ITB). Bosscha researcher, Yatny\nYulianty, stated that the hilal\u2019s position is very low and close to the\nsun at sunset, making it difficult to observe.<\/p>\n
Bosscha data shows geocentric elongation ranging from 4.6 to 6.2\ndegrees, while topocentric elongation is between 4.0 and 5.5 degrees,\nstill below the visibility threshold.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the final decision remains in the hands of the\ngovernment through Sidang Isbat. Field rukyat results will be the\ndetermining factor on whether the hilal can be seen or not.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/isbat-session-history-mechanism-and-determination-of-eid-1773913881", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }