A number of Islamic mass organisations have set different dates for\nthe start of fasting or 1 Ramadan 1447 Hijriah. Muhammadiyah will begin\nfasting on Wednesday, 18 February 2026, whilst Persatuan Islam (Persis)\nhas set it for Thursday, 19 February. Meanwhile, the Meteorology,\nClimatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) will observe the hilal, or new\ncrescent moon marking the start of fasting, on 17\u201318 February.<\/p>\n
The Central Board of Persatuan Islam (PP Persis) has officially\ndetermined that the start of Ramadan 1447 Hijriah falls on Thursday, 19\nFebruary 2026. The determination is based on the calculations of PP\nPersis\u2019s Hisab and Rukyat Council, which employs the imkan rukyah method\nusing astronomical criteria.<\/p>\n
The decision is set out in Circular Letter No.\u00a02317\/JJ-C.3\/PP\/2026\nconcerning the start of Ramadan, Syawal and Zulhijah 1447 Hijriah\/2026\nCE, signed by PP Persis Chairman Jeje Zaenudin and Secretary General\nHaris Muslim in Bandung on 20 January 2026.<\/p>\n
According to Persis, the ijtima (conjunction) at the end of the month\nof Sha\u2019ban 1447 Hijriah occurs on Tuesday, 17 February 2026 at 19.01\nWestern Indonesian Time. However, at the time of maghrib across\nIndonesia, the moon\u2019s position remains below the imkan rukyah criteria.\nThe moon\u2019s altitude ranges from -2 degrees 14 minutes 56 seconds to -0\ndegrees 51 minutes 32 seconds, whilst the moon-sun elongation distance\nranges from 0 degrees 56 minutes 19 seconds to 1 degree 53 minutes 24\nseconds.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on hisab calculations, the hilal cannot yet be observed,\ntherefore 1 Ramadan 1447 Hijriah is set for Thursday, 19 February 2026,\u201d\nsaid Jeje in the circular letter.<\/p>\n
Persis has also determined that 1 Syawal or Eid al-Fitr falls on\nSaturday, 21 March 2026, and Eid al-Adha (10 Zulhijah) on Wednesday, 27\nMay 2026.<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah, through its central board proclamation number\n2\/MLM\/1.0\/E\/2025, has set the start of fasting for Wednesday, 18\nFebruary 2026. The decision was issued on 22 September 2025. The\nproclamation explains that the ijtima (conjunction) ahead of Ramadan\n1447 Hijriah occurs on Tuesday, 17 February 2026. However, based on the\ncriteria of the global Hijriah calendar, the new month begins at sunset\nthe following day. The same principle applies to the determination of\nthe start of Syawal and Zulhijah, which have been carefully\ncalculated.<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah has set Eid al-Fitr (1 Syawal 1447 Hijriah) for Friday,\n20 March 2026, and Eid al-Adha (10 Zulhijah) for Wednesday, 27 May 2026.\nAccording to Muhammadiyah\u2019s official website, the determination is based\non the principles, conditions and parameters of the Unified Global\nHijriah Calendar, resulting from the 32nd National Deliberation of\nMuhammadiyah\u2019s Tarjih Council in Pekalongan in 2024.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the BMKG will conduct simultaneous hilal observations on\n17\u201318 February 2026 across various regions of Indonesia, from Aceh to\nPapua. The observations will employ computerised telescopes integrated\nwith information technology. During the observation, the hilal\u2019s\nluminosity will be recorded by detectors on telescopes that\nautomatically track changes in the moon\u2019s position on the western\nhorizon. Observation data will be transmitted directly to BMKG\u2019s central\nserver for storage and online dissemination via\nhttp:\/\/hilal.bmkg.go.id.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, for instance, the BMKG Bandung Geophysics Station has\nscheduled hilal observations on 17\u201318 February 2026 at two different\nlocations: the Albiruni Observatory at Universitas Islam Bandung\n(Unisba) and the Bosscha Observatory in Lembang, West Bandung\nRegency.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on early hilal data for 17 and 18 February 2026, BMKG\u2019s hilal\nrecords, astronomical science, and weather forecast data, the early\nRamadan 1447 Hijriah hilal in Bandung will not be observable on 17\nFebruary but has the potential to be observed on 18 February,\u201d said Head\nof the BMKG Bandung Geophysics Station Teguh Rahayu in a written\nstatement on Sunday, 15 February 2026.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/muhammadiyah-and-persis-differ-on-start-of-ramadan-fasting-1771280514", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }