The Ministry of Religious Affairs has announced the results of the\nIdul Fitri 2026 Isbat session. The determination of the start of the\nHijriah month in Indonesia, particularly for Ramadan, Syawal, and\nZulhijah, now adheres to stricter scientific standards. Since 2022, the\nIndonesian Government through the Ministry of Religious Affairs has\nofficially adopted new criteria agreed upon by the Ministers of\nReligious Affairs from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and\nSingapore (MABIMS).<\/p>\n
These criteria serve as the primary parameter in the Isbat session\nresults to determine whether field reports of crescent moon sightings\n(rukyatul hilal) are scientifically acceptable.<\/p>\n
MABIMS is a regional cooperation forum aimed at harmonising Islamic\naffairs in Southeast Asia. One of its key achievements is the\nunification of the Hijriah calendar through the Imkanur Rukyat criteria\n(possibility of the crescent being visible).<\/p>\n
Under the latest standards applicable in 2026, the crescent is\ndeclared to meet the requirements if:<\/p>\n
The Isbat session combines two methods: Hisab (calculation) and\nRukyat (observation). The MABIMS criteria act as a scientific bridge\nbetween the two:<\/p>\n
If field officers report seeing the crescent, but its astronomical\nposition is still below 3 degrees or elongation below 6.4 degrees, the\nreport will be rigorously reviewed. This is done to avoid\nmisidentification of other celestial bodies as the crescent.<\/p>\n
If hisab data indicates that the crescent\u2019s position does not meet\nthe MABIMS criteria across all regions of Indonesia, and rukyat results\nare also nil, the Isbat session will typically decide on Istikmal,\ncompleting the current month to 30 days.<\/p>\n
The use of the 3-degree and 6.4-degree elongation standards is based\non extensive global research on crescent visibility. With these higher\nstandards, the potential for differences in the start of the month due\nto observation errors can be minimised, providing stronger certainty for\nMuslim worship.<\/p>\n
Why might the government\u2019s results differ from Muhammadiyah\u2019s?<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah uses the Wujudul Hilal method (as long as the moon is\nabove the horizon), whereas the Government uses MABIMS criteria\nrequiring the crescent to be sufficiently high for physical\nvisibility.<\/p>\n
What if the crescent is already at 3 degrees but the weather is\ncloudy?<\/p>\n
In such conditions, reports from various monitoring points across\nIndonesia will be collected. If none succeed in seeing the crescent due\nto weather constraints, the final decision will be made in a closed\nsession based on the principle of caution (ihtiyat).<\/p>\n
Based on the session results, the Government has set Hari Raya Idul\nFitri 1 Syawal 1447 Hijriah to fall on Saturday, 21 March 2026.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) in 2004 stated that the authority\nto announce the start of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr lies with the ulil\namri, or in Indonesia, the Ministry of Religious Affairs.<\/p>\n
The Government has officially set Idul Fitri 1447 H to fall on\nSaturday, 21 March 2026. The decision was taken through the Isbat\nsession using the istikmal method of 30 days.<\/p>\n
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Region IV\nMakassar, along with the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious\nAffairs and several related agencies, conducted monitoring of the 1\nSyawal 1447 H crescent.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/results-of-the-2026-idul-fitri-isbat-session-and-latest-mabims-criteria-requirements-for-the-crescent-moon-in-1773931883", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }