Determination of the Beginning of Zulhijah to be Held Today
The Ministry of Religious Affairs will hold a meeting to determine the beginning of Zulhijah 1447 Hijri on Sunday afternoon, May 17, 2026, for Eid al-Adha. The meeting, which coincides with 29 Zulkaidah 1447 Hijri, will take place at the HM Rasjidi Auditorium, Ministry of Religious Affairs office, Jakarta.
The Director of Islamic Affairs and Sharia Guidance, Arsad Hidayat, said that the meeting will be divided into three sessions. First, a seminar on the position of the new moon for the beginning of Zulhijah 1447 Hijri at 4:30 PM and open to the public. Second, the determination meeting at 6:00 PM or after the Maghrib prayer, which will be closed. Third, a press conference announcing the results of the determination meeting at 7:00 PM.
The preparations for the determination meeting for the beginning of Zulhijah 1447 Hijri were discussed in a Coordination and Preparation Meeting for Rukyatulhilal by the Islamic Affairs Division and the Islamic Guidance Division of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs throughout Indonesia online, on May 5, 2026.
Arsad Hidayat said that inter-agency coordination is an important part of ensuring that the implementation of rukyatulhilal runs well, measurably, and can be accounted for both religiously and administratively.
“The implementation of rukyatulhilal is not only a routine annual agenda but also part of religious service to the community. Therefore, coordination with BMKG (Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics), Religious Courts, Islamic mass organizations, and all related parties needs to be continuously strengthened,” said Arsad in his official statement on Sunday, May 17, 2026.
Arsad explained that the rukyatulhilal for the beginning of Zulhijah this year will take place at 88 monitoring points in various regions of Indonesia. All of these points are expected to support the implementation of the determination meeting which will be held today.
According to him, the government still prioritizes the mechanism of the determination meeting as a forum for joint deliberation in determining the beginning of the Hijri month. This approach is considered to be a characteristic of Indonesia in managing religious diversity dialogically and moderately.
“The government has astronomical calculations and the MABIMS imkanur rukyat criteria,” said Arsad. “However, before being announced to the public, all data and input are discussed together in the determination meeting so that the decisions made can be a common reference.”
Arsad added that the Minister of Religious Affairs Regulation Number 1 of 2026 concerning the Implementation of Determination Meetings is an important basis for strengthening the governance of determining the beginning of the Hijri month. This regulation, he said, emphasizes the determination meeting as an official government forum involving various elements, ranging from Islamic mass organizations, astronomy experts, academics, to related state institutions.
In the coordination meeting, several regions also reported on the readiness for the implementation of rukyatulhilal. The Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of South Sulawesi, for example, stated that the rukyatulhilal would be centered at the observatory of the Muslim University of Indonesia in Makassar involving the BMKG, Religious Courts, and Islamic mass organizations.
Meanwhile, the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of North Kalimantan reported that the implementation of rukyatulhilal would be carried out in Tarakan City involving the BMKG, Religious Courts, Islamic mass organizations, and various community elements. Furthermore, the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of West Sulawesi ensured that monitoring of the new moon would still be carried out in Mamuju Regency even though it was done simply.
Reports on the readiness for rukyatulhilal were also submitted from several other regions, including North Maluku, Central Sulawesi, and various regions in eastern Indonesia. The majority of regions have coordinated with the BMKG and local Religious Courts to ensure that the implementation of rukyatulhilal runs smoothly and orderly.