Idul Adha 2026: Determination Meeting to be Held on 17 May, Potential for Unified Date
The Ministry of Religious Affairs will hold a meeting to determine the start of Zulhijah 1447 Hijriah on Sunday, 17 May 2026, which will determine the date of Idul Adha 2026 in Indonesia.
The meeting will take place at the H.M. Rasjidi Auditorium, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Jakarta, and will involve the government, Islamic organisations, and experts in astronomy and lunar observation.
The Director General of Islamic Community Guidance at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Abu Rokhmad, said that the meeting is a forum for consultation in determining the start of the Hijri month.
“The meeting is a forum that brings together the government, Islamic organisations, and experts in astronomy and lunar observation in determining the start of the Hijri month,” said Abu Rokhmad on Tuesday (5 May 2026), as quoted on the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ official website.
Muhammadiyah has already determined that 10 Zulhijah 1447 Hijriah will fall on that date using the Single Global Hijri Calendar (KHGT) method.
Meanwhile, NU usually follows the results of the hilal sighting and the government’s meeting, with predictions also pointing to the same date based on the NU Almanac.
However, the Ministry of Religious Affairs advises the public to wait for the official results of the meeting on 17 May 2026 before determining the start of Idul Adha.
The calculation method is carried out through astronomical calculations to determine the position of the hilal, while rukyat is carried out by direct observation at various points in Indonesia.
Abu Rokhmad emphasised that both methods complement each other in the determination process.
“This approach ensures that the decisions taken are not only based on scientific data but are also confirmed through field observations,” he said.
The series of meetings will begin with a seminar on the position of the hilal, followed by reports on the hilal sighting from various regions, before finally being determined by the Minister of Religious Affairs and announced to the public.
The height of the hilal is said to be above 3 degrees with an elongation of more than 6.4 degrees, so in theory it meets the requirements for the possibility of sighting the hilal.
However, the Ministry of Religious Affairs emphasised that this data is not yet the basis for the official determination.
“The determination of the start of Zulhijah still awaits the results of the rukyat and the decision of the meeting as the official government authority,” said Abu Rokhmad.