Isbat Session for Determining Eid al-Adha to Be Held Next Week

The Ministry of Religious Affairs will hold the Isbat session to determine the start of Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 Hijriah on 17 May 2026 to announce when Eid al-Adha will be observed in Indonesia. The Isbat session is scheduled to take place at the H.M. Rasjidi Auditorium, the Ministry of Religious Affairs office in Central Jakarta. Director General of Islamic Community Guidance Abu Rokhmad stated that this session is part of the government’s mechanism for determining the start of the Hijriah month. “The Isbat session is a deliberative forum that brings together the government, Islamic organisations, and experts in falak and astronomy to establish the start of the Hijriah month,” said Abu Rokhmad during a coordination meeting for Isbat session preparations, as quoted from his written statement on Tuesday, 5 May 2026. Abu Rokhmad explained that the process of determining the start of Dhu al-Hijjah is carried out by integrating the hisab method (astronomical calculation) and rukyat (crescent moon observation). These two approaches complement each other to produce a comprehensive decision. According to Abu, hisab data provides an initial picture of the crescent’s position, while rukyat serves as factual confirmation through direct observations at various monitoring points across Indonesia. “This approach ensures that the decision taken is not only based on scientific data but also confirmed through field observations,” he said. The series of Isbat sessions will begin with a seminar on the crescent’s position, presenting astronomical data from the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ Hisab Rukyat Team. The seminar will be broadcast openly as a form of transparency to the public. The committee will then receive reports on rukyatul hilal results from various observation locations, from western to eastern Indonesia. “Subsequently, the Minister of Religious Affairs will lead the session by listening to the considerations of the participants before officially determining the start of Dhu al-Hijjah,” he said. Based on preliminary data presented in the preparation meeting, the crescent’s position on 29 Dhu al-Qadah 1447 Hijriah has met the MABIMS visibility criteria according to hisab. “Calculations show the crescent’s height is above 3 degrees and elongation above 6.4 degrees, thus theoretically meeting the imkan rukyat criteria,” he revealed. However, Abu emphasised that this data is still predictive and not the basis for official determination. “The determination of the start of Dhu al-Hijjah still awaits the rukyat results and the Isbat session decision as the government’s official authority,” he said. The Isbat session results will be announced through a press conference to serve as a common reference for Muslims in Indonesia. “If asked when Eid al-Adha will be, we urge the public to wait for the Isbat session results on 17 May 2026,” said Abu. Based on the 2026 calendar, the provisional date for Eid al-Adha falls on 27 May 2026.