Ministry of Religious Affairs Announces Crescent Moon Visibility Criteria Met; First Day of Zulhijah to Fall on 18 May 2026

The determination of the beginning of Zulhijah 1447 Hijri is becoming clearer. The Ministry of Religious Affairs revealed that the position of the crescent moon throughout Indonesia has met the visibility requirements set by the member countries of MABIMS.

With these results, astronomically, the first day of Zulhijah 1447 Hijri is expected to fall on Monday, 18 May 2026. This determination marks the beginning of the series of Eid al-Adha worship in 2026.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs conducted crescent moon monitoring at 88 points spread across various regions in Indonesia on Sunday, 17 May 2026.

A member of the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ Crescent Moon Observation Team, Cecep Nurwendaya, explained that the observation results showed that the height and elongation of the crescent moon throughout Indonesia had exceeded the minimum limits of the MABIMS criteria.

“So, the first day of Zulhijah 1447 Hijri astronomically falls on Monday Kliwon, 18 May 2026,” he said.

He explained that the government uses two methods in determining the beginning of the Islamic month, namely hisab (astronomical calculations) and rukyat (physical observation). Hisab is used as the basis for astronomical calculations, while rukyat is carried out to confirm or verify these results.

Based on monitoring data on 17 May 2026, the position of the crescent moon in Indonesia ranged from 3.28 degrees to 6.95 degrees. Meanwhile, the elongation of the crescent moon was recorded between 8.91 degrees and 10.62 degrees.

This position is considered to have met the standards for the possibility of rukyat or visibility of the crescent moon agreed upon by the Ministers of Religious Affairs of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore (MABIMS).

“Throughout Indonesia, the position of the crescent moon has met the criteria for the possibility of rukyat or visibility of the MABIMS crescent moon. Therefore, in this observation, the beginning of Zulhijah 1447 Hijri is theoretically very likely to be observed,” he said.