Ministry of Religious Affairs calls on Aceh residents to perform the khusuf prayer during the total lunar eclipse

Banda Aceh, Indonesia – The Aceh Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) has urged Acehnese to carry out the khusuf prayer during the total lunar eclipse, or full moon, tonight. Kemenag Aceh head Azhari said the eclipse occurring in the middle of Ramadan should be seen as part of efforts to improve worship quality, and the sunnah khusuf prayer is recommended. The total lunar eclipse is expected to brighten Aceh’s skies from after sunset until shortly after Isya, coinciding with 14 Ramadhan 1447 H / 3 March 2026. BMKG says the total eclipse can be observed in Aceh in three phases: the end of the total eclipse (U3) at 19:03 WIB, the end of the partial eclipse (U4) at 20:17 WIB, and the end of the penumbral phase (P4) at 21:24 WIB. Therefore, Kemenag urges the public not to link the eclipse with calamities or bad omens, especially since it occurs during maghfirah in Ramadhan. Instead, people are advised to perform the sunnah khusuf prayer from the start of magrib until the end of the partial eclipse at 20:17 WIB. ‘The eclipse should not be linked to death, calamity or other bad things, as it is a natural phenomenon to reaffirm Allah SWT’s majesty,’ he said. ‘At the peak of the eclipse, the Moon will appear red, popularly known as the blood moon,’ he explained. He noted that a total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes completely through the Earth’s umbra, with the Earth between the Sun and Moon. During this phenomenon, the Moon darkens and may turn copper-red, hence the ‘blood moon’. The eclipse is expected to begin at 15:44 WIB with the penumbral phase, followed by partial eclipse at 16:50 WIB. The total eclipse, appearing red, begins at 18:04 WIB and lasts 58 minutes until 19:02 WIB. Subsequently, the Moon’s disc will be increasingly covered as a sign of the partial eclipse beginning at 19:02 and ending at 20:17 WIB. ‘The total eclipse will last 58 minutes. After the total eclipse, the public can still observe the partial eclipse until 20:17 WIB,’ said Alfirdaus.