Ministry of Religious Affairs to hold Eid al-Fitr determination session on 19 March 2026
Jakarta – Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs will hold a determination session for 1 Syawal 1447 Hijriah (Eid al-Fitr) on 19 March 2026, coinciding with 29 Ramadhan 1447 Hijriah, at the H.M. Rasjidi Auditorium at the Ministry of Religious Affairs office in Jakarta.
Abu Rokhmad, Director General of Islamic Community Guidance at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, stated that preparations for the 1 Syawal 1447 Hijriah determination session have been conducted in accordance with applicable procedures, covering both substantive and technical support aspects.
“The session execution is based on computational calculation data and verified moon sighting results, and proceeds through a mechanism open to the public,” he said in Jakarta on Sunday.
The session will return to the H.M. Rasjidi Auditorium following recent renovations to several rooms in the area. The venue selection considers technical aspects, including the availability of representative space for invited guests and the relatively quiet office and traffic conditions, as most civil servants and the public will be engaged in the annual homecoming period.
This arrangement is expected to facilitate traffic flow management and parking arrangements.
Abu Rokhmad noted that the determination session will involve various stakeholders, including astronomy experts from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), planetarium and observatory representatives, Islamic civil society organisations, and other relevant institutions.
“Because of this broad representation, the determination session’s decision has strong religious legitimacy,” he said.
Arsad Hidayat, Director of Islamic Religious Affairs and Shariah Development, stated that technical preparations continue to be refined, including coordination for monitoring moon sightings at various points across Indonesia.
“From a technical perspective, we have prepared support facilities and infrastructure for the session, a moon sighting reporting system, and coordination with moon observation points throughout Indonesia. We hope the session process can run in an orderly, accurate, and informative manner for the public,” he said.
He also appealed to the public to await the official government announcement after the entire session proceedings are completed.
The determination session will begin with a seminar on the moon’s position, followed by verification of moon sighting reports from various regions, then the formal determination session and official announcement of 1 Syawal 1447 Hijriah by the Minister of Religious Affairs.